The statue is dedicated not only to the Ottawa dial-painters, but also to ‘dial-painters who suffered all over the United States … in recognition of the tremendous perseverance, dedication and sense of justice the Radium Girls exhibited in their fight’. At Christmas time, locals drape the statue with a red homemade knitted scarf, to keep her warm in winter. “This is the memorial statue to the Radium Girls, which stands in Ottawa, Illinois. When my husband and I had a glass of prosecco after I typed THE END on my first draft, before either of us drank a drop we first turned to the wall on which their pictures were pinned and raised our glasses to them.” Make it good, communicate their story, because they deserve this. Kate Moore said this: “Every time I talk about the women, I tell myself: do it for them. In an interview, the author stated she posted the girls’ photos around the room while writing this book. Members found themselves looking at the photos while reading and thinking of the girls. Many members made positive comments regarding the photos included in the book. Louis, MO (nuclear waste site),US tobacco companies: Phillip Morris,etc. Flint, MI (lead in water), Chernobyl (nuclear disaster), St. Members relayed other disasters where the disadvantaged get a raw deal i.e. Members were inspired by the strength of these women in the face of corporate giants. The members felt rage and anger at the corporate greed and legal dysfunction. ![]() Many members could not put the book down they were entranced. Members are lifelong learners, so they really engage with writing that brings them new information. ![]() The members thought the author helped the reader to experience all the emotions of these young girls-from exuberant joy to deep sorrow and anger. The members applauded Kate Moore for bringing the personal stories of each radium girl to life. The members felt this narrative nonfiction read was written in a very accessible way and they thought this could be required reading for high school students. Many members have stated they are not nonfiction readers and with that in mind, they enjoyed this nonfiction read. The book received ratings between a 4.0 and 5.0+. Just be warned your nightmares might suddenly feature your teeth and jaws rotting out of your head for the next several months.The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women by Kate Moore So, if you have the stomach and emotional stability for it, I highly recommend this one. Moore takes sides, and she is firmly on the side of these women. This is not an objective journalistic take. A British narrator would have been better, to give us more a taste of the voice of the author, who is not entirely absent from these pages. Narrator Angela Brazil was a bit robotic. I did the audio, and while it wasn’t great, it wasn’t awful, either. Even as the stories of these girls were horrifyingly monotonous and grim, the same awful things playing out again and again, the book remains engaging. Moore, who is British, is a great writer, and she shepherds this story with apparent ease. The dial-painting factories started up in the early 1920s and continued, as a horrifying post-script informs us, through the 1970s, even after not one but two well-publicized trials resulted in the knowledge that radium was a gruesome, wrenching killer. It was known since 1901 that radium was harmful, if not exactly how. The beyond good wages these companies paid these women are nothing in comparison to what their careless capitalism, greed, and willful ignorance cost the women in return. This is some body horror shit, let’s be frank. ![]() The result is that you get a clear picture of just exactly how far these literal shining girls (they glowed from all the radium) fell as their health began to fail, and the radium that was slowly poisoning them wreaked its havoc on their bodies. Moore extensively researched the women this story is about, and she pulled not only from scholarly books and articles about them, but from their own personal correspondence, journals, and memories from friends and family. Anyone with an ounce of empathy will find this one a tough go. Jackson moment in cinema:Īnd I truly mean that. What I have to say about this book can be whittled down to one classic Samuel L.
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