Rachel A. (ra7) reviewed on 5/2/2021 + 1009 more book reviews

Starting around 1917 workers, mainly young women, worked with radium based paint to paint the dials of clocks, watches, and instrument panels of aircraft for the military. The paint was luminous. Radium was considered "safe" by many. But then within 2-5 years, the women started to get sick. Often starting with a sore leg, sore teeth, it progressed until they died. And not a "good death." They took time to die, it was slow and painful. It took decades for any true justice to be served. Unfortunately, neither company; The Radium Dial Company (IL) or The United States Radium Corporation (NJ), was truly held accountable. And don't forgot Luminous Processes (founded by the ousted members of Radium Dial- Joseph Kelly and Rufus Fordyce).
The strength of this book is that the women are relatable. They come alive on the page and could have been your daughter, sister, wife, mother, cousin, friend (you get the picture). The focus is on them as people first and second is what happened to them.
Because of these women, who later participated in studies both while alive and in death, much was learned about radioactivity. Most of what we now know, can be traced directly to these women and their willingness to subject themselves and participate in medical studies. We can thank them for the creation of OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration). Anyone who works with chemicals (any type) has access to the material safety data sheets (MSDS) for the details of the chemicals they work with.

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