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A review by taisynn
The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women by Kate Moore
5.0
This book is a work of narrative non-fiction that was both fascinating as well as horrifying. These women, trying to do right by their country by painting glowing dials for our armed forces, were placed in harms way by a ruthlessly cruel, indifferent company.
The United States Radium Corporation (USRC), for years knew that radium was dangerous and even gave their male employees protective gear. Yet the women painting the dials and turning out the profits for the company were not told of the dangers and encouraged to lip point, putting the radioactive paint-covered brushes in their mouths, in order to pinch pennies. In the desire to put profits first, they knowingly lied to their female workers that placing the brushes in their mouth and consuming radium was safe.
They used every dirty legal trick in the book in order to keep their profits to themselves; even when these women, these loyal employees, were becoming crippled and disease ridden from their paint, they turned a blind eye and put fraudulent studies forth to discredit the women. Many women died in abhorrent conditions, suffering, destitute, and maligned by the company. Even pleas, on merciful grounds, were ignored.
These selfless women fought the first battle towards today’s Occupation Health Standards as well as for compensation, safety gear, and information on avoiding possibly lethal or harmful hazards in production. They, and their selfless lawyers, fought for the right not to be exploited and sacrificed in the name of corporate greed.
This book brought out the human side of the entire equation; not only the greed and apathy of corporate powers, but also brought to light the not just the suffering of these women, but also their accomplishments, hopes, dreams, and families. It wasn’t just a morbid telling of horror and pain, but also the tenacity of the human spirit to survive and provide for loved ones.
I very much encourage people to read this; it is not only a perfect time to read it, when the holiday for Radium Girls and the statue erected in their honor is coming up on September 2nd.
The United States Radium Corporation (USRC), for years knew that radium was dangerous and even gave their male employees protective gear. Yet the women painting the dials and turning out the profits for the company were not told of the dangers and encouraged to lip point, putting the radioactive paint-covered brushes in their mouths, in order to pinch pennies. In the desire to put profits first, they knowingly lied to their female workers that placing the brushes in their mouth and consuming radium was safe.
They used every dirty legal trick in the book in order to keep their profits to themselves; even when these women, these loyal employees, were becoming crippled and disease ridden from their paint, they turned a blind eye and put fraudulent studies forth to discredit the women. Many women died in abhorrent conditions, suffering, destitute, and maligned by the company. Even pleas, on merciful grounds, were ignored.
These selfless women fought the first battle towards today’s Occupation Health Standards as well as for compensation, safety gear, and information on avoiding possibly lethal or harmful hazards in production. They, and their selfless lawyers, fought for the right not to be exploited and sacrificed in the name of corporate greed.
This book brought out the human side of the entire equation; not only the greed and apathy of corporate powers, but also brought to light the not just the suffering of these women, but also their accomplishments, hopes, dreams, and families. It wasn’t just a morbid telling of horror and pain, but also the tenacity of the human spirit to survive and provide for loved ones.
I very much encourage people to read this; it is not only a perfect time to read it, when the holiday for Radium Girls and the statue erected in their honor is coming up on September 2nd.