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'The Radium Girls: The Dark Story Of America's Shining Women' On Monday's Access Utah

 

The Curies' newly discovered element of radium makes gleaming headlines across the nation as the fresh face of beauty, and wonder drug of the medical community. From body lotion to tonic water, the popular new element shines bright in the otherwise dark years of the First World War.

 

Meanwhile, hundreds of girls toil amidst the glowing dust of the radium-dial factories. The glittering chemical covers their bodies from head to toe; they light up the night like industrious fireflies. With such a coveted job, these "shining girls" are the luckiest alive — until they begin to fall mysteriously ill.

But the factories that once offered golden opportunities are now ignoring all claims of the gruesome side effects, and the women's cries of corruption. And as the fatal poison of the radium takes hold, the brave shining girls find themselves embroiled in one of the biggest scandals of America's early 20th century, and in a groundbreaking battle for workers' rights.

Kate Moore, author of the New York Times bestseller “The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women” joined us for Monday’s Access Utah, ahead of the book’s paperback release and Moore’s appearance at The King’s English Bookshop in Salt Lake City, which both happen on Tuesday (the event at The King’s English starts at 7 p.m.)

 

Kate Moore is a Sunday Times bestselling author. She writes across various genres, from biography and history to gift and humor, and is also in demand as a book editor and ghostwriter. She lives in London, England with her husband.

 

Tom Williams worked as a part-time UPR announcer for a few years and joined Utah Public Radio full-time in 1996. He is a proud graduate of Uintah High School in Vernal and Utah State University (B. A. in Liberal Arts and Master of Business Administration.) He grew up in a family that regularly discussed everything from opera to religion to politics. He is interested in just about everything and loves to engage people in conversation, so you could say he has found the perfect job as host “Access Utah.” He and his wife Becky, live in Logan.