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Radium Girls
New Jersey, 1918. Edna Bolz entre comme ouvrière à l’United State Radium Corporation, une usine qui fournit l’armée en montres. Aux côtés de Katherine, Mollie, Albina, Quinta et les autres, elle va apprendre le métier qui consiste à peindre des cadrans à l’aide de la peinture Undark (une substance luminescente très précieuse et très chère) à un rythme constant. Mais bien que la charge de travail soit soutenue, l’ambiance à l’usine est assez bonne. Les filles s’entendent bien et sortent même ensemble le soir. Elles se surnomment les « Ghost Girls » : par jeu, elles se peignent les ongles, les dents ou le visage afin d’éblouir (littéralement) les autres une fois la nuit tombée. Mais elles ignorent que, derrière ses propriétés étonnantes, le Radium, cette substance qu’elles manipulent toute la journée et avec laquelle elles jouent, est en réalité mortelle. Et alors que certaines d’entre elles commencent à souffrir d’anémie, de fractures voire de tumeur, des voix s’élèvent pour comprendre. D’autres, pour étouffer l’affaire...
La dessinatrice Cy nous raconte le terrible destin des Radium Girls, ces jeunes femmes injustement sacrifiées sur l’autel du progrès technique. Un parcours de femmes dans la turbulente Amérique des années 1920 où, derrière l’insouciance lumineuse de la jeunesse, se joue une véritable tragédie des temps modernes.
La dessinatrice Cy nous raconte le terrible destin des Radium Girls, ces jeunes femmes injustement sacrifiées sur l’autel du progrès technique. Un parcours de femmes dans la turbulente Amérique des années 1920 où, derrière l’insouciance lumineuse de la jeunesse, se joue une véritable tragédie des temps modernes.
136 pages, Hardcover
First published August 26, 2020
14 people are currently reading
3178 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 607 reviews
July 5, 2022
Why is this French? No idea. But I read the English version and it was very good. Not as good/accurate as The Radium Girls by Kate Moore, but a very accessible graphic novel that's beautifully illustrated. Such a horrible story, but important to know.
April 30, 2022
Thanks to NetGalley and Letter Better Publishing Services for an egalley in exchange for an honest review
Inspired by Kate Moore's The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women, this graphic novel illustrated in coloured pencil once again presents the little known story of the women in the early 20th century who died after contracting radium poisoning from their job as dial makers.
I felt that this makes a great companion to Moore's non-fiction work. References to traditional courtships, domestic violence, sexuality, prohibition, and women's voting rights help place the reader in the time period.
I highly recommend this graphic novel to your TBR.
#RadiumGirls #NetGalley
Expected Publication 03/05/22
Goodreads review published 24/02/22
Inspired by Kate Moore's The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women, this graphic novel illustrated in coloured pencil once again presents the little known story of the women in the early 20th century who died after contracting radium poisoning from their job as dial makers.
I felt that this makes a great companion to Moore's non-fiction work. References to traditional courtships, domestic violence, sexuality, prohibition, and women's voting rights help place the reader in the time period.
I highly recommend this graphic novel to your TBR.
#RadiumGirls #NetGalley
Expected Publication 03/05/22
Goodreads review published 24/02/22
September 4, 2020
Après ma lecture laborieuse du roman de Kate Moore qui couvre exactement le même sujet, j’ai pourtant sauté sur cette nouvelle BD de Cy. dont le style et la maîtrise des couleurs m’époustoufle chaque fois un peu plus.
Cette BD est juste une satanée œuvre d’art.
Cette BD est juste une satanée œuvre d’art.
March 31, 2025
Ganhei este livro num passatempo e, antes de o ler, achava que as Radium Girls eram meninas que trabalhavam na rádio, mas não. Foram raparigas que trabalharam numa fábrica a pintar mostradores de relógios com a técnica de lip dip paint. Esse trabalho trouxe-lhes terríveis consequências para a saúde, mas também fez com que as leis para os trabalhadores fossem alteradas e conduziu a avanços científicos sobre o rádio e o impacto das radiações.
April 18, 2024
Von der Geschichte der jungen Frauen, die in den 20er Jahren des letzten Jahrhunderts Ziffernblätter mit Radiumfarbe bemalten, habe ich bereits ausführlich im hervorragend recherchierten Sachbuch von Kate Moore gelesen (besprochen in diesem Artikel). Diese Graphic Novel habe ich zufällig in der Bibliothek entdeckt und gleich mitgenommen, um zu sehen, was die französische Zeichnerin Cy. aus dem Thema gemacht hat. Schon allein wegen der aufwendigen Buntstifttechnik ist die Graphic Novel nicht sehr ausführlich und daher eher als Einstieg in das Thema zu betrachten. Wer sich näher mit dem Schicksal der Frauen, ihrer Charakterisierung und individuellen Geschichten und ihrem Kampf gegen die verantwortlichen Konzerne beschäftigen möchte, sollte anschließend zu Kate Moores Buch greifen. Das Thema wird jedoch liebevoll und originell umgesetzt. Sehr gefallen hat mir das Farbschema, das die radioaktive Leuchtfarbe an jeder Stelle des Buches präsent sein lässt. Zusätzliches Gimmick: Das Cover leuchtet im Dunkeln leicht, wie die tödliche Farbe.
June 28, 2021
Comme c'est beau ces dessins !
Ça faisait des mois que je voulais lire cette BD, et quand elle a fini par croiser mon chemin à la bibliothèque, ni une ni deux, j'ai sauté sur l'occasion - j'ai vraiment adoré le côté graphique de cet album, ces couleurs, ces traits aux crayons de couleur... En revanche je me suis un peu emmêlé les pinceaux et confondais tous les personnages (qui se ressemblent un peu aussi) mais ça ne m'a pas empêché d'aimer cette histoire d'amitié, même si c'est aussi une histoire d'injustice.
Heureusement Cy aura permis de rendre un hommage à ces femmes sacrifiées à travers ce beau travail graphique !
Ça faisait des mois que je voulais lire cette BD, et quand elle a fini par croiser mon chemin à la bibliothèque, ni une ni deux, j'ai sauté sur l'occasion - j'ai vraiment adoré le côté graphique de cet album, ces couleurs, ces traits aux crayons de couleur... En revanche je me suis un peu emmêlé les pinceaux et confondais tous les personnages (qui se ressemblent un peu aussi) mais ça ne m'a pas empêché d'aimer cette histoire d'amitié, même si c'est aussi une histoire d'injustice.
Heureusement Cy aura permis de rendre un hommage à ces femmes sacrifiées à travers ce beau travail graphique !
Read
August 5, 2025
Náuseas, vómitos, dores, perda de dentes, anemias, queimaduras, necroses são alguns dos sintomas do envenenamento por rádio. Os mesmos sintomas que as trabalhadoras da fábrica U.S. Radium começaram a exibir após meses ou anos incentivadas pelos empregadores a mergulhar nos lábios os pincéis de undark, tinta luminosa de rádio com que pintavam mostradores de relógio.
Na década de 1920, milhares de mulheres trabalharam ao preço da chuva e começaram a morrer miserável e anonimamente de envenenamento por rádio, enquanto os cientistas e químicos que o produziam, certamente avisados pelas experiências de Curie, se protegiam, manuseando a mesma substância com precauções várias - e certamente coibindo-se de engolir a tinta venenosa.
Os anos passaram e tudo se mantinha igual até ao dia em que Grace Fryer, Edna Hussman, Katherine Schaub, Quinta McDonald e Albina Larice, sentindo na pele os efeitos do veneno, decidiram enfrentar o sistema e processar a empresa U. S. Radium por negligência. Difamadas pela corporação que as empregava (e que contava com o apoio bem pago de médicos, cientistas e advogados) e sem leis de proteção ao trabalhador nos Estados Unidos, o caso das primeiras Radium Girls terminou ainda antes de começar, mas a sua coragem abriu um precedente legal que levou a vários outros processos, alguns deles a favor das trabalhadoras de fábricas que operavam rádio, e a mudanças na legislação do trabalho, sobretudo no que diz respeito a indemnizações por acidente e doença, e ao estabelecimento de normas de segurança e saúde em ambiente de trabalho.
Ora, se esta não é uma história que merece ser contada, não sei o que seja.
Para o fim, fica só a faltar a referência à belíssima edição da Arte de Autor - a complementar uma arte ambiciosa e elegante - que conta com uma capa fantasmagórica que brilha no escuro. Um truque inteligente numa edição de luxo, e um toque macabro numa obra sobre os efeitos da radioactividade.
«Esperemos que a nossa luta não tenha sido em vão.»
July 4, 2022
2.5⭐
Heartbreaking but doesn't do the Radium Girls justice at all!
It's a quick read but I would have appreciated more details and clarity. I've always been curious about the Radium Girls and this is my first book about them, so I was expecting so much more.
I enjoyed getting to know the different women as well as learning about their experiences and lives. However, they were hard to tell apart and I don't feel like there was enough insight into each individual. The book also raises several issues but it all felt very surface-level, glossed over, and lacking in depth. The ending was abrupt too.
The art style is unique but unfortunately not my cup of tea, as with the font. I did like the green and purple colour palette though as it felt very fitting.
Maybe those who already have a solid understanding of the Radium Girls will enjoy this more. It's an important and informative read that covers the gist of things but ultimately disappointing.
Thank you to Iron Circus Comics and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.
Heartbreaking but doesn't do the Radium Girls justice at all!
It's a quick read but I would have appreciated more details and clarity. I've always been curious about the Radium Girls and this is my first book about them, so I was expecting so much more.
I enjoyed getting to know the different women as well as learning about their experiences and lives. However, they were hard to tell apart and I don't feel like there was enough insight into each individual. The book also raises several issues but it all felt very surface-level, glossed over, and lacking in depth. The ending was abrupt too.
The art style is unique but unfortunately not my cup of tea, as with the font. I did like the green and purple colour palette though as it felt very fitting.
Maybe those who already have a solid understanding of the Radium Girls will enjoy this more. It's an important and informative read that covers the gist of things but ultimately disappointing.
Thank you to Iron Circus Comics and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.
April 3, 2025
PT Mais uma excelente leitura que expõe as condições de trabalho numa época em que não existiam leis de segurança tão robustas como as de hoje – e em que o valor atribuído à vida humana também não era o mesmo.
Aqui, um grupo de mulheres desempenha o seu trabalho dia após dia, sem sequer suspeitar que a matéria com que lidam é tóxica e acabará por lhes ditar o destino.
Mais chocante ainda é a frieza de certas pessoas (se assim as podemos chamar), que conhecem a verdade, mas optam por escondê-la em nome do lucro.
Uma excelente edição da Arte de Autor, com um detalhe curioso. Experimentem olhar para a capa no escuro.
--
EN Another excellent read that sheds light on working conditions in a time when safety laws were far less stringent than they are today – and when the value of human life was not the same.
Here, a group of women carry out their work day after day, completely unaware that the material they handle is toxic and will ultimately seal their fate.
Even more shocking is the cold indifference of certain individuals (if we can call them that), who know the truth yet choose to hide it in the name of profit.
An excellent edition by Arte de Autor, with a curious detail. Try looking at the cover in the dark.
Aqui, um grupo de mulheres desempenha o seu trabalho dia após dia, sem sequer suspeitar que a matéria com que lidam é tóxica e acabará por lhes ditar o destino.
Mais chocante ainda é a frieza de certas pessoas (se assim as podemos chamar), que conhecem a verdade, mas optam por escondê-la em nome do lucro.
Uma excelente edição da Arte de Autor, com um detalhe curioso. Experimentem olhar para a capa no escuro.
--
EN Another excellent read that sheds light on working conditions in a time when safety laws were far less stringent than they are today – and when the value of human life was not the same.
Here, a group of women carry out their work day after day, completely unaware that the material they handle is toxic and will ultimately seal their fate.
Even more shocking is the cold indifference of certain individuals (if we can call them that), who know the truth yet choose to hide it in the name of profit.
An excellent edition by Arte de Autor, with a curious detail. Try looking at the cover in the dark.
November 21, 2022
The 'Ghost Girls' work at the local watch factory; they get their name from the residual radioactive powder that clings to them after their shift painting watch dials (making them glow). But the ethereal greenish glow is hiding a deadly secret: the girls are being poisoned by the radium paint used on the watch dials. They even 'lick' the brushes (to make a finer point) as they paint the dials all day long. Soon many of the girls are sick and dying - and there is no legal recourse for them. A heartbreakingly cautionary tale about corporate responsibility, the legal system and justice denied.
August 5, 2023
Une bande dessinée dévorée en une heure derrière ma caisse lors d’un samedi après midi très tranquille (je vous assure que je vous dis la vérité). Le sujet est frappant et très intéressant du fait qu’il est très méconnu et pourtant à l’origine des droits de santé et sécurité au travail aux USA. Oh surprise, c’est encore fait par des femmes et on en parle pas :P
Les dessins sont magnifiques et évoquent bien l’ambiance très radium très folies de la prohibition. L’autrice dépeint avec succès et goût sucré l’amitié entre les filles, ça fait chaud au coeur!! Cependant on en aurait pris plus, l’histoire déboule extrêmement vite et coupe très court. J’aurais pris le double, quitte à romancer un peu plus l’histoire de vie des personnages, parce que là on en manque (car c’est bon)
Les dessins sont magnifiques et évoquent bien l’ambiance très radium très folies de la prohibition. L’autrice dépeint avec succès et goût sucré l’amitié entre les filles, ça fait chaud au coeur!! Cependant on en aurait pris plus, l’histoire déboule extrêmement vite et coupe très court. J’aurais pris le double, quitte à romancer un peu plus l’histoire de vie des personnages, parce que là on en manque (car c’est bon)
January 14, 2023
Gde bih ja sticala opštu kulturu ako ne međ' grafičkim novelama jer NARAVNO da tradicionalno januarski samo 'oću da se ispovraćam od pisane reči i burn-outa i sitnih kolača. Zanimljiva priča o sada već zaboravljenim Radium Girls, devojkama i ženama koje su zadobile trovanje radijumom tokom iscrtavanja brojčanika satova svetlećom farbom dvadesetih godina prošlog veka. Poseban osvrt na stranu 52, gde je kontrast između muškaraca istraživača, sa zaštitnim maskama i rukavicama koji istražuju svojstva radijuma, i sprata ispod, gde žene samo u belim mantilima, bez ikakve zaštitne opreme, pritiskaju na usne četkice umočene u radijumsku boju (da bi ih zašiljile, i da se materijal ne bi trošio razblažen u vodi, pogrešno ubeđene da je sve to potpuno bezopasno). Kada prvi simptomi, poput umora uzrokovanog anemijom, preloma kostiju, ispadanja zuba počnu da se pojavljuju, uspostavljena dijagnoza biće sifilis, da bi se uništila reputacija radnica i sačuvao ugled kompanije. Tek kasnije kreće legalna bitka, čiji ishod mnoge od njih neće dočekati.
Crtež i boje savršeno uklopljeni, preporuka!
Crtež i boje savršeno uklopljeni, preporuka!
August 7, 2022
This was an interesting book. I've always been fascinated with the Radium Girls. I knew quite a bit about them before reading this book and I thought I would get to know more from this book.
Radium Girls refers to those girls who used to paint watches with radium and lick their paint brushes that's coated with radium. To listen to this now is horrifying to me but back then people didn't know the adverse effects of radium, so they thought "hey let's make some glow in the dark watches" by using radium.
But eventually all the girls started to show the effects of radium. Their jaws disintegrated and they started dying. Truly horrible.
I enjoyed reading this book. The illustrations were simple but effective. I'd definitely recommend this book if you want to know more about the shocking events surrounding the Radium Girls.
Radium Girls refers to those girls who used to paint watches with radium and lick their paint brushes that's coated with radium. To listen to this now is horrifying to me but back then people didn't know the adverse effects of radium, so they thought "hey let's make some glow in the dark watches" by using radium.
But eventually all the girls started to show the effects of radium. Their jaws disintegrated and they started dying. Truly horrible.
I enjoyed reading this book. The illustrations were simple but effective. I'd definitely recommend this book if you want to know more about the shocking events surrounding the Radium Girls.
December 21, 2025
le but n'étant pas de faire une BD purement historique sur l'histoire, j'accepte que ce soit léger sur ce point même si j'en attendais un peu plus. autre point, j'avais du mal à reconnaître les personnages et les différencier. a part ça c'est joli, soigné, il y a du détail dans les décors et les tenues et c'est quelque chose que j'apprécie en BD.
September 9, 2020
Original et intéressant, une histoire très touchante d’émancipation et de lutte contre l’injustice.
May 7, 2021
Énorme coup de cœur pour ce roman graphique, ses personnages, son dynamisme. J'ai ressenti tellement d'émotions à la lecture, et un réel sentiment de sororité avec toutes ces femmes que l'Histoire a oubliées et que le destin n'a pas épargnées.
February 12, 2023
A sort of dramatized book report of The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women by Kate Moore, this graphic novel focuses on the friendship and daily lives of the young women who were poisoned by the radioactive paint they used in their job of painting glow-in-the-dark watch dials. The first half of the book is all chats and hang-outs and having fun with the fact that their bodies now glow in the dark.
The second half of the book zips through their subsequent health issues and lawsuits with a vague timeline that covers many years without much specific detail.
The only standout page shows the women downstairs in the factory casually and ignorantly licking their radioactive paintbrushes to get a fine point as instructed by their supervisor, while the men in a laboratory upstairs wear masks and gloves while handling the paint ingredients with tongs.
I highly recommend skipping this or using it as a stepping stone to tackling Moore's book and getting the full gripping, horrifying, and outrageous story.
The second half of the book zips through their subsequent health issues and lawsuits with a vague timeline that covers many years without much specific detail.
The only standout page shows the women downstairs in the factory casually and ignorantly licking their radioactive paintbrushes to get a fine point as instructed by their supervisor, while the men in a laboratory upstairs wear masks and gloves while handling the paint ingredients with tongs.
I highly recommend skipping this or using it as a stepping stone to tackling Moore's book and getting the full gripping, horrifying, and outrageous story.
July 16, 2022
An unforgettable, poignant, heart-shattering book entry, yet luminous and liberating than ever.
Radium Girls tells the tragic yet empowering story of six women of Orange, New Jersey in 1918, who fought for their rights when they suffered radiation poisoning from working in a watch factory. The art style with hints of cubism is strangely pretty and appropriate. The author heavily relied on this breath-taking art instead of dialogue which is nothing but effective for a quick read. The purple color motif gives the rather mix of luxury, sadness, beauty, justice, and truth in the totality of the work. It is truly one of its kind. I would like to read more about these shining women so I'll hit the non-fiction shelves and look for them.
My gratitude to Iron Circus Comics, Letter Better Publishing Services, and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this beautiful graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.
Radium Girls tells the tragic yet empowering story of six women of Orange, New Jersey in 1918, who fought for their rights when they suffered radiation poisoning from working in a watch factory. The art style with hints of cubism is strangely pretty and appropriate. The author heavily relied on this breath-taking art instead of dialogue which is nothing but effective for a quick read. The purple color motif gives the rather mix of luxury, sadness, beauty, justice, and truth in the totality of the work. It is truly one of its kind. I would like to read more about these shining women so I'll hit the non-fiction shelves and look for them.
My gratitude to Iron Circus Comics, Letter Better Publishing Services, and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this beautiful graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.
October 31, 2020
Presque un coup de cœur !
Ce récit est émouvant, galvanisant, car malgré la distance historique des années 20, on peut se reconnaître dans ces héroïnes qui sont les faire-valoir interchangeables des grandes puissances cannibales du capitalisme.
L'autrice-illustratrice met l'accent sur l'amitié qui unit ces jeunes femmes, dans la joie volatile du New York des années folles, mais aussi dans la maladie, la douleur et le deuil. Je me suis attachée aux personnages malgré la rapidité de l'histoire, elles m'ont émue dans leur candeur et dans leur lutte.
Quant au dessin, c'est juste une merveille graphique, tant au niveau du trait que des couleurs !
Ce récit est émouvant, galvanisant, car malgré la distance historique des années 20, on peut se reconnaître dans ces héroïnes qui sont les faire-valoir interchangeables des grandes puissances cannibales du capitalisme.
L'autrice-illustratrice met l'accent sur l'amitié qui unit ces jeunes femmes, dans la joie volatile du New York des années folles, mais aussi dans la maladie, la douleur et le deuil. Je me suis attachée aux personnages malgré la rapidité de l'histoire, elles m'ont émue dans leur candeur et dans leur lutte.
Quant au dessin, c'est juste une merveille graphique, tant au niveau du trait que des couleurs !
December 27, 2020
Très jolie BD qui met en avant (ou en lumière 🙈) les Radium Girls ces ouvrières américaines qui ont été exposées à cet élément radioactif dans les années 20. J’ai adoré les dessins de Cy et sa façon de traiter le sujet. Malgré le sujet lourd et émouvant, l’amitié qui réunissait ces jeunes femmes met du baume au cœur.
February 19, 2021
WOW! Une belle histoire d'amitié et d'entraide féminine sur la trame d'un évènement désastreux dont on n'a jamais entendu parler. Magnifiques illustrations aussi, faites au crayon à colorier.
(La seule raison pour laquelle je ne donne pas 5 étoiles, c'est parce que je me perdais entre les personnages, mais au fond, je ne crois pas que ce soit là l'essentiel)
(La seule raison pour laquelle je ne donne pas 5 étoiles, c'est parce que je me perdais entre les personnages, mais au fond, je ne crois pas que ce soit là l'essentiel)
February 20, 2021
des illustrations magnifiques et une histoire aussi passionnante que déconcertante! À lire pour honorer ces femmes trop peu connues.
June 9, 2021
Un petit goût de trop peu! J’ai adoré le style de dessins 🥰
March 12, 2021
20/20
Les Radium Girls ont été oubliées par l’Histoire, mais leur destin est terrible et leur combat important. Cy. nous offre une merveilleuse mise en lumière de cette histoire qui est la leur avec cette BD qui fut un gros coup de coeur.
Ma chronique : https://littleprettybooks.com/2021/03...
Les Radium Girls ont été oubliées par l’Histoire, mais leur destin est terrible et leur combat important. Cy. nous offre une merveilleuse mise en lumière de cette histoire qui est la leur avec cette BD qui fut un gros coup de coeur.
Ma chronique : https://littleprettybooks.com/2021/03...
March 13, 2021
Une BD très intéressante sur une histoire que je ne connaissais pas: celle d’ouvrières américaines exposées au radium au début du XXe siècle. C’est nécessaire de faire connaître ces femmes et leur combat. Les images sont magnifiques, pour ne rien gâcher!
October 28, 2020
Ah oui quand même.
February 22, 2025
Pas très poussé, mais intéressant
August 23, 2022
3.6.
This graphic novel did a good job of giving an inside look into the lives of “Radium Girls,” a group of women in the early 1900s that were instructed to point the tip of their paintbrushes with their mouth when painting dials, thus leading to radiation poisoning.
It is very grim to read about the working conditions women had to endure, and it’s very frustrating that they were lied to about the inks, being told they were harmless and not to worry about applying the brush to their lips.
The illustrations within are fairly simple and I think that allows the story to make quite a big impact. There are two colours used, greens and purples. I’m not sure I am a fan of the used of coloured pencils, and think perhaps the illustrations would have looked even better had the crayons been blended together. As is, the colouring looks a bit unfinished/unpolished but I still overall enjoyed the illustration style.
I recommend this to anyone who is interested in learning more about this topic. Before reading this book, I didn’t know that these events happened and I feel like I learned quite a lot about both the events that took place and the importance of having conditions in place that protects workers from these sorts of occupational hazards in the future.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing an e-ARC in exchange for a review copy. The expected release date is August 23rd 2022.
This graphic novel did a good job of giving an inside look into the lives of “Radium Girls,” a group of women in the early 1900s that were instructed to point the tip of their paintbrushes with their mouth when painting dials, thus leading to radiation poisoning.
It is very grim to read about the working conditions women had to endure, and it’s very frustrating that they were lied to about the inks, being told they were harmless and not to worry about applying the brush to their lips.
The illustrations within are fairly simple and I think that allows the story to make quite a big impact. There are two colours used, greens and purples. I’m not sure I am a fan of the used of coloured pencils, and think perhaps the illustrations would have looked even better had the crayons been blended together. As is, the colouring looks a bit unfinished/unpolished but I still overall enjoyed the illustration style.
I recommend this to anyone who is interested in learning more about this topic. Before reading this book, I didn’t know that these events happened and I feel like I learned quite a lot about both the events that took place and the importance of having conditions in place that protects workers from these sorts of occupational hazards in the future.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing an e-ARC in exchange for a review copy. The expected release date is August 23rd 2022.
December 27, 2021
So, this book.... the art is wonderful! The narrative of the Radium Girls is broadly accurate. But there are just some historical inaccuracies that set my teeth on edge.
The background historical events seemed to be a way to demonstrate the chronological timeline of events, but that needs some help.
I was off kilter with the first page, which showed one of the future Radium Girls listening to a radio before heading off to work. The visual way the radio and sounds from it were depicted was awesome! The way it said that it depicted a scene in 1918 was not. Radios weren't household things then. In the 20s, yes. Then they're in a speakeasy during Prohibition? And then getting the 19th Amendment passed? It took many pages to think that maybe it was a device for showing time passage, but eventually you quit doing the googling that the author or editor didnt do for you.
As far as showing the disabled person at the beach and the Radium Girls comments- 1 Many states had "ugly laws" at this time, making it illegal for deformed people to be in public, the comments were 100% in character and 2 It's a piece of irony given where the Radium Girls are headed - toothless, unable to walk or eventually move, sores on their faces, etc. That said, it served little to no purpose as these things arent made clear at all and no lines are drawn for this.
I'm left wondering if half of the details in the story stayed in the author's head instead of making it to the page.
Thank you to Cy, Letter Better Publishers, and Netgalley for an advanced ecopy of the english version in exchange for an honest opinion
The background historical events seemed to be a way to demonstrate the chronological timeline of events, but that needs some help.
I was off kilter with the first page, which showed one of the future Radium Girls listening to a radio before heading off to work. The visual way the radio and sounds from it were depicted was awesome! The way it said that it depicted a scene in 1918 was not. Radios weren't household things then. In the 20s, yes. Then they're in a speakeasy during Prohibition? And then getting the 19th Amendment passed? It took many pages to think that maybe it was a device for showing time passage, but eventually you quit doing the googling that the author or editor didnt do for you.
As far as showing the disabled person at the beach and the Radium Girls comments- 1 Many states had "ugly laws" at this time, making it illegal for deformed people to be in public, the comments were 100% in character and 2 It's a piece of irony given where the Radium Girls are headed - toothless, unable to walk or eventually move, sores on their faces, etc. That said, it served little to no purpose as these things arent made clear at all and no lines are drawn for this.
I'm left wondering if half of the details in the story stayed in the author's head instead of making it to the page.
Thank you to Cy, Letter Better Publishers, and Netgalley for an advanced ecopy of the english version in exchange for an honest opinion
June 4, 2020
Focus sur des jeunes femmes plongées dans l'ignorance du danger auquel leur métier les confrontait... et qui a mené à leur perte. C'est scandalisant et pourtant, comme beaucoup d'autres choses, c'est inspiré d'une histoire vraie.
En règle générale, j'ai besoin d'accrocher aux dessins pour pouvoir apprécier une bande dessinée - ce qui doit être le cas de beaucoup de monde. Pour le coup, le style n'est pas à mon goût mais j'ai tout de même adoré ma lecture. Comme quoi !
En règle générale, j'ai besoin d'accrocher aux dessins pour pouvoir apprécier une bande dessinée - ce qui doit être le cas de beaucoup de monde. Pour le coup, le style n'est pas à mon goût mais j'ai tout de même adoré ma lecture. Comme quoi !
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