Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Luminous: The Story of a Radium Girl by Samantha Wilcoxson

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for LUMINOUS: The Story of a Radium Girl by Samantha Wilcoxson on this Coffee and Thorn Book Tour.

Below you will find an about the book section, my book review, an about the author section, and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!

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About the Book

Catherine’s life is set on an unexpected course when she accepts a job at Radium Dial. She soon finds out that the excellent pay is no recompense for the evil secret that lurks in the magical glow-in-the-dark paint. Catherine Donohoe takes on the might of a big corporation and becomes an early pioneer of social justice in the era between world wars.

Emotive and inspiring – this book will touch you like no other as you witness the devastating impact of radium poisoning on young women’s lives.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52288751-luminous?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=JgZAkE25ik&rank=1

LUMINOUS: The Story of a Radium Girl

  • Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Luminous-Story-Radium-Samantha-Wilcoxson-ebook/dp/B085ZWBFCQ
  • Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/52288751
  • Genre:  Fictional account of real events, 1920s and 30s.
  • Print length: 321 pages (83K words)
  • Age range: This is an adult book, but may be suitable for mature older teenagers
  • Trigger warnings: Distressing medical content

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

LUMINOUS: The Story of a Radium Girl by Samantha Wilcoxson is an emotionally heartrending historical biographical fiction story that had me grabbing the tissues as the main character’s disease progresses and yet cheering her on as she fights for justice in a time when workers are considered insignificant and easily replaceable to companies in the 1920’s and 30’s. While this is a story where you know what happens to the main character in the end, it is her fighting spirit in the face of her pain that starts to bring awareness to exploitation of all workers in dangerous jobs.

Catherine is excited to get a job at Radium Dial in Ottawa, Illinois. It is the largest and the highest paying company in the city and with this job she will be able to help her aunt and uncle with their bills. It is exacting work painting the glow paint on the dark numerals on watch dials. While the young girls have fun with the glow-in-the dark paint, they do not realize the radium is poisoning them. As her friends begin to get sick and die, Catherine realizes her greatest fear…that the radium paint they use pointing their brushes with their mouths is deadly.

Catherine and her husband face her diagnosis with their faith and love, but they also want justice. Catherine becomes a determined fighter for workers, but she is also fighting against time.

The minute I read about the “pointing of the brushes”, I wanted to scream, “NO!” Catherine’s story is difficult to read and yet I feel it is necessary to honor her by reading it and continuing her fight. Our society today is once again going through worker vs. corporation upheavals and that makes this a timely inspirational read. I love history, but this story is new to me and now I will never forget it or any of the radium girls.

I highly recommend this historical biographical fiction!

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About the Author

Samantha Wilcoxson is an author of emotive biographical fiction and strives to help readers connect with history’s unsung heroes. She also writes nonfiction for Pen & Sword History. Samantha loves sharing trips to historic places with her family and spending time by the lake with a glass of wine. Her most recent work is Women of the American Revolution, which explores the lives of 18th century women, and she is currently working on a biography of James Alexander Hamilton.

Social Media Links