Get the history of Radium Girls

Our next MainStage show, Radium Girls, is based on the true stories of women in the 1920s. If you'd like to know more before you see the show, visit the Traverse Area District Library and check out the great display they have set up.

And if you'd like to know even more, here's a reading list provided by the Traverse Area District Library as well:

Radium Girls by Cy (Graphic Novel) - Based on the true story, this graphic novel edition features colored pencil illustrations, many including one hue the artist refers to as “radium green”.

Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women by Kate Moore - This is the popular nonfiction book based on the play. Also available as a Book Club Kit for your group to read together.

Radium Girls: The Scary But True Story of the Poison That Made People Glow in the Dark by Kate Moore - An easier-to-read version of the story for younger readers.

Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War II by Liza Mundy - Reveals the vital role of over ten thousand women codebreakers in shortening World War II, saving lives, and breaking barriers, showcasing American courage, service, and scientific achievement often overlooked by history.

The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II by Denise Kiernan - the untold story of young women in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, recruited during WWII to work on a secret project, unaware they were enriching uranium for the atomic bomb.

Glow by Megan E. Bryant - This exciting new adult novel follows a young woman who wants to learn more about the mysterious glowing paintings she finds in an antique store and uncovers the truth about the Radium Girls of WWI.

Hidden Figures (DVD) - Discover the awe-inspiring journey of the black female mathematicians at NASA, whose groundbreaking calculations propelled America's space triumphs, a gripping narrative essential for understanding race, discrimination, and achievement in modern America, vividly brought to life in the Academy Award-nominated film.

Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us, From Missiles to the Moon to Mars by Nathalia Holt - The remarkable tale of the pioneering female mathematicians at Jet Propulsion Laboratory, whose brilliance and determination revolutionized rocket design, propelled the first American satellites, and paved the way for solar system exploration.

The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA by Liza Mundy - Unveils the vital yet overlooked role of women in shaping the CIA's history, shedding light on their pivotal contributions in espionage and national security, despite facing discrimination, and how their insights transformed intelligence gathering.

Booklist compiled by the Adult Services staff at the Traverse Area District Library, February 2024