By Winifred Conkling
Algonquin Young Readers. 2016. 227 pgs. Young Adult Nonfiction
Irene Curie was the daughter of Marie and Pierre Curie. Irene and her husband worked together to discover artificial radioactivity. Their discovery led to many advances in science. They both shared a Nobel Prize for their work. When she was nominated to the French Academy of Sciences she was denied admission and they voted to disqualify all women from membership. That did not stop her from continuing her research. Four years later, her breakthrough led physicist Lise Meitner to unlock the secret of nuclear fission. Meitner's unique discoveries were critical to the revolution of science. They led to the discovery of nuclear energy and the race to build the atom bomb. She was never recognized by the Nobel committee. Instead they gave the recognition to her male colleague.
This was a fascinating book about two women who did not get the recognition they deserved for the discoveries they made. I have to admit that I usually don't enjoy nonfiction science writing, but this book kept my attention the whole time and I learned so much. I thought it was interesting to read how they did not understand how dangerous radioactivity was. They were overexposed to it and had many different illnesses throughout their lives. To this day, their notes can only be handled by someone wearing a special radioactive suit. This book is written for a young adult audience so there are lots of pictures and sidebars to help explain scientific concepts and the culture of the time. I was amazed to see these two women have so much passion for their work. They did not let the frustrations of working in a male-dominated field or the lack of recognition stop them from sharing their discoveries with the world.
AL
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