In 1926, radium was a miracle cure, Madame Curie was an international celebrity, and luminous watch dials were the latest rage—until the girls who painted them began to fall ill with a mysterious disease.

In 1926, radium was a miracle cure, Madame Curie was an international celebrity, and luminous watch dials were the latest rage—until the girls who painted them began to fall ill with a mysterious disease.