Format:
Audible Original
Publisher’s Synopsis:
In 1912, scientist Marie Curie spent two months on the British seaside at the home of Hertha Ayrton, an accomplished mathematician, inventor, and suffragette. At the time, Curie was in the throes of a scandal in France over her affair with Paul Langevin, which threatened to overshadow the accomplishment of her second Nobel Prize.
Performed by Kate Mulgrew and Francesca Faridany, this play by Lauren Gunderson is an ode to two remarkable women who, despite tremendous personal and professional obstacles, continued to devote their lives to scientific innovation and social change.
Point of view:
Performance piece, radio drama format.
Rellim’s Thoughts:
I listened to Radium Girls a few years ago and was delighted to see this Audible Original as a April free-to-members title.
Even as short as this was, I struggled to finish. Technically, it’s what is described in the summary – but I wasn’t expecting what felt more like an episode of a soap opera. For long time friends, the conversations seemed odd and basic (I guess in an attempt to give biographical info to listeners).
I agree with others reviewers about the thick French accent used by Francesca Faridany. There is a recording of Marie Curie speaking and a quick google search could have shown she didn’t speak with such a thick & dramatic accent. Even *if* she did, it’s distracting from the story and should have been deemphasized for clarity in the audio.
If you can get it for free, it might be worth checking out – but I would have been severely disappointed if I had paid for it.
Rellim Reads 