The Elements of Marie Curie

Chronicles the life and work of the most famous woman in the history of science – and the untold story of the young women who trained in her laboratory.

In The Elements of Marie Curie: How the Glow of Radium Lit a Path for Women in Science, Dava Sobel, acclaimed and bestselling author, approaches Marie Curie from a unique angle. Sobel navigates her remarkable discoveries and fame alongside the women who became her legacy – from Norway’s Ellen Gleditsch and France’s Marguerite Perry, who discovered the element francium, to her own daughter, Irene, a Nobel Prize winner in her own right.

For decades Marie Curie was the only woman in the room at international scientific gatherings, and despite constant illness she travelled far and wide to share the secrets of radioactivity, a term she coined. She is still the only person to win a Nobel Prize in two scientific fields.

Her ingenuity extended far beyond the laboratory walls; grieving the death of her husband, Pierre, she took his place as professor of physics at the Sorbonne, devotedly raised two daughters, drove a van she outfitted with x-ray equipment to the front lines of World War I, befriended Albert Einstein and inspired generations of young women to pursue science as a way of life.

The Elements of Marie Curie deftly illuminates the trailblazing life and enduring influence of one of the most consequential figures of our time.

Join us on Zoom for this Non-Fiction Forum. For a more informed discussion please read the book before the event. The enjoyment of participating in these intimate member-only discussions is that everyone who attends gets to comment on the book we’ve read, exchange ideas with fellow readers and share their perspectives.

Here’s the full reading list for the year.