Weekly Reader: Luminous: The Story of a Radium Girl by Samantha Wilcoxson; Incredible Story of Amazing Group of Women Who Fought Management For Their Health and Safety

 

Weekly Reader: Luminous: The Story of a Radium Girl by Samantha Wilcoxson; Incredible Story of Amazing Group of Women Who Fought Management For Their Health and Safety

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: The story of the Radium Girls is a tragic one. From 1917-1920, female factory workers were diagnosed with cancer caused by working unprotected with radium paint to paint numbers and dials on watches. They were told to lick the brushes to wet them and dip them into the paint. While the factory owners and management were warned about the potential dangers of radium poisoning, they kept this information from the workers. 

Five women sued the Radium Dial Company in Ottawa, Illinois. The suit was settled out of court in 1938 even though sadly, many of the women did not live to see the results. However, the case created long term change in ensuring employee safety by creating regulations in which employees are informed of every potential risk and are properly equipped and attired for the workplace to maintain their health and safety.

Samantha Wilcoxson personalizes the moving story with her historical fiction novel, Luminous The Story of a Radium Girl. She takes the perspective of one of the women, Catherine Wolfe Donohue. The book begins with her as a naive girl excited to work at Radium Dial because of its impact in the community. She can financially support the aunt and uncle who raised her. It's hard and tedious work but she has a talent for putting those tiny numbers on the face. She befriends many of her coworkers and her employer, Mr. Reed seems like a nice guy. She even starts being courted by Tom Donohue. Then her coworkers start becoming mysteriously illl. One is losing her teeth. Another gets severe headaches. Catherine herself starts getting severe pain in her hip. Then their health gets worse and they realize the source of their problem: Radium Dial.

It's very easy to look back on these women with judgment, to think why didn't they look for another job? If they were so sick why didn't they notice sooner? What responsibility did management have to protect their health? 

Telling the story from the point of view of one of the women answers those questions. Wilcoxson writes a firm character study about a woman who always strives to do the right thing to be a good obedient religious person, but finds sometimes that's not enough in a world with employers who care about the bottom line and getting their products finished and don't care who has to suffer and die for it. A trait that unfortunately is still present in many business owners and managers today.

Catherine is written as the type of person who would rather none of this happened at all. She is someone who is content to find any sort of work, pick up a decent paycheck to take home to her aunt and uncle, hang out with friends, maybe get married and have children. She is a guileless woman who wants to do right by her family, community, and God.

 If they tell Catherine that the radium is safe, she believes them. After all, she doesn't personally know enough about radium to challenge them. Mr. Reed gives off a trustworthy vibe. He doesn't chase the female employees and even shares a laugh with them. She gets along with her fellow coworkers, developing a sisterhood even before they become sick.

Catherine is also in a pretty desperate financial situation. She isn't exactly swimming with money and during her time at Radium Dial, the Great Depression kicks in so she can't afford to quit a job no matter how much she is becoming aware that she and her colleagues are literally dying. Her aunt and uncle are getting older and she wants to care for them as well as they took care of her. Further compounding the situation is that Ottawa is a company town with Radium Dial. Even if she tried to get another job, Radium Dial will put enough of a black mark that she can't be hired anywhere. 

According to the book, Radium Dial's management was told of the potential risks of radium and did not warn the workers of even the possibility of illness. Even when workers in New Jersey succumbed to illness, they said that it wouldn't happen to them because they used a different type of paint. When one of the workers is hospitalized, they wish her well and then fire her. When the employees go to the local doctors, it becomes clear that Radium Dial's managers forced them to lie about their diagnosis and say that no they don't have cancer. Every action they take is in the name of profit and it is easy to see why the courts favor the workers.

Many of the situations are incredibly graphic showing the reality of the cancers eating away at these poor women's bodies. One has her arm amputated and another has to suffer as her teeth keep falling out. In one chapter, Catherine is eating food as pieces of her jaw bone break off. Her legs become so weakened that Tom has to carry her everywhere she goes.

Ironically, as Catherine's body weakens, her spirit strengthens. She takes the lead in getting the lawsuit going. She grants interviews allowing her picture to be taken to show Readers exactly what these women are going through. Tom helps her and the other women get a doctor who is willing to tell them the truth about their health and an attorney who will take their case. 

Catherine's Catholic faith also emboldens her. She tries to go to church as long as she can walk and struggles to kneel. Even when she is unable to move, the priest arrives to give her communion and other rituals. Catherine credits her faith to get her through this painful tumultuous time and giving her the power to use her voice and speak for herself and the other women.

Luminous is the type of book where an ordinary person finds their inner courage to speak out against inhumane decisions that put profit over people. It took women like Catherine Wolfe Donohue and the others to make people see the results of these decisions and improve the lives of future workers even if they didn't live to see that improvement.

Weekly Reader: Towards That Which is Beautiful by Marian O'Shea Wernicke; Beautiful Spiritual Novel About The Different Ways to Serve Others and Share Faith

 Weekly Reader: Toward That Which is Beautiful by Marian O'Shea Wernicke; Beautiful Spiritual Novel About The Different Ways to Serve Others and Share Faith

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: The title of  Marian O'Shea Wernicke's novel, Toward That Which is Beautiful lives up to its name. Actually, it can't be heading towards what is beautiful when the whole book is beautiful. It's a beautiful spiritual journey about a nun contemplating her vows and learning what it truly means to serve her God and helping others and herself.

When we first meet Sister Mary Katherine, she is fleeing a convent in Santa Catalina, Peru as though running away. She is leaving her convent and her duties as a nun behind. Tellingly while others call her Sister or "madrecita," the third person narrator refers to her as Kate. This little reveal already shows that Kate is a woman going through internal conflicts between her vocation as a nun and her feelings as a woman.

As Kate escapes, temporarily seeking asylum in the home of Peter Grinnell, an anthropologist, we are given flashbacks to Kate's life in St. Louis, Missouri, her calling, and work in the convent. It also introduces us to Father Tom Lynch, a handsome priest from Ireland and among the many reasons that caused Kate to question her faith and get out of town.

The most remarkable aspects of this book are Wernicke's attention to setting and character. I am from the St. Louis area and I love books that are set there that go into great detail about the city. Kate attended school in University City and college at St. Louis University. One of my personal favorite passages is when Wernicke described a date in which she and a boyfriend visited Forest Park and the Muny, the outdoor summer theater in Forest Park which actually has limited free seating for audience members. Going to the Muny is an annual summer tradition for many, including myself, and it's fun to relive it in fiction.

Peru itself is described in all of its natural beauty and struggles. The mountains in which newcomers suffer altitude sickness because of the high elevation are present. There is also the presence of the country's many problems such as poverty and political strife. The conflicts are revealed by the many locals who take coca to soothe their hunger and make them forget their troubles. 

Probably, the most beautiful setting is the one which gave the book its title. During her escape, Kate visits Achirana, a canal that brings fresh water from the highlands to the desert area around Ica in Peru. According to legend, it was created because the Incan ruler, Pachacutec, fell in love with a woman from Ica. She first spurned his advances but when he promised to do any favor for her, she told him to build a canal that would bring water to the Ican desert. Achirana literally means "that which flows cleanly toward that which is beautiful." 

Achirana is a perfect metaphor for Kate and her struggles with her faith and responsibilities. Like the woman in the story, she wants to create beauty around her by helping others. However, while the woman in the story is able to help others with the gift of water, she is also satisfying her personal self as well. She decides to marry a man who by honoring his promise also shows his dedication to others.  She can balance both her responsibility to her kingdom and to herself.

Kate unfortunately struggles with that dilemma, even before she falls in love with Father Tom. While in her novitiate training, Kate weighs what she likes about being in the convent with what she doesn't. She enjoys the fellowship with the other nuns and the spiritual closeness to God during Mass. But she questions many of the stricter policies such as silence and whether retaining a life of solitude is something for her.

This doubt continues during her time in Peru. She teaches English to the young people but wonders if her lessons are enough since she speaks little Spanish and almost none of Aymara, the indigenous language. She wonders if teaching the students a new language and bringing them closer to God through good works is enough when their bellies are empty, addiction is plentiful, leaders change because of political infighting, and their futures will be one filled with hard work, poverty, and hardship. 

She isn't the only one who feels this way. The convent forbids the nuns and priests from becoming involved with local politics but people like Father Tom do. He takes Kate among the Aymara to see what life is like outside of the convent. He is very knowledgeable about Peru's political situation and is in favor of revolutionaries who want to take the country back. This commitment to caring for locals beyond their spiritual salvation is a draw to Kate. 

Kate also has to struggle with her personal and emotional sides as well. One of the nuns leaves before she does and Kate finds that she left to get married. Her feelings towards Father Tom increase especially after she reads a love letter meant for her. The two don't do more than kiss, but the connection is enough to increase Kate's doubts.

While the romance between Kate and Tom is a factor, it is important to remember that it is not the only, or even the main reason for Kate's escape. Yes, Father Tom is the catalyst but she had issues with her convent life before she ever met him. 

Ironically, it is during her escape is when she feels the strongest connection to spirituality.

Outside of the convent walls, she meets various locals, vacationers, academics, revolutionaries, and other people. She also sees the natural beauty around her. Here is where she feels God's love in the water, trees, mountains, in kind loving people, in lovers, and children. He doesn't just exist behind walls.

Kate wonders if the secluded life of a nun is enough. Is she running towards a life with God or running away from life? In being a nun, is she only promoting her religion and not actually helping anyone? Are there other ways to serve God while holding to the important values without denying one's own pleasure? Can she live a life for others, develop friendships and relationships, and still maintain a spiritual nature? 

Toward That Which is Beautiful is about the journey that someone takes when they believe that they know what their spiritual path should be. They then realize that path could change and that they could find personal happiness and still feel close to their faith. In fact, finding the right path can be the most beautiful and spiritually filling act of all.

New Book Alert: The Paraclete by Bernard Leo Remakus, M.D.; Disturbing Thriller About The Dark Side of the Catholic Church

 

New Book Alert: The Paraclete by Bernard Leo Remakus, M.D.; Disturbing Thriller About The Dark Side of the Catholic Church

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: When it comes to sex scandals, the Roman Catholic Church has a lot to answer for. Not just for individual priests who molested patrons, both male and female, but also the Vatican's zero response to the cases. Instead of forcing the priest to resign or press charges against them, many Archbishops often simply moved them to another diocese to continue their foul deeds elsewhere or sent them to an "undisclosed location for a time for rehabilitation." 

 Someone that I know works across from such an undisclosed facility. It is remote, on a dirt road, in a rural area, and is not a safe area to be because of how far it is from local authorities. I worry about this person for that and reasons concerning their job but I digress. (For protection's sake, I will not reveal my contact's name, relation, nor where this facility is located.)

There have been some improvements in the situation. I suppose when enough people come forward with the same experiences, even the Pope has to pay attention. Recently Pope Francis has changed Vatican laws to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse. But for many survivors, the damage has already been done and accusations are still made. Is the Vatican's tougher approach working or are these priests being more secretive about it? It remains to be seen.

One novel that explores the Catholic Church sex scandals is The Paraclete by Bernard Leo Remakus, M.D. Like any good crime novel, it shows no matter how high up that you think you are, no matter how right you claim that you are with God, if you commit a heinous crime you will be caught and exposed.

The protagonist is Father Paul Thielemans, who is considered a "Rock Star" in the world of modern Catholicism. He is from a prominent family that made their money by distributing Belgian based beer but he entered the church upon adulthood. He is known for his lectures and best selling books. He is also not afraid to confront controversial topics like "Should the church allow priests to marry?" In many circles, he is famous and just as equally infamous.

While in San Diego, he makes the acquaintance of Bobby Kucera, an introverted altar boy and runs afoul with Father Kitterick, a sinister and rude priest. On a sea voyage to Hawaii for a lecture, Thielemans discovers that his concerns about Bobby and suspicions towards Kitterick were correct when he learns that Bobby committed suicide after having been molested by the priest.

Thielemans also meets Sister Michelle Erzengel, a nun whom he hires as his assistant. He learns that Michelle is part of a secret network dedicated to capturing and exposing priests for sex crimes. Thielemans also learns that Michelle herself has prior experience with priests who refused to keep their hands to themselves.

The Paraclete is one of those kinds of thrillers and mysteries that subverts our notions of guilt and innocence, right and wrong, black and white. Just like Thielemans does in his research, the book itself is not afraid to ask tough questions like if one knows that a crime is being committed is it their duty to report it without evidence? How long can one hide their horrible deeds under a God fearing facade? If the authorities won't do something about a crime what else can be done? If a priest hears of a crime in confession should they turn the perpetrator in? What sins can be forgiven and what cannot? Is confession enough or does true repentance involve a change in actions? There are no easy answers and The Paraclete does not give them.

Instead what the Paraclete does is give us decisions that the characters make based on their own experiences and proximity to these situations. Some characters do horrible things and are never held accountable for them. Instead they are left to their own devices and continue those crimes because their society is insulated and allows them to continue. Even worse, they carry these deeds to another generation by turning a blind eye or taking active part in the deplorable actions that the younger generation does.

Many of the characters in the Paraclete, particularly Thielemans and Sister Michelle are faced with these moral conundrums because of priests getting away with molesting parishioners and the silence of the Church itself that allowed the crimes to continue.

Michelle and her organization prefer to take a more active role in finding and persecuting these men so they can never hurt anyone else. While Thielemans takes a more theoretical cerebral approach to this situation, he too is appalled by the hypocrisy that many of his fellow priests have when they honor God with one hand while raping a male or female parishioner with the other. 

He is disgusted not only with their actions but those of the bishops, archbishops, and cardinals who allow it to happen.

Illegal, unethical, and immoral deeds can only be caught when higher ups let go of their apathy and no longer fear the repercussions or their personal loss. 

To paraphrase the famous quote attributed to Edmund Burke "Evil only thrives when good people do nothing."

Unfortunately, sometimes when the answer is to do nothing, some like the characters in The Paraclete, do something and that something isn't always right. However, in some cases it may be the only way for that evil to end.

The Paraclete is a thought provoking thriller that through its characters asks some tough questions about sexuality, morality, legality, and faith. It is a novel that leaves the Reader in suspense but also to form their own conclusions.

New Book Alert: The Unholy by Paul DeBlassie III; Terrifying, but Meaningful Horror Novel About Religion Vs. Spirit

New Book Alert: The Unholy by Paul DeBlassie III; Terrifying, But Meaningful Horror Novel About Religion Vs. Spirit

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews




Spoilers: In a time where many people flaunt their religion as an excuse to justify hateful, bigoted, mysoginistic, and even criminal behavior, a genre novel like Paul DeBlassie III's The Unholy graphically and beautifully demonstrates the difference that lies between religion vs. spirit. It shows how some people extol religious values, but don't actually live according to those principles while others seek to have personal connections to spirit and the world around them.




Claire Sanchez, director of Mental Health Workers and Natural Therapeutic Services is the latest in a long line of Apache Medicine Women, descended from Lozen, warrior, medicine woman, and advisor to Geronimo. Unfortunately, a childhood tragedy in which she witnessed her mother being murdered by a mysterious man has stifled her spiritual practice. Instead, she focuses on her career in caring for the patients at Ecclesia Dei Psychiatric Hospital and butting heads with the Catholic organization that is in charge of the hospital and has a fanatical hold on their followers and everyone around them.




Unfortunately, terrible things happen which cause Claire to return to her spiritual studies. Patients are dying under mysterious circumstances. Authorities, particularly those who are affiliated with Ecclesia Dei, stonewall any investigations and questions suggesting that they have something to hide. Claire is also hit with some bloody, violent, and frightening visions and premonitions that are veered towards Ecclesia Dei. She is also being stalked and threatened by members, particularly their sinister leader, Archbishop William Anarch.




The book is filled with scary and suspenseful moments. Like any good horror novel, the scariest part is the uncertainty. Are the things the characters experience real, hallucinations, or visions from beyond? When one of Claire's patients starts raging about dark spirits and being stalked by evil forces, both Claire and the Reader wonder is she exhibiting signs of schizophrenia? She also had medicine woman training, so is she being warned by other forces? Or is she telling the truth? It's a frightening concept and it becomes even more frightening knowing that no, they aren't paranoid. People really are trying to kill them.




Claire also experiences some terrifying visions. She goes to an Ecclesia Dei service and feels complete nausea. She sees crows, birds of death, in places where Ecclesia Dei members have their rituals. While other novels would say that the visions are sent by Satan or are the threat, what Claire and the Reader learns is that they are warnings. As scary as they are, the visions are trying to protect her from the real evil, the evil that lies in the dark hearts of her fellow human beings.




Claire is a well-developed protagonist. There is a real sense of her legacy as a medicine woman being stretched through time. Hers is a calling that she realizes quickly that she can't run from, nor hide behind science. She has to face that traumatic time and in turn face the spirits that surround her, before she can face Archbishop Anarch.




The book alternates between Claire's point of view and that of Anarch and it's been awhile since I have read such a loathsome antagonist, but deBlassie's gift is in making him so hateful yet Anarch's conflict with Claire so interesting and entertaining.

Anarch is the perfect example of the religious hypocrite, one who cares more for the financial and power gain that he receives as a religious leader than he cares about saving souls. He uses his sermons as scare tactics to entice his followers to go after people that he considers unworthy. He is not shy about using a parishioner's weakness against them to get his way, especially if said parishioner is a pretty young woman with doubts about her faith that he can provide ,ahem, hands-on counseling for.




There are some psychological insights to Anarch's character, particularly in his conversations with his manipulative dying mother that provide some depth to his character. Thankfully, they don't make him sympathetic. If anything, his background makes him even more unpleasant, especially when he strikes back at those he feels responsible.




The Unholy is the perfect example of a supernatural thriller done right. It scares you then makes you think deeper.

Weekly Reader: Emmie of Indianapolis by Kay Castaneda; Brilliant Slice of Life Stories Detail A Girl's Coming of Age in Indianapolis

Weekly Reader: Emmie of Indianapolis by Kay Castaneda; Brilliant Slice of Life Stories Detail A Girl's Coming of Age in Indianapolis

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews




Spoilers: Kay Castaneda's Emmie of Indianapolis is one of those coming of age books that take various moments in the young protagonist's life to depict their developing maturity. Emmie of Indianapolis takes that standard and does it well.

12 year old, Emmie's mother announces that she is divorcing her father and moving to Indianapolis with Emmie and her younger sisters, Jennie and Cassie. Understandable but difficult today, rare and even more difficult in 1963.

Emmie and her family have to adjust to moving to a small apartment above a tavern where their mother works. There are some tense moments as the girls have to deal with some pretty tense situations such as a pedophile visitor entering their apartment to be stopped by a neighbor, a disgusting landlord nicknamed “Ogre”, and their mother's slow descent into alcoholism.

Emmie befriends Joey, an African-American boy, George, a Chinese boy, and Polly, a Romanian Gypsy girl. Emmie encounters racism as her new friends are bullied by other kids in school. When Emmie defends her friends, she is ostracized because of her friendship with them and also because of her family's Catholic religion contrasting with the mostly Protestant student body.


While there are hardships in the book, Emmie of Indianapolis also has plenty of sweet engaging moments to spare. Many of them involve Emmie, her sisters, and friends exploring her new city. Many of the streets and landmarks like Monument Circle, are accurately described and the kids have fun shopping and sightseeing.

They also are able to one up their bullies by their scholarly efforts. They participate in a Spelling Bee and it's a genuine victory when George wins to the pride of his friends and parents. Emmie and her friends really shine in these moments.

Emmie's parents shine in their moments with Emmie and her sisters. The reasons for their divorce is never explained but they clearly love their daughters. The secret is that they are flawed but not irredeemable. Emmie's father takes them on weekend visits and is there during an emergency. While her mother is beginning an alcohol dependency that is noticeable when Emmie withdraws from uncomfortable with conversations about alcohol, her mother is still written as a kind loving woman. She cares for the girls and wants to protect them from danger. The alcohol may just be a sign that she is overwhelmed.

Besides finding strength in her friends and family, Emmie finds strength in her Catholic faith. When they arrive in Indianapolis, Emmie looks for a Catholic Church and is pleased when she finally finds it. She uses her knowledge in religion to serve others like her friends and feels a spiritual presence during times of stress. It makes sense that Emmie wants to become a teacher or a nun so she can serve others as an adult.

Emmie of Indianapolis is a charming slice of life with plenty of darkness but plenty of sweetness to spare.