Review by Booklist Review
Loïe Fuller, born to a poor family in Illinois in 1862, became a radically creative and world-renowned dancer, choreographer, and lighting and production designer deeply inspired by science. Physicist Marie Curie, born in Russian-occupied Poland in 1867, broke gender barriers at the Sorbonne, ultimately winning two Nobel Prizes for her discovery of radium, polonium, and radioactivity, a term she coined. It was the radiance of radium (its dangers tragically unknown until much damage was done) that brought these two groundbreaking women together in Paris at the turn of the nineteenth century as friends who each endured the miseries of poverty and sexism, fame and controversy, while their devotion to their callings undermined their health. Heinecke, previously an author of science books for kids, draws on her art and science degrees in this vividly elucidating and enthralling double portrait which reads like a biographical novel rather than a dual biography as she boldly imagines the thoughts and feelings of her two magnetic subjects and invents dialogue. Some readers may object to these creative-nonfiction techniques, but extensive bibliographic notes attest to the factual foundation supporting this irresistible, dramatic, many-faceted, and, yes, illuminating tale of two extraordinary geniuses and their friendship. Heincke's fresh take on Curie is welcome, and her portrayal of the too-little-known Fuller is revelatory.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Science educator Heinecke (The Kitchen Pantry Scientist: Chemistry for Kids) offers a fascinating dual biography of scientist Marie Curie (1867--1934) and dancer Loïe Fuller (1862--1928). "While they were often drawn apart by circumstance--war, loves, and losses--the magnetic power of friendship and a luminescent blue light pulled them back together again and again," Heinecke writes. Their connection began in 1901, when Fuller, then dancing at the Follies Bergère in Paris, approached Marie and Pierre Curie with the idea of fashioning "butterfly wings of radium," one of two chemical elements the couple had recently discovered. Fuller already employed a retinue of electricians to light her uniquely choreographed and produced dances and maintained a laboratory to study fluorescent salts. Heinecke skillfully mines memoirs, journals, and letters to invent dialogue between her subjects and others in their milieu, including sculptor Auguste Rodin and astronomer Camille Flammarion. She convincingly captures the dynamics of Fuller and Curie's friendship and draws insightful parallels between their lives and careers, in particular their health issues, battles with sexism, and influence on "generations of dancers, artists, inventors, and scientists." With rich evocations of Belle Époque Paris and accessible introductions to the era's artistic and scientific breakthroughs, this inspirational portrait of two trailblazing women soars. (Feb.)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A science communicator tells the story of the extraordinary friendship between a Nobel Prize--winning female scientist and a forgotten pioneer in modern dance and theatrical lighting. Inspired by "extensive research, letters, personal memoirs and biographies," Heinecke offers a uniquely envisioned re-creation of the relationship between Marie Curie (1867-1932) and Loïe Fuller (1862-1928). An American dancer famed for incorporating electricity into innovative dances, Fuller seemed the polar opposite of Curie, who lived for her work in physics and chemistry. Yet both found common ground in a shared passion for science. In 1896, Thomas Edison told Fuller about crystals that "emitted colorful light." An inventor who held multiple patents, the dancer was eager to experiment with Edison's crystals to enhance her celebrated dances. In the meantime, Curie had been obsessively studying a substance that "emitted…mysterious energy, which she named 'radioactivity.' " When Fuller heard about Curie's discovery, she wrote to her in hopes of procuring some of the substance--radium--for new dances. Curie responded, intrigued that the dancer also had scientific interests. From that point on, the two women would maintain a lifelong connection, and they "met various times over the years--at their homes, in the Curie laboratories, in August Rodin's studios, and once at the theater." A solid researcher and an engaging storyteller, Heinecke focuses only on interpreting known details (such as those Fuller provides in her journal about Curie) rather than speculating on unknowns--e.g., what Curie thought of Fuller. The author's careful attention to history--especially as it pertains to the struggle creative women like Curie and Fuller faced for acceptance as creative equals to men--helps round out the text with feminist insights. The result is a unique, satisfying biography/creative nonfiction hybrid that celebrates the achievements of two women who revolutionized the artistic and scientific worlds. An illuminating book for fans of biography and popular science. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
