Marie Curie surprised the world by demonstrating that the field of scientific research does not belong exclusively to men. With her beloved husband, Pierre, she discovered a new chemical element, radium. With him she shared a Nobel Prize and after his death received the coveted prize again. But fame seemed only an intrusion to the shy, humane woman whose discoveries led to the opening of the atomic age. Author Robin McKown tells Marie Curie's story with inspiration: of seemingly insurmountable difficulties overcome, of love enduring beyond death.

From the dust jacket