Book Review: The Elements of Marie Curie

The Elements of Marie Curie
by Dava Sobel
Review by Kazia

Sobel exquisitely illuminates the life and work of Marie Skłodowska Curie in this well-crafted biography. Before reading this book, I admittedly knew little about this pioneering figure outside of her discovery of radium. The portrait that Sobel paints is of a scientific powerhouse who contributed far more to society than she is commonly credited for, but also of a humble, determined woman who loved both her family and her research deeply.

I loved that this book provided a glimpse into Marie’s personhood in addition to her professional feats: her love for her home country of Poland, her grief over her husband’s death, her care for her daughters, and her dedication to providing opportunities for young scientists to pursue their research were all given due attention. I appreciated that Sobel did not divide Marie Curie the scientist from Marie Skłodowska Curie the woman, daughter, sister, wife, mother, aunt, friend, and mentor.

Excellently and accessibly written, the details of the scientific research are simplified enough for the not-so-scientifically-minded (like me) to understand while leaving the reader completely in awe at the accomplishments. Perhaps the greatest gift of this book is that it is not simply a biography of Marie Curie but also devotes space to highlighting and honouring the women who studied under her care. Each chapter of this book is named after and explores someone in Curie’s life, with most chapters representing the female scientists who worked with her, however briefly. This is an absolutely fascinating read from start to finish and a true credit to the non-fiction genre.

You can also listen to Kazia’s review from RDU below: