RADIANT

Part hidden history, part love letter to creative innovation, RADIANT is the true story of an unlikely friendship between a dancer and a scientist, brought together by an illuminating discovery.

A pivotal figure at the turn of the century, yet today, largely forgotten, Loie Fuller was an American performance artist who became a living symbol of the Art Nouveau movement with her hypnotic dances and stunning theatrical effects. Credited today as the pioneer of modern dance, she was perennially broke, never took no for an answer, lived openly with a female partner for most of her life, and never questioned her drive. She was a visionary, a renegade, and a loyal friend. In the early 1900s, she heard about Marie Curie's discovery of a glowing blue element, and dreamed of using it to dazzle audiences on stage. ?While Loie's dream wouldn't be realized, her connection with Marie and their shared fascination with radium endured. But the soft blue light that inspired both women so significantly would soon reveal its dark underside. Fuller and Curie, who supported each other through personal and public crises of all types, would have to confront the consequences of the light that they both loved.

For readers of Karen Abbott's ?Liar, Temptress, Soldier, ?Spy and ?Erik Larson's The Devil in the White City?, RADIANT is the riveting story of two pioneers who were emboldened by their friendship to follow their passion, and shattered the boundaries of their time.

Liz Heinecke has a master's degree in bacteriology from UW Madison and worked as an academic molecular biology researcher before starting her wildly successful online educational platform KitchenPantryScientist.com. She has written four books teaching kids (and their parents) how to perform simple science experiments at home, and has two upcoming books which will pair a science experiment with a history lesson about the scientist who invented it. She is a regular fixture on local TV morning shows including CBS and ABC, and frequently makes appearances for library programs, and at STEM, STEAM and tech festivals. Between experiments and writing, Liz paints, sings, and plays the banjo. She lives in Minneapolis, MN.