Many professionals took time from their busy schedules to answer questions during my research. Dr. Nita Eskew patiently explained laboratory procedures to me and researched the availability of certain substances for use in lab experiments, as did Dr. Matt Melvin. Dr. Eskew also connected me with Dr. Christa Colyer and Dr. Willie Hinze, who helped me learn about the production of glowing paint today. Dr. David Brenner answered questions about radiation exposure. Dr. Gary Ljungquist was kind enough to provide French translations. Kathy M. Barnes, Associate Dean of Admissions at Salem College, explained the finer points of the admissions and financial aid process. Dr. Alison Gardner and charge nurse, Karen Meitlowski, gave me a tour of a hospital emergency department, including its decontamination room. Katherine Mahler advised me in art. Historian Dr. Daniel Prosterman, who was the first to introduce me to the Radium Girls, provided essential historical context and suggested many excellent sources for my research. Any errors in this book are mine alone.
I am grateful every day for my Highland Presbyterian Church family.
For their support, encouragement, and always knowing just what to say, I thank my friends: Connie Brake, Siobhan Ciminera, Raegan Dalbo, Carol Eickmeyer, Nancy Ellwood, Alicia Faerber, Kristen Holder, Elizabeth Jackson, Penelope Jackson, Kelly Starling Lyons, Meg Mason, Stacy McAnulty, Gabbie Serang Hellinger, Virginia Sparkes, Nova Ren Suma, and Heather Wood. Special commendation goes to Siobhan and Stacy for their camaraderie as I’ve navigated the wild, wonderful, and utterly unpredictable world of publishing.
I’ve been nurtured by my family’s unwavering belief in me, and for that I am grateful to my father, Chris Bryant; my bonus mom, Sally Bryant DeChenne; and my brother and sister-in-law, Mike and Miranda Bryant. I am only a writer today because my mother, Judith Bryant, spent countless hours reading to me when I was a child. The lessons she taught me about love and sacrifice have guided the writing of this book and the course of my life. I had the good fortune to marry into the Prosterman family, which brought Louis Prosterman, Vickie Hagan, and Dianne Floyd into my life. I wish my father-in-law, Louis, had lived to see the publication of this book. I would have loved to share it with him.
My children, Clara and Sam, illuminate my life with their wonder, curiosity, and love. Thank you, darlings, for sharing me with Glow and giving me the space—physical and mental—to write it.
My husband, Dan, offers me the kind of unconditional love and support that makes anything possible. Thank you for making my tea every morning. Thank you for all the times you’ve prioritized my work. Thank you for discussing plot points during dinner prep. Thank you for reading every word, again and again and again. Thank you for making this life we share such a breathtakingly beautiful adventure. Thank you for loving me just as I am. Thank you.
Megan E. Bryant has written more than 250 books for children. She lives in the City of Arts and Innovation—also known as Winston-Salem, North Carolina—with her family, where she teaches writing at Salem College. Glow is her first novel for young adults.
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