There is science in it, but not too much for someone like me with a very weak science background. Redniss gives you just enough to understand their work and why it was important. The focus is more on the biographical aspect of the story.
The Curies were alive during a very interesting time. Advances in science seemed magical to some people, and increased their willingness to believe in other fantastical things. The Spiritualist movement had been increasing in popularity and now was reaching its height with a proliferation of mediums who claimed they could contact the spirits of the deceased, using photography to provide "proof" in the form of hazy shapes. Even the Curies were known to attend seances.
After Pierre's untimely death, Marie eventually began a love affair with a man who turned out to be married. Her relationship with Paul Langevin was found out by his wife and made public, creating a scandal just as Marie was scheduled to travel to Sweden to accept her second Nobel Prize. Fun fact: their relationship didn't work out, but Marie's grand-daughter ended up married to Paul's grandson. They were both scientists, too.
The best part of this book is the beautiful art, and it's worth picking up just for that. Redness used a technique called cyanotype printing, which she describes in a note but which I didn't really understand because it is science-y. But it creates vivid, saturated images that make the book feel light and fanciful. It's really a lovely work of art.
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