One thing that leapt out at me was how they both talked about radium. The cultural view of it at the time was radically different. Radium was a source of health and magic, capable of solving any problem. There was a passage in which the protagonists encountered a mysterious phenomenon, and "logically" concluded "this must be done with radium".
These are fantasy stories, but their similar ideas about what radium was ("magic") and what it was good for ("everything") had to come from somewhere, and had to be acceptable to their anticipated audience.
To me in the 21st century, it was obviously insane, since radioactivity is best known for ruthlessly murdering anyone in proximity. There's culture shock for you. :/
Don't know if anyone here will find it interesting, but it felt topical. She actually did a good amount of research into the conditions surrounding their working environment and what would happen to them as they worked in those factories to get the gruesome details correct.
My teenage daughter put together a one-person show for the National History Day Competition a few years ago on the Radium Girls. (Shameless dad bragging: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTmBhQCI0as)