Children of Radium is a candid and thought-provoking family history set against the Nazi regime.

Although the book deals with a whole raft of serious themes - scientific ethics, chemical warfare and the Holocaust - and grapples with the central question of morality, Dunthorne unpicks the story of his great-grandfather's life with a wry sense of humour, rendering even the darkest subject matter into a personable and compelling read. This is a book about ambiguity, how one can be both victim and villain, and in many ways Dunthorne's tone underlines rather than undermines the complexity of this focus.

Dunthorne's research takes him on a journey which reveals how the past still bleeds into the present, whether we choose to acknowledge it or not.

Children of Radium by Joe Dunthorne is a thoroughly researched and interesting delve into a fascinating family history.