The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Posted by Yuma County Library

Reviewed by: Sherri Levek

What I Read: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Find It @YCLD: Here!

What It's About: The story of HeLa cells, which were derived from cancer patient  Henrietta Lacks without her knowledge or consent. This is the story of Henrietta’s tremendous contribution to science that has helped save countless lives throughout the world, yet created an emotional and physical toll on her surviving family.

What I Thought:  An honest, straight-forward account of Henrietta Lacks’ sacrifice. This work of nonfiction explores the damage caused to her family, both emotionally and physically, as well as the joy and pride they’ve experienced knowing the positive difference their mother's life has made to medical science. A triumphant story of loss, family, crisis, our country's difficult history with race, and ultimately, love. Author Rebecca Skloot explains the scientific aspects of the story with clarity and insight -- these sections throughout the book are never too complicated for even the unscientific population.

 Readalikes: The Emperor of All Maladies:  A Biography of Cancer  by Siddhartha Mukherjee; Notes from No Man’s Land: American Essays by Eula Biss

 Or look this book up on NoveList!