here's how I see it: a review of "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks"

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book!  I didn't really know much about it going in, but it's the story of how the author came to learn about Henrietta Lacks.  Henrietta's story is the unfair and tragic tale of a woman who develops cancer and dies- but the cultures taken from her before her death were the first ever immortal cells, known as HeLa.  They are still used all over the world today, but Henrietta was virtually unknown or recognized for her contribution to science.  Rebecca Skloot spent years tracking down Henrietta's family members, and anyone who knew anything about Henrietta or her cells, trying to get correct information to honor Henrietta's memory, in the form of this book.

The book takes on the form of an investigative journalist and I zipped through it really fast because I felt like I was on the hunt with her.  I can't believe all the horrible things Henrietta's family went through and I also can't believe how long the author continued trying to write the story!  I loved the relationship she formed with Henrietta's daughter, Deborah and really enjoyed hearing about how much it meant to Deborah to find out the truth about her mother.

When Deborah dies near the end, before the book has come out, I was totally caught off guard!  I wasn't ready to say goodbye to her and I couldn't believe she never got to see it in print! At least she spent the last years of her life learning the truth about her mother.

This was such an interesting book and I'm really glad I learned about Henrietta Lacks and her contribution to science. I totally recommend this book, and I think it would be a great book to discuss in a book club!



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