The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

And the journey begins… finished my first new book of the 2012-13 campaign.  The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot tells the real life story of a woman whose cells (known as the HeLa cells) became the most used cells in our society today.  Henrietta, an African-American woman who lived in Baltimore at the time (1951), was unknowingly giving of her cells for medical research while she was at Johns Hopkins Hospital being treated for cervical cancer.  Henrietta’s life story is relived through the young journalist and author of the book, Rebecca Skloot, who learned about HeLa cells during a community college course and later decides to follow-up on the history of HeLa, especially the person behind the cells.  Henrietta had five children with her husband, Day.  So the book actually details a few stories, Henrietta’s struggles with cancer and Rebecca’s determination to identify how HeLa became famous.  Skloot gets her big break through a doctor who interacted with the family previously and connects her with Henrietta’s daughter, Deborah, whom she convinces her to work on the investigation to learn about the HeLa.  I thoroughly enjoyed the book that confronts the racism shown to African Americans in the United States, shows the way the medical profession takes cells for research without permission from patients, and how low income families are challenged in our society today.  Skloot illustrates how desire to uncover the humanity of our society should be shown for all to see.  This is a book that uncovers a hidden truth, clears the record, and has difference connected in search for the real story.  You should be proud of telling the story for all to read, Ms. Skloot.