Friday, July 19, 2013

Review: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
By Rebecca Skloot
Broadway Books 2011
345 pages
From my shelves 

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

In 1951, a woman named Henrietta Lacks was informed that she had cancer. It had progressed too far for doctors to save her and she passed away. Little did Henrietta know that her doctor had harvested her cells and discovered that they were unique because they seemed to live forever and were easy to multiply. Those cells were utilized to create cures for many diseases and brought scientists millions of dollars. But none of that money went to Henrietta's family. Her own children didn't find out about the importance of the HeLa cells for decades. 

Reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks helped me to remember how wonderful non-fiction can be. The first thing I enjoyed about this book was the accessibility of the science. Author Rebecca Skloot is a science writer by trade and she explains the intricacies of cells in a way that is understandable without making you feel that she has dumbed down the science. I was truly fascinated by each concept and person that she introduced. 

But the science is really only one half of this story. Skloot interweaves the story of the people involved - Henrietta, her family, and Rebecca Skloot herself. She tells of the difficulty she had in getting in touch with the Lacks family and how hesitant they were to trust another white person after so many had taken advantage of them. She gets to really know Henrietta's children Deborah, Sonny, and Joe and discovers that they can't afford to treat their own health issues in spite of the millions of dollars made from their mother's cells. As Skloot learns that they have little more than half truths and misinformation about the role of their mother's cells, we can truly feel the indignation and grief of the Lacks family for a mother they hardly knew and the ways in which they have been lied to and ignored over and over again.

This book really made me think about medicine and the question of autonomy over your own body. I had never really considered the ethics of cells that have been removed. While I was horrified at some of the medical practices that were carried out during Henrietta's day, perhaps more shocking is the fact that in current times you still have limited control over your cells once they leave your body. If you have a mole removed, for example, it may become a part of someone's research and you would be none the wiser. Were you born in the past 50 years or so? Your blood is on file in a research lab somewhere because the government tests all infants for genetic diseases.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is many things. It's a primer on the way that cells function and how they can be used to cure disease. It is a call for readers to pay attention to medical ethics. It is the story of one ordinary woman and her incredible impact on the world. It's a book that you should not miss. 

16 comments:

  1. I adore this book. It's such a perfect blend of human story, science and history. You're making me want to go back and re-read it!

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    1. Yes, I think Rebecca Skloot did a great job of bringing so many things together in one coherent story. I could definitely see re-reading it someday!

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  2. I agree--this is one of the best nonfiction books to come out in the last few years that is both eminently readable by all audiences and having a real socio-ethical impact.

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    1. That's the perfect way to put it. I don't read a lot of non-fiction, but I'm so glad I read this.

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  3. I'm so glad you liked this one Lindsey :) GREAT book, great review!

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    1. Thanks so much Jennifer. I'm so sad I waited this long to read this book!

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  4. I loved this book. I felt like I really learned something when I read it.

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  5. I have to read this book! The science of it sounds interesting, but it's Henrietta and her family's story that really makes me want to check it out of the library. Thanks for another great review!

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    1. I think you will really enjoy it. I felt so informed but I also felt like I had got to go along with Rebecca and the Lacks family on a crazy ride to find the truth.

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  6. I've been wanting to read this book for ages (even though it's nonfiction and I avoid nonfiction like the plague!). I'm glad you liked it because it gives me hope that one day I will get to the book and won't be turned off by its nonfictioness

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    1. Yes, definitely pick this one! I tend to have a love or hate relationship with non-fiction but this book is fantastic.

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  7. This book sounds so interesting! I don't read much nonfiction but the topic is fascinating and it sounds like it's really well-written.

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    1. It's very well-written. I think this is Skloot's first book, but you can tell she has done a lot of writing.

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  8. Sometimes a non-fiction read just hits you right in the smacker ... I need to pull this one off the pile and finally read it!

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    1. Somehow it's more difficult to find a really good non-fiction read, but they tend to really stick our in your memory when you do find them!

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