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4.23 AVERAGE
4.23 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
I am not a huge non fiction reader but this book was great. It kept me interested the entire book and I read it in 3 days which is rare for me when reading non fiction. It had the right amount of scientific data needed to discuss this topic and the humans aspects related to the lacks family. Just like the author I feel in love Deborah and her quirky personality. As a nurse, I have seen so many patients like them even today in 2025 who have a distrust of the medical community because of how they are treated. And just like Deborah did to find out about HeLa cells, this book has me googling different things to learn more! I read mostly to escape real life but it’s also important to learn from reading. This book definitely offered a lot of that!
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
I went into this book thinking I knew the basics, but the author went into so much more detail than I expected. I expected to be emotional regarding Hentrietta’s life and death, but Deborah was an unexpected delight. Such a vibrant woman—it’s hard to not get attached!
I listened to this book and read it for my book club. It was a bit dry for me so if I had to physically read it I may have DNFed it. The storyline with the family members was my favorite part of this novel, including figuring out what happened to Henrietta's children.
informative
fast-paced
This should be essential reading in all STEM fields. I enjoyed this book, but I wish it had included larger discussions about the origins of the distrust in doctors and science in general. Some of the notable incidents are mentioned in passing (the Tuskegee syphilis study, for example) but I really wanted to hear more. I do understand that that was not the purpose of the book, and that its actual goal – highlighting Henrietta's life and human legacy – was very successfully accomplished. It is a good book, but ultimately I left feeling unsatisfied.
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Racism, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent
Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Blood, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Incest, Racial slurs, Suicide
A thoroughly engrossing story about medical innovation, race relations, and a very sad American family. A fascinating story told in a straight-forward way that makes you want to keep reading.