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nedjemet 's review for:
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
by Rebecca Skloot
Content warnings: this book contains semi-graphic details of various medical procedures, child abuse, medical malpractice, and racism
In January 1951, a 31-year-old black woman named Henrietta Lacks was diagnosed with cervical cancer. By October of that year, she was dead, leaving her five young children motherless. But while her body had died, the cancer cells that had killed her lived on and would go on to change the world. This book the story of those cells, but it's also the story of Henrietta and her family. It gives a face and a history to the cells that have been responsible for some of the greatest medical advances in the past century.
While Henrietta's cells have literally been life saving, this is not a feel good story. It addresses both the good and the bad of cell culture. I found the book to be incredibly balanced in this regard. It didn't vilify the medical field, but it also didn't paint the medical field as a flawless institution that has never wronged anyone. The end of the audiobook actually includes an interview with the author where she discusses struggling to strike that balance. She didn't want to shy away from the darker elements of the story she was telling, but she also didn't want anyone to come away from this book fearing medicine. If anything, her major goal was to show how important informed consent is. Patients and family members need to be clearly told what is going on, a fact that really hits home when you learn about Henrietta's children and the way her famous cells have impacted their lives.
The book also deals with some hard-hitting racial topics. I thought they were handled well, but I'm not black or an expert on this topic, so don't take my word on that one.
I found this book fascinating and would recommend it to others, though I will note that all the content warnings at the start should be treated seriously. The book doesn't get graphic, but it does describe everything in clinical detail. I'm particularly sensitive to discussions of medical procedures and there were a few discussions of various surgeries that made me feel sick to my stomach.
In January 1951, a 31-year-old black woman named Henrietta Lacks was diagnosed with cervical cancer. By October of that year, she was dead, leaving her five young children motherless. But while her body had died, the cancer cells that had killed her lived on and would go on to change the world. This book the story of those cells, but it's also the story of Henrietta and her family. It gives a face and a history to the cells that have been responsible for some of the greatest medical advances in the past century.
While Henrietta's cells have literally been life saving, this is not a feel good story. It addresses both the good and the bad of cell culture. I found the book to be incredibly balanced in this regard. It didn't vilify the medical field, but it also didn't paint the medical field as a flawless institution that has never wronged anyone. The end of the audiobook actually includes an interview with the author where she discusses struggling to strike that balance. She didn't want to shy away from the darker elements of the story she was telling, but she also didn't want anyone to come away from this book fearing medicine. If anything, her major goal was to show how important informed consent is. Patients and family members need to be clearly told what is going on, a fact that really hits home when you learn about Henrietta's children and the way her famous cells have impacted their lives.
The book also deals with some hard-hitting racial topics. I thought they were handled well, but I'm not black or an expert on this topic, so don't take my word on that one.
I found this book fascinating and would recommend it to others, though I will note that all the content warnings at the start should be treated seriously. The book doesn't get graphic, but it does describe everything in clinical detail. I'm particularly sensitive to discussions of medical procedures and there were a few discussions of various surgeries that made me feel sick to my stomach.