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laurelcloud 's review for:
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
by Rebecca Skloot
I feel very conflicted about this book. I think it's amazing that Henrietta Lacks' story is being shared and people are learning about the woman who has unknowingly contributed so much to science and medicine.
And I also think the author is one of the most disrespectful people in the world. White woman, of course, so white saviourism ABOUND. She literally stalked and harassed this poor family who had already been through so much for months and months until they screamed at her down the phone to leave them alone and she still didn't let up, traveling to their hometowns and driving up and down roads too scared to get out and talk to anyone (Black).
For some reason she thinks that no one knows who Henrietta Lacks is even though she literally learned about her in a college classroom?
I feel similarly to this author as I do the doctor who removed Henrietta's tissues without knowledge or consent. Did he have a good influence on the world overall? Honestly yeah. Was he ethically and morally rotten? Also yes. And I'm not even sure if the author had any good effects on the world overall. Did the family receive compensation from this book? Did every family member consent to the details shared in this book? Some of them were incredibly personal and private and had nothing to do with Henrietta or her cells.
I appreciated the afterword at the end that was, unintentionally I'm sure, a rejection of capitalism.
The science aspects of this book were interesting and I think it's important to learn about who Henrietta was and yet the majority of this book was just trauma porn and had nothing to do with that at all. This book is deeply disrespectful and took advantage of Deborah in particular who clearly had a lot of mental health issues and the author just used and abused that poor woman right up to her death.
I truly hope the Lacks family has been able to receive financial assistance from this book and I hope that they found some peace in learning about Henrietta.
And FUCK Day. Good riddance.
And I also think the author is one of the most disrespectful people in the world. White woman, of course, so white saviourism ABOUND. She literally stalked and harassed this poor family who had already been through so much for months and months until they screamed at her down the phone to leave them alone and she still didn't let up, traveling to their hometowns and driving up and down roads too scared to get out and talk to anyone (Black).
For some reason she thinks that no one knows who Henrietta Lacks is even though she literally learned about her in a college classroom?
I feel similarly to this author as I do the doctor who removed Henrietta's tissues without knowledge or consent. Did he have a good influence on the world overall? Honestly yeah. Was he ethically and morally rotten? Also yes. And I'm not even sure if the author had any good effects on the world overall. Did the family receive compensation from this book? Did every family member consent to the details shared in this book? Some of them were incredibly personal and private and had nothing to do with Henrietta or her cells.
I appreciated the afterword at the end that was, unintentionally I'm sure, a rejection of capitalism.
The science aspects of this book were interesting and I think it's important to learn about who Henrietta was and yet the majority of this book was just trauma porn and had nothing to do with that at all. This book is deeply disrespectful and took advantage of Deborah in particular who clearly had a lot of mental health issues and the author just used and abused that poor woman right up to her death.
I truly hope the Lacks family has been able to receive financial assistance from this book and I hope that they found some peace in learning about Henrietta.
And FUCK Day. Good riddance.