Scan barcode
A review by lemmyjoz
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
emotional
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
5.0
I am so glad I read this book! As a biology major in the early 2000s, I learned vaguely about HeLa cells, but never about the story behind them.
I love a good nonfiction book, and what I love even more is a nonfiction book that tells a great story! This book captures so many little details about Henrietta's family and everything they've experienced in the aftermath of learning about their mother's immortal cells.
I think Rebecca Skloot is a wonderful writer who really captured the humanity in this story. Her dedication to Henrietta's family and her patience over years of going back and forth with them while they navigated their very real fears of being taken advantage of is admirable. The fact that she hadn't sold this book while writing it and funded her decade of research herself shows that she genuinely cared about getting this story out. I think she did a wonderful job and I can see why this book has been so widely recognized.
I love a good nonfiction book, and what I love even more is a nonfiction book that tells a great story! This book captures so many little details about Henrietta's family and everything they've experienced in the aftermath of learning about their mother's immortal cells.
I think Rebecca Skloot is a wonderful writer who really captured the humanity in this story. Her dedication to Henrietta's family and her patience over years of going back and forth with them while they navigated their very real fears of being taken advantage of is admirable. The fact that she hadn't sold this book while writing it and funded her decade of research herself shows that she genuinely cared about getting this story out. I think she did a wonderful job and I can see why this book has been so widely recognized.