The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot, 4 Stars
Rebecca Skloot's telling of Henrietta Lacks and her descendants lives was brilliant.
Having developed her curiosity regarding He-La cells while in school, it was inspiring to read her part of the story, where in college she is reintroduced to He-La cells and begins her accounting of Henrietta Lacks life.
Using recorded interviews and excellent notes, Ms. Skloot does a masterful job in capturing the vocabulary, cadence, and personalities of all those who helped tell Henrietta's story. The book is not only scientifically informative but culturally as well.
The intersections of Henrietta's life with some of the most renowned physicians of the day is remarkable. The telling of her health issues and treatment made me cross my legs and cringe. It is hard to imagine how far healthcare has come in fifty years. That there is a first hand accounting makes the facts intriguing... Henrietta's zest for life, her practical acceptance, her families lack of understanding as a result.
Every human life in most corners of the world have benefitted from He-La cells. Polio, cancer treatment, heart disease, stem cell research, there is no end to how this one woman's determined cells have benefitted us.
How her family was kept in the dark from the get go is appalling. That many lived not knowing the details of her journey or her contribution to humankind is heartbreaking. All the cultural truisms of that era don't make it right, it just makes it fact.
A brilliant book.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Have you read this book? Share your thoughts, but please remember Authors are humans too, so comments must be courteous!