The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

In 1951 a 31-year-old black woman and mother of five named Henrietta Lacks underwent treatment at Johns Hopkins for cancer. She died without knowing that the doctors took tissue samples from her cervix for research.

With these tissue samples, they cultured the first viable cell line (known as HeLa) which spawned a multi-million dollar industry that aided medical discoveries in everything from the polio vaccine to AIDS. Meanwhile her children lived in poverty without financial compensation for their mother's contribution and were ignorant of her importance.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot is the story of the Lacks family and what happened in the aftermath of their mother's death and their reaction to learning about HeLa. Part mystery, part family chronicle, Skloot tells of her struggle to connect with the family and how she teamed up with Henrietta's children to discover the truth of their mother and lost sister.

It is an engaging account, although it is one of those nonfiction narratives where the author plays a central role in the story. I'm never quite comfortable with this form of nonfiction as it can sometimes seem a little self-absorbed, but, in this case, Skloot's involvement adds an important perspective here as much of the story focuses on her effort to gain the trust of the family.

You can find The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks at the Indianola Public Library in the nonfiction area under the call number 616 SKL.