Another goodread...

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I'm not normally a nonfiction reader, but this book may influence me to pick up more nonfiction. I loved the story of Henrietta and of her daughter, Deborah. There were a few slow parts in the middle where the story got away from Henrietta and became about her cells. Rebecca Skloot is right, the real story lies behind the woman. Her cells have done amazing things for science, but she is captivating. I am so excited about this book that I couldn't help but talk to some friends about it as soon as I finished reading it, even though I will be talking about it in book club discussion in less than an hour. As I told my friends, I thought the ending was fitting in that it didn't pretend to solve the Lacks's family problems. Because nothing is solved. I think improvements have been made to give Henrietta Lacks (and her family) much deserved recongition and thanks. And I think questions have been answered that needed to be answered for half a century. But I also think that there are some things that will never be "better," and those are the consequences for the way things were handled from the beginning. Sad. But real. And true. Which is what makes it so good.




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