The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

I was at a wedding last week and talking to someone who works in a lab. I mentioned I was reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and that it was about the woman behind the HeLa cells. “Oh, the HeLa cells,” she said, her face lighting up. “Everyone works with the HeLa cells.” Yep. In her 10 years researching and writing The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks , Skloot had variations on that conversation with dozens of sources. But one of the reasons that The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks has become such a hit is because of the cooperation of the Lacks family. It was a hard-won trust between reporter and sources, and throughout the book the relationship between Henrietta Lacks’ daughter Deborah and Skloot becomes a microcosm of the larger themes of race, ethics, science and profit. At times you think Skloot must have had the patience of Job to deal with the occasionally manic and distrustful Deborah. Sometimes it’s jarring to jump from the science and background on the HeLa cells, which revolutionized cell culture development and modern medicine. I was discussing the book with one person who wished the book had been heavier on the science than the family drama in the Lacks family. But I think the emphasis on the family, especially Deborah, crystallizes several important points about Henrietta Lacks’ legacy, namely that while there’s been a lot of money made from the HeLa cells, Lacks’ descendants often cannot afford basic medical care. Johns Hopkins comes across looking better than you might expect – it’s clear that the majority of people involved were pursuing academic development and science, not money. One Hopkins researcher goes out of his way to show his thanks by taking Deborah, her brother and Skloot to the lab to see the cells in a scene that may make you tear up. But The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a historical case study in why we now have informed consent, and will challenge you to think about what happens after you give away your tissue, blood and organs. A nice pairing for a book club might be to read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and then Never Let Me Go .