The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (Paperback)

Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but in the world of science, she is renowned as HeLa. Hailing from a humble background as a tobacco farmer in the American South, Henrietta’s cancer cells were taken without her knowledge, ultimately becoming an invaluable asset to medical research. These HeLa cells marked the first instance of “immortal” human tissue cultivated in laboratory culture. They played a pivotal role in the development of the polio vaccine, revealed critical insights into cancer, viruses, and the repercussions of atomic bomb exposure, contributed to significant advancements such as in vitro fertilisation, cloning, and gene mapping, and have been exchanged in quantities reaching into the billions. However, Henrietta remains obscure, laid to rest in an unmarked grave.

In “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” Rebecca Skloot embarks on an extraordinary quest to unearth Henrietta’s narrative. The journey takes us from the segregated “coloured” ward of Johns Hopkins Hospital in the 1950s to present-day East Baltimore, where Henrietta’s descendants grapple with the legacy of her cells. This narrative brims with warmth and curious intellect, offering a sweeping scope that makes it impossible to set aside. It captures scientific exploration’s magnificence and theatricality while delving into its human repercussions.