The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

By: Rebecca Skloot

Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell, Bahni Turpin

Length: 12 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

Number one New York Times best seller.

Now a major motion picture from HBO® starring Oprah Winfrey and Rose Byrne.

One of the “most influential” (CNN), “defining” (Lit Hub), and “best” (The Philadelphia Inquirer) books of the decade.

One of essence’s 50 most impactful Black books of the past 50 years.

Named one of the best books of the year by The New York Times Book Review, Entertainment Weekly, O: The Oprah Magazine, NPR, Financial Times, New York, Independent (UK), Times (UK), Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, Globe, and Mail.

Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave ancestors, yet her cells - taken without her knowledge - became one of the most important tools in medicine: The first “immortal” human cells grown in culture, which are still alive today, though she has been dead for more than 60 years. HeLa cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of cancer, viruses, and the atom bomb’s effects; helped lead to important advances like in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping; and have been bought and sold by the billions. Yet Henrietta Lacks remains virtually unknown, buried in an unmarked grave.

Henrietta’s family did not learn of her “immortality” until more than 20 years after her death, when scientists investigating HeLa began using her husband and children in research without informed consent. And though the cells had launched a multimillion-dollar industry that sells human biological materials, her family never saw any of the profits. As Rebecca Skloot so brilliantly shows, the story of the Lacks family - past and present - is inextricably connected to the dark history of experimentation on African Americans, the birth of bioethics, and the legal battles over whether we control the stuff we are made of.

Over the decade it took to uncover this story, Rebecca became enmeshed in the lives of the Lacks family - especially Henrietta’s daughter Deborah. Deborah was consumed with questions: Had scientists cloned her mother? Had they killed her to harvest her cells? And if her mother was so important to medicine, why couldn’t her children afford health insurance? Intimate in feeling, astonishing in scope, and impossible to put down, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks captures the beauty and drama of scientific discovery, as well as its human consequences.

©2010 Rebecca Skloot (P)2010 Random House

Critic reviews

Winner of The Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize for nonfiction

"The story of modern medicine and bioethics - and, indeed, race relations - is refracted beautifully, and movingly.” (Entertainment Weekly)

"Writing with a novelist's artistry, a biologist's expertise, and the zeal of an investigative reporter, Skloot tells a truly astonishing story of racism and poverty, science and conscience, spirituality and family driven by a galvanizing inquiry into the sanctity of the body and the very nature of the life force." (

Booklist)

a perfect book.

loved it. very nice and well written. lots of information in a non confusing and informative way

Spoiler Alert

I cried when Deborah died. I felt like I understood what she struggled with regarding her mother's cells, and I cried knowing how her death would impact Rebecca.

Her life goes on and on and on

The performance was excellent. I probably would have given up on the book if it had not been so well read. The story is worth knowing but the details of the author were not always what I might have wanted to know more about. I felt the book could have lost about 3-4 chapters and been a better read.

aaaamazing!!!

Where does The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of the best books i listened to.

What about Cassandra Campbell and Bahni Turpin ’s performance did you like?

their voices were so authentic, it made listening more interesting and more informative.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Can't tell because it would spoil the listen.

Any additional comments?

It is unbelievable that in a world where property owners get royalty rights for oil recovered on their land, a family has no rights to compensation for the millions made off their mother's cells.

Compelling narrative and scientific story

If you could sum up The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks in three words, what would they be?

Fascinating
Heartbreaking
Enlightening

What did you like best about this story?

The balance between the narrative story of the Lacks family, and the science behind their story. Excellent research and explanation for the non-science reader.

Which character – as performed by Cassandra Campbell and Bahni Turpin – was your favorite?

Deborah

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. It accompanied me on my walks, and I looked forward to it each day. I needed time to "live" it, and took several days to listen to it. The only problem of the audio format is that I couldn't go back and revisit the scientific explanations.

Any additional comments?

I would highly recommend this book

Great story

Very well performed. It holds your interest from beginning to end. Quite enjoyable and educational.

This is an important story that needs to be heard

I have read and listened to a lot of books this year. But, this one hands down has got to be one of the best.

It is the untold story of the woman who’s body, sickness and death changed the face of medicine forever. Her cancer cells helped save the lives of millions of people, helped develop a cure for polio, advanced science and made millions of dollars. All the while her family, who had no clue her cells were still alive, suffered. They lived in poverty and couldn’t even get proper healthcare even though their mother was ,and still is, one of the most important tools in science and medicine as we know it.

I recommend everyone listens to this book. You don’t have to know science or even like it to begin to understand and enjoy the journey the author and Henrietta’s daughter, Deborah, went through together in order to find answers.

Wow!

My son's Kumon teacher recommended this book to me more than 5 years ago. I finally got it and listened to it. This should definitely be incorporated and taught in the curriculum when young scientists are learning about Hela cells. Must read! So impactful on so many levels.

The Journey to Gratitude

This story reveals a historic journey In the pursuit of truth amidst a tornado of pain and suffering. I love the attention to detail and the efforts to present scientific facts along with medical research in an understandable manner.
I feel the story has been so well developed that I have somehow actually been part of it by getting to know the people involved. I have a new appreciation and deep gratitude for Henrietta’s contributions. I deeply respect the courage of Rebecca and the Lacks family for their persistence and patience. I grieve for Henrietta and Elsie at the same time. I find comfort knowing that the end is just the beginning an eternity where everything will be made right and there will be no more pain or sadness. I’m already sharing what I have learned.

Read it!

I couldn’t put it down (or stop listening). It left me wanting more! Just excellent!