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)

Fasinating.

This book with give you something to think about for weeks--and it is all true.

Amazon, Where Are the Pictures?

Amazing book! Perfect narration with both voices blended wonderfully. Exceptionally patient, loving and persistent author -- a young, white woman who gained trust and was included in private family situations. I more or less understood how the cells were used. I loved all the insights into Americans very different from my own people. Henrietta was beautiful and bright. I felt bad for the little sister who was institutionalized. The book describes a horrible picture of this girl, her neck crooked -- perhaps taken after she died? Well, now I've seen the print book from my library. That picture is not in the book. You can see most of the pictures on the author's website. Fascinating story, well worth the credit!

love and educational

love it the book was educational and also an eye opener for me I have learned a lot I laughed and cry and thankful for that woman and the writer for this 😍

Favorite book of all time

I loved this book! The story, the narration, the artful way the science was woven into the story.. it was great!

Riveting!

Most compelling book I've read since 13 Hours. A must read. An insatiable story. Well written.

HeLa

This is such an incredible story. The author did a great job of including the history of the lacks family, the science and the politics of the era. I found myself more interested n science than I was in school. :)

great book!

This book brings to light the evolution of medical testing/experimentation. Great information and very personalized to the family.

Very Engaging

Any additional comments?

This was a book recommended by a friend that turned out to be very captivating. It was the story of struggle, hardship, and purpose. A very easy, yet quite thought provoking, listen.

Fantastic--Required Reading !

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Everyone involved in this story.

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

Love Cassandra Campbell! I have heard her in other books and she has a very pleasant and lovely voice and style. Bahni Turpin was terrific.

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

No takes awhile to absorb all the information. But t's worth the time.

Any additional comments?

This is a long book with many moving parts. At times it can feel like it's going in a million different directions. But if you stick with it you realize that the scattered structure is purposeful and mimics the subject. You come out of it feeling richer in heart, mind and spirit for having heard or read this story. It's a story that touches all of us in extremely important ways. It's too much to put into a small review.

amazing story<br /><br />

enjoyable read and particu
particularly
ike d how the arthor developed a relationship wth nher mother