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)

Fascinating!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks to be better than the print version?

Haven't read the print version. This narration is spot on.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Deborah

Which scene was your favorite?

The Doctor showing Deborah, Zachariah, and Rebecca HeLa cells. Also loved when Deborah gave Zachariah the photograph of the stained cells.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No

Fascinating Story

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

You've used them. In science class, or more indirectly, HeLa cells have had a measurable impact on our knowledge of human cells, and they continue to permeate our world, decades after the originator died.

What other book might you compare The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks to and why?

The only thing that comes to mind is The Know-It-All. Both books are arguably about a specific topic (the origin of HeLa versus the Encyclopedia), but have excessive amounts of author info. Information is presented in such a way that you basically follow the author as they researched the idea. It's not my favorite structure, honestly, as I was interested in Henrietta Lacks, not Rebecca Skloot.

Have you listened to any of Cassandra Campbell and Bahni Turpin ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Campbell has an accent that bugs me. This is kind of a silly complaint, but it was a persistent annoyance, and coupled badly with my dislike of the author self-inserting herself in a story that has no need of her. The author voice and the actual voice mixed together like they normally do, and I found myself imagining a pretty unflattering picture of Skloot.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The history of medicine info was horrifying, and the treatment of Lack's family (esp. the lack of a clear explanation of what was going on) was frustrating.

Any additional comments?

This story is absolutely fascinating.

Excellent story, excellent narration.

A wonderful book, with excellent narration. Highly recommended. Accents and tone were spot on, and the story was truly brought to life. Very interesting subject matter as well.

very informative

very unbiased documentation of a much needed life story to be told. sometimes the science was boring but necessary for the full effect of the story. performance was amazing with keeping you into the story

Wonderful Read

Excellent book. Thoroughly researched. Beautiful blending of the family's story and the history of the HeLa cells. Also, very well read..enjoyable to listen to.

LOVED IT!

I'm not going to lie. Science isn't usually my thing. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate medical advances, technology and all my handy gadgets....but I'm happy to leave the discoveries to other people. This book, however, was such a fantastic mixture of storytelling and fun facts that I couldn't read it fast enough. The whole thing is fascinating, sad and hopeful. I highly recommend this book, even for those who might not be completely into the study of medical science.

Engaging, informative, heart-wrenching

Would you consider the audio edition of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks to be better than the print version?

I have not read the print version

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks?

Among the memorable passages was the point at which Henrietta's daughter learns that it is her mother's cancer cells, not healthy ones, that have become immortal.

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

Debra

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

While I needed to take a break from the topic at times, due to wanting to absorb all that had been presented, it was very compelling and the author's style leads the reader/listener seamlessly forward.

Any additional comments?

unlike many books, this is one I will probably listen to, or read in print, again.

Wonderful Book

What did you love best about The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks?

That Henrietta Lacks has been credited (finally) with the proper contribution that she has made toward humankind.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks?

How badly her family was treated over the decades.

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

Wish they left out the accents. They did not sound authentic.

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

Yes; very compelling story.

Any additional comments?

Nope.

Thought Provoking

Very enjoyable and moving. I like how the author tries to present both halves of the issue evenly. It was eye opening to find out about current tissue rights. Sometimes the order of information and anecdotes about the family seemed clumsily merged and repetitive, but it's well worth a listen!

Great Great Great Story!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks to be better than the print version?

The printed edition has lots of pictures of the family and sister and that was the only thing I missed. I ended up buying this book for someone else and they LOVED it and I got to see the pictures.Which I think is worth the trip to a library. Other than that, the audio is well worth it! Also......the audio has an interview with the author at the end that was AMAZING. every question asked was something I would ask.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks?

Every single part of this story was memorable. From the science to the personal life of the Lacks family. I am so grateful for Rebecca Skloot and her curiosity and commitment to this story. It had to be told. There are so many topics that require awareness. Her way of bringing to light the complexity of the topic was also admirable. Science has done so many wonderful things and the topics of 'ethics' are always tough ones. You just walk away from this story, stunned, happy, sad, outraged, yet calm and accepting....so many emotions. It truly portrays the immortality of some people..either by cells or just by their stories that live on.

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

All. Excellent job by the performers

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

I would just do a more documentary style...not a hollywood type. I would want to hear the actual tapes and see the actual family and what they have to say.

Any additional comments?

JUST DO IT! Just add this to your cart and go for it. It is well worth it. For everyone. <3