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)

story overdue

I enjoyed learning the story of Mrs. Lacks. I am glad that the author included information about her family and how it impacted them. I encourage other medical professionals to read this book. (I am a nurse) It will help them to understand why there are people of color who are hesitant about seeking healthcare and the disparity.

Give Thanks to Whom Thanks is Due

I am forever grateful for Rebecca Skloot for her authorship of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. The scientific facts and dynamic faith of the Lacks Family would have been lost to us if it were not for the fortitude and determination of Rebecca. She deserves an award just for completing this forever monument. The compelling story of the life and family of Henrietta Lacks is excellently told. It unfolds in a way the kept me interested in the way it would end. It’s the best science book I’ve ever read.

The performance and reading is of excellent quality. It contains a palpable emotional texture. Bravo to the readers. Overall, I appreciate in total the whole production. I love the spiritual aspects of the book too with its enlightening approach the eternal nature of humanity held in ancient scriptures.

What took this presentation beyond any of the Audible books that I have “read” is the bonus interview with the author. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a major testimony to the value and role of The Descendants of American slaves. THANK YOU to everyone involved in producing the Audible version. I would not have read it if it were not for this audible format. Keep Going!

Great book

I was hesitant to read this book but it was a great story. It is a blend of Henrietta’s life, the life of her children, and the science behind what happened to her cells. It was well written and performed beautifully. My jaw dropped several times throughout the story and I had a hard time putting it down.

Great information

Loved this book. A very important story has now been told. Henrietta did and is still doing great work that we have all benefited from. R.I.P. Henrietta and her family that have gone on.

Fascinating story

The enormity of the contribution of Henrietta to science, and the struggles of the family make this a must read. It opens to the reader a world otherwise unknown.

informative honest and enjoyable

To be honest, I feel in love with all the characters. I just hate it took me so long to purchase the book and start reading this remarkable story. To the author, there were so many times many people would have given up, thank you for staying on course. Peace.

Fascinating read!

Excellent and informative as well as
excellent narration.
All medical students should be required to read this!

Read and listen to this book!

This was such a powerful, well done and also well narrated story of the woman and family behind the cells as well as the science and bioethics and evolving process over the past decades. I often struggle with audio books as several times great books just don’t translate into this form- but this is both a great read and listen.

Loved hearing it!

I have recommended this book to many friends. My husband is a physician so he and his colleagues are familiar with HeLa cells. The author does a great job giving them life. I recognized the narrators from The Help and again their reading made the story come alive. I had tears in my eyes at one point.

The woman behind the research

Interesting story about cell research but also the family and person behind this remarkable scientific advancement. The author told the story in away the common person could understand, without a medical degree.