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The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
- Narrated by: Bahni Turpin, Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins
- Categories: Biographies & Memoirs, Professionals & Academics
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Publisher's Summary
A New York Times best seller now adapted into a HBO film starring Oprah Winfrey & Rose Byrne.
Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. Born a poor black tobacco farmer, her cancer cells - taken without her knowledge - became a multimillion-dollar industry and one of the most important tools in medicine. Yet Henrietta's family did not learn of her 'immortality' until more than 20 years after her death, with devastating consequences....
Rebecca Skloot's fascinating account is the story of the life, and afterlife, of one woman who changed the medical world forever. Balancing the beauty and drama of scientific discovery with dark questions about who owns the stuff our bodies are made of, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is an extraordinary journey in search of the soul and story of a real woman, whose cells live on today in all four corners of the world.
Critic Reviews
"No dead woman has done more for the living...A fascinating, harrowing, necessary book." (Hilary Mantel, The Guardian)
"One of the most graceful and moving non-fiction books I've read in a very long time." (Dwight Garner, New York Times)
"An extraordinary mix of memoir and science reveals the story of how one woman's cells have saved countless lives." (Daily Telegraph)
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What listeners say about The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Eva Hansord
- 10-16-20
Amazing story
I love the way this story weaves the scientific knowledge of cells and tissue research through the incredibly interesting story of the Lacks’ lives. Well worth a listen.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Erin
- 08-07-20
WOW
Amazing story loved it. So glad her story has been told and can get the recognition she deserves
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 05-28-20
what an amazing story.
it was a fun book to read and now have listened to it also. was rivited by it both times. a well written sequel to events and insight into research.