Reviewed by L. Chapman, September 2023
In her non-fiction book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot chronicles the story of how HeLa cells led to massive medical breakthroughs like in vitro fertilization, the polio vaccine, and cloning. Once a poor black tobacco farmer, Henrietta’s cells were harvested from her during a biopsy in 1951 while she was seeking treatment for cervical cancer at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Those cells that were taken from her without permission reproduced rapidly and were used all around the world in scientific research and helped build entire industries. Skloot also details how Henrietta’s legacy haunts her family, where they remain in a paradox of simultaneously being grateful for the scientific findings and feeling exploited. All in all, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a riveting story that weaves together the intricacies of ethics, medicine, and race.