R.J. Julia Booksellers Blog

It probably isn’t hyperbole to say that all of our lives have been affected by Henrietta Lacks. A poor southern tobacco farmer descended from slaves, Henrietta was diagnosed with cervical cancer in February of 1951 and died eight months later. Her cells were harvested (without her permission, or even her knowledge) and are still alive today. Polio, cancer, deadly viruses, cloning and gene mapping: the HeLa cells were used in countless scientific experiments, and many people grew wealthy as a result of the discoveries made using Henrietta’s cells. Yet her family never saw a dime. Nancy recently finished reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and shares the following review.

Every time I read a book about DNA/cells/memory, the HeLa cell is mentioned. And now here is what it’s all about. Do I understand neuroscience any better? No. But I have met a woman and her family and am confronted with the dilemma of the benefit to science vs. the pain and dismay of her descendants.  This is not easy to read – not because of the difficulty of the science but the philosophical questions of “common good.” We should all be aware of the consequences of the advancement of science, the benefits to us all weighed against the financial gain to a few, and the hardship and confusion that falls to those left behind. A wonderful book, well written – there is no finger pointing here, just a huge quantity of food for thought.

Rebecca Skloot spent more than ten years researching the book (her first) and talking to the Lacks family, who still struggle with the knowledge that billions and billions of Henrietta’s cells are still alive. Check out this glowing New York Times review, and stop by the store to check out the book.