The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Rebecca Skloot

Overview

Henrietta Lacks, a young Black mother in 1951 Baltimore, sought treatment for cervical cancer. Doctors harvested her tumor cells without consent, creating the first immortal human cell line—HeLa—fueling polio vaccines, cancer research, and gene mapping. Skloot weaves laboratory breakthroughs with the Lacks family’s decades-long struggle to understand what happened to Henrietta and to claim a voice in how her cells are used.

Who it's for

• Readers curious about medical ethics and patient rights
• Science enthusiasts interested in cell culture history
• Book clubs seeking narrative non-fiction with human impact

Key features

• Language: English
• Non-fiction narrative
• Extensively researched with source notes