The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

I very much enjoyed The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot which tells the remarkable story of cancer cells removed from Lacks' body before she died of cancer in 1951. The book reads like a fictional story, but it is one of those cases where fact is stranger than fiction. Until Lacks' cells were removed and multiplied, scientists were unable to successfully grow human cells that could be used for many experiments. The cells would grow to a certain extent then died. However, Lacks' cells were very different and continued to multiply and were used for developing vaccinations, including for polio. They were also sent to outer space, tested with nuclear bombs. They are now so vast in medical laboratories around the world there would be equivalent cells to build several human bodies. This fascinating story tells of one of the great breakthroughs in medical science, but most importantly, the author has brought Henrietta Lacks to life. She tells us about her life and that of her children. She was a young black woman who left behind five children when she died. The book is extensively researched by Skloot who is a science journalist. She very skillfully tells the human story as well as the science one. Highly recommended. 41/2/5