Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

A heartbreaking and eye-opening read. “The Immortal Life...” is not quite a biography of Mrs. Lacks, nor is it a thorough chronicling of her immortal HeLa cells' accomplishments. Instead, Rebecca Skloot has written a mixture of mystery, biography (of Deborah, Henrietta's daughter) and autobiography (of the author's search for HeLa's true origin). Having tracked down Henrietta's descendants in search of the HeLa story, Skloot discovers that the family knows much less of the truth than anyone might have imagined. The book's best moments come as Deborah transforms from a tortured soul to a child of divine purpose as she learns about the mother she never quite had. This is a sad book from beginning to end but the sense of discovery on every page is invigorating. Skloot is a powerful storyteller, able to deftly emphasize the human aspect of a story that is equally scientific and legislative. Particularly for those familiar with the research of today, Skloot reminds her readers that cell science is an alien world to many, and highlights Deborah's bravery as she fights to understand it.