The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

When Henrietta Lacks died of cancer in 1951, she left behind five young children and the most famous cells in the world.

Her cells, taken without her knowledge or consent at Johns Hopkins Hospital, were labeled HeLa and triggered major advances in medical science.  

In The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, science writer Rebecca Skloot explores the medical, ethical, and financial issues behind the famous HeLa cells, the first “immortal” cells grown in culture.  She also befriends Mrs. Lacks’ surviving family members, who were unaware for twenty years of their mother’s “contribution” to science.

Skloot’s technique of interweaving the medical information with the Lacks family  history-past and present-makes what could be a rather dry subject extremely readable.

This book was universally popular with my book club.  I highly recommend it–thought provoking and poignant.