Every so often, I stumble across a book whose subject is so startling, so bewildering, that I find myself almost breathless as I read its most riveting sections. The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks is the latest installment in this rare line of unexpected delights. Ms. Skloot, a freelance writer on science, skillfully entwines two narrative strains to create an edifying and exciting tale of discovery and injustice that I won't soon forget.
Henrietta Lacks had a difficult life. An African American woman, living in the first half of the 20th century, she did not escape the poverty of her upbringing which continued to plague her family after her death. Though much of her life appears to have been lived without an overabundance of happiness, she is described as an even-tempered, kind person who should have been better served by those who claimed to be her societal superiors. Diagnosed with cervical cancer, Ms. Lacks was treated at Johns Hopkins. However, like many others afflicted with her illness, the treatment was unsuccessful and, only months later, she died at the age of 31, leaving her children to be raised under less than pleasant circumstances. Though, for the scientific community, this is where Ms. Lacks' story ends and their journey begins, Ms. Skloot is not so dismissive of the woman science forgot. She befriends Ms. Lacks' family and exposes, here, a life, a family, and some of the ugly secrets of 20th century medicine its practitioners would like to forget.
Hela. That is the name science gave to what researchers found in Ms. Lacks' tumor. Unlike anything they had seen before, these cells were somehow alive. In fact, sixty years on, they are alive still and have been utilized in what Ms. Skloot estimates to be something like 60,000 scientific experiments. Though the process is still not entirely understood, Ms. Skloot describes in detail the evolutionary end-around Ms. Lacks' cancer cells performed to achieve immortality. Infinite division, infinite repair, infinite cancer. The immortality of Ms. lacks cancer cells did not save her, but they have contributed to saving millions of lives since.
connecting the life of Henrietta Lacks with her remarkable cells, Ms. Skloot creates a story that should have been told decades ago. But sometimes, those of us who consider ourselves educated have the largest egos. And the most enduring barrier to truth is ego, is it not? The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks rights a grievous wrong and, in doing so, teaches us about life, science and humility. An excellent read. (4/5 Stars)
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