"The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

Synopsis:
Henrietta Lacks, as HeLa, is known to present-day scientists for her cells from cervical cancer. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave ancestors, yet her cells were taken without her knowledge and still live decades after her death. Cells descended from her may weigh more than 50M metric tons.

HeLa cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of cancer, viruses, and the atom bomb's effects; helped lead to important advances like in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping; and have been bought and sold by the billions. Yet Henrietta Lacks was buried in an unmarked grave.

The journey starts in the "colored" ward of Johns Hopkins Hospital in the 1950s, her small, dying hometown of Clover, Virginia -- wooden slave quarters, faith healings, and voodoo. Today are stark white laboratories with freezers full of HeLa cells, East Baltimore children and grandchildren live in obscurity, see no profits, and feel violated. The dark history of experimentation on African Americans helped lead to the birth of bioethics, and legal battles over whether we control the stuff we are made of.

My review:
Due to my reading slump, it actually took me months to finish reading this book.  I started it at the end of September 2013 and I just finished it this week.  It was an interesting read and I did enjoy it very much.  Despite the complex science involved in biochemistry and genetics, the writing is done in such a way that you could understand it.  The main focus of the book is the search for the identity of HeLa and the personal history of Henrietta Lacks and her family.  It's a mix of biography and science history book with more emphasis on the personal story.  The writing style felt like the author were talking to you rather than trying to teach you something.  I liked how the topic of race relations in general but most specifically regarding Lacks and her progeny was interwoven with the history of biochemistry and genetics.  It was an enjoyable read and I'm glad I finally finished it.

Read on,
Paula