The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Locations
Call Number: BOCD 616.027 Sk, Adult BOCD / Nonfiction / Biography / Lacks, Henrietta
On Shelf At: Downtown Library, Traverwood Branch

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	BOCD 616.027 Sk	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	BOCD 616.027 Sk	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Traverwood Adult A/V 4-week checkout	Adult BOCD / Nonfiction / Biography / Lacks, Henrietta	4-week checkout	On Shelf

Compact discs.
Includes an interview with the author.
Read by Cassandra Campbell, with Bahni Turpin.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

Summary / Annotation
Fiction Profile

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Excellent reading, excellent book submitted by kjshaffer on August 5, 2015, 12:13am I could not wait to get back to listening to this on my iPhone. It's a riveting book and the reading is excellent. Such a great story, albeit very bittersweet.

Fantastic book, highly recommended for all readers submitted by Cherie on August 10, 2023, 2:59pm This fantastic book is not just about Henrietta Lacks; it is also a family saga, an historical narrative, a scientific review, a moral and ethical reflection, and an overall great read.

As we follow in the journey to discovering who was Henrietta Lacks, we learn about how she and her family were kept in the dark about her cells. We find out that despite the major impact of HELA, Henrietta and the Lacks family had no recognition; had little in terms of income and education; and many members of the family suffered from health issues, but did not have the means to get decent medical coverage.

Amidst learning about the Lacks family and its history, the author weaves in how HELA cells helped to launch the scientific research industry, as well as the commercialization of cell culture. She also references many of the moral and ethical codes that developed with such events.

When the author concludes her journey in learning about Henrietta Lacks and HELA, we are not left with a happy ending so-to-speak, nor are we left with any significant sense of closure. Instead, the author cleverly leaves us with a number of questions to consider: How much good does Informed Consent do when the patients lack the education to actually be informed? And what can we do to ensure patients have a decent enough understanding to actually make informed decisions? What protections can be put in place to ensure that the privacy of patients and their families are not violated now that we can identify individuals through the DNA of their cells? Is it wrong to commercialize on cell culture when those who provided the cells are destitute? Is there any way to resolve a such a disparity without causing an all-out legal mudslide with regards to copyright, patent, and ownership?

Highly recommended for all readers, especially those interested in genetics, genealogy, medicine, law, ethics, and history.