The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (Picador Classic, 79)

A heartbreaking account of a medical miracle: how one woman’s cells – taken without her knowledge – have saved countless lives. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a true story of race, class, injustice and exploitation.

‘No dead woman has done more for the living . . . A fascinating, harrowing, necessary book.’ – Hilary Mantel, Guardian

With an introduction Sarah Moss, author of by author of Summerwater.

Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. Born a poor black tobacco farmer, her cancer cells – taken without asking her – became a multimillion-dollar industry and one of the most important tools in medicine. Yet Henrietta’s family did not learn of her ‘immortality’ until more than twenty years after her death, with devastating consequences . . .

Rebecca Skloot’s moving account is the story of the life, and afterlife, of one woman who changed the medical world forever. Balancing the beauty and drama of scientific discovery with dark questions about who owns the stuff our bodies are made of, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is an extraordinary journey in search of the soul and story of a real woman, whose cells live on today in all four corners of the world.

Now an HBO film starring Oprah Winfrey and Rose Byrne.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Picador; Main Market edition (27 April 2023)

Language ‏ : ‎ English

Paperback ‏ : ‎ 464 pages

ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1509877029

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1509877027

Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up

Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 12.9 x 3 x 19.5 cm

Best Sellers Rank: 8,499 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer reviews: 4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars    27,247 ratings