The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I read this in January and it's taken me this long to get to reviewing it. I've read many books between then and now, but it's a book that will never leave me. It was that fascinating to me.

I learned a lot from this book. I'm grateful for it too! I learned about a dying black woman who unknowingly gave cancerous cells to the medical and scientific world many, many years ago that have reproduced so many times, it weighs as much as three Empire State Buildings. I learned that many blacks were subjected to harsh medical experiments that were completely hush- hush and little too hush-hush still if you ask me. Why didn't I know this?!

I'm amazed that the family of Henrietta Lacks continues to struggle to get health insurance when their own mother was such a huge and vital part of exploring cures for many diseases with her incredible multiplying cells. While Johns Hopkins Hospital were the ones to cultivate the cells, they cannot pay a cent to the family. It's just so intriguing and strange.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who has any interest in American history that is hardly made known as it should be!
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