by Rebecca Skloot
Hennepin County Library audiobook 10 discs
read by Cassandra Campbell
genre: non-fiction science
Wow! This was amazing. I had heard about it and got the audiobook for my dad. I was curious and kept it for myself! In 1951, Henrietta Lacks died from cervical cancer. Before her death, the doctor had taken a sample of the cancerous growth and a scientist at Johns Hopkins cultured it. Unlike most other cell samples, this one grew and grew. It kept growing and living and soon was shared globally. Over the decades, much research has been conducted using these "HeLa" (from her name) cells.
Skloot does an amazing job of unfolding the story partly chronologically, and partly as she uncovered the story herself. Henrietta's daughter Deborah becomes a huge part of the story as she alternately cooperates with Skloot and refuses to talk to her. There were parts of this story that horrified me (like when they finally found out what had happened to Deborah's older sister Elsie) and made me smile or laugh. The human aspect is as fascinating as the scientific aspects of the story.
I don't want to write a spoiler here, but I am so very glad I invested the time in listening to this story all the way to the end (including the author's interview). What an amazing journey! Campbell voiced it well. Skloot did a fantastic job researching and writing.
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