From the Bookshelf of Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge…

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Rebecca Skloot

Start date: June 15, 2015

Finish date: June 27, 2015

Why we're reading this: In graduate school, a professor told me that every generation would write and rewrite about "important" h…more
[close] In graduate school, a professor told me that every generation would write and rewrite about "important" histories. HeLa cells have had many, many pages devoted to them, but this is the story of the woman who gave these cells and the impact upon her descendants. Skloot created a compelling and clear narrative, balancing the science alongside the biography.

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What Members Thought

Mar 26, 2010 Maryanne rated it liked it

Ok - before you shake your fists in rage because I only gave this book three stars, keep in mind that I rarely read nonfiction for a reason and that I loathe memoirs.

I actually loved the scientific parts of the book and I liked most of the tracing of the family history until we got into more contemporary times. But I felt like once Skloot got really involved with the family, she got a little too into inserting herself into the story and it irritated me in that pat yourself on the back way that m ...more

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Jan 04, 2011 Jenny rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: public-health, non-fiction, biography

I liked this book, but it wasn't really about Henrietta's Life, or the immortal life her cells had. It was a little about that, but it was a lot about her family and the writer's relationship with them, and how their lives have been effected. I found that the most interesting (in my opinion) part of the book, was buried, and really only fully discussed in the afterword. Interesting read, and very discussable, but I felt a little meh about the entire product.
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