Prior to this book, I'd never heard of Henrietta Lacks, let alone HeLa. Rebecca Skloot does an amazing job documenting history. We are allowed to come along with her as she unravels the story of the women behind HeLa and her family.
In school we learn about African Americans who helped change the world. After reading this validated book, there is no doubt that Henrietta Lacks needs to be added to this list. Her cells, HeLa, were used to make great medical advancements. This you have to acknowledge despite the conflict you may feel knowing her cells were stolen from her.
Rebecca brings the story full circle by showing us how Henrietta's story could become ours. There still remains a struggle between what is legally ours, as far as the contents once it leaves our body (cells, blood, etc), and science.
Ultimately, this book is a must read. We all need to know about Henrietta Lacks and there are many who owe gratitude.
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