The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

During orientation, our school gave each of us a copy of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. We're all expected to read it this summer before school starts because we will discuss it in class, both the author and a family member of Henrietta are coming to speak to us, and  it will give us all a conversation starter. I finished the book last week and I unexpectedly loved it. If you look at the cover, you will find that the book is nonfiction, about cells that have been living for over sixty years, and that it is a New York Times Bestseller. Honestly, I was always more fond of fiction books and science was (and still is) one of my worst subjects. So when they handed me the book, I was less than enthusiastic about reading it. However, I was completely wrong. The book jumps back and forth between the story of Henrietta's personal  and the story of her cells and while I wanted to skip forward to read the family's story, my boyfriend was interested in how her cells contributed to science. I think that's why this was such a good pick, because everyone can find a part in the story they enjoy and can relate to. It's definitely a book I would never pick up on my own, but I'm extremely glad I read it. Almost every person I've talked to about it has said the exact same thing.
Basically, the story is about a poor black tobacco farmer named Henrietta Lacks who had cervical cancer in 1951 and her doctors took samples of her cells without her knowledge. Henrietta died from her cancer, but her cells that they collected began to reproduce on their own, and they are still alive today. Henrietta's cells (or HeLa, as they are called), have been used in cancer research, to test vaccines, and they were even sent into space to test how cells react when exposed to the atmosphere. They contributed enormously to scientific research, but her family never knew these cells were still alive. The story follows the author, Rebecca Skloot, in her journey to learn about Henrietta's life and write her book.
So if you have already read it, leave a comment telling me what you thought! If you haven't, I highly recommend you go out and either buy it or check it out at a nearby library. You won't regret it :)

To see more, buy a signed copy, or read more about the author, check out Rebecca Skloot's page on The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks: http://rebeccaskloot.com/the-immortal-life/