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The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

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The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Written by: Rebecca Skloot
Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
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About this listen

A heartbreaking account of a medical miracle: how one woman’s cells – taken without her knowledge – have saved countless lives. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a true story of race, class, injustice and exploitation.

‘No dead woman has done more for the living . . . A fascinating, harrowing, necessary book.’ – Hilary Mantel, Guardian

Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. Born a poor black tobacco farmer, her cancer cells – taken without her knowledge – became a multimillion-dollar industry and one of the most important tools in medicine. Yet Henrietta’s family did not learn of her ‘immortality’ until more than twenty years after her death, with devastating consequences . . .

Rebecca Skloot’s moving account is the story of the life, and afterlife, of one woman who changed the medical world forever. Balancing the beauty and drama of scientific discovery with dark questions about who owns the stuff our bodies are made of, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is an extraordinary journey in search of the soul and story of a real woman, whose cells live on today in all four corners of the world.

Now an HBO film starring Oprah Winfrey and Rose Byrne.

©2009 Rebecca Skloot (P)2010 Random House, inc
African American Studies Biological Sciences Black & African American Medicine & Health Care Industry Racism & Discrimination Science Science & Technology Leaders

What listeners say about The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

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A poignant tale of science and humanity

This story deserves to be read or heard by the world. Breathtaking writing, stellar narration.

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A great biography

I loved how the story unravels and ends! For a fiction lover like me, I found this biography to be more interesting, thanks to the author Rebecca Skloot! The effort taken by her to keep the reader engaged and glued to the book rather than getting bored is really appreciable! I simply loved the narrators Cassandra Campbell and Bonnie ! Their voices actually bring life to the characters which make you feel yourself being a part of the story!

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gripping and emotional

a gripping and emotional story. the story has been narrated in a very engaging manner.

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A must read!

A book that everyone - whether a science lover or not - must read to know about that one beautiful woman, thanks to whom, we all are here today.

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Complex issue, botched execution

The promise was there all the time. But the author's narrative lacked coherence and the constant insertion of her own story and process behind the development of this book was annoying initially and then turned the book into a full-blown mess. What was the afterword should have been the actual meat of the book--the discussion and debate on tissue research ethics. Instead the author's story, her subtle hint at her left leanings and the constant attempt at proving herself a saviour for the family was a terrible narrative choice. The book promises a lot but hardly delivers on all that world-changing suspense it created on the cover.

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