This summer at my freshman orientation I got the assignment to read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks . I thought who is this Henrietta Lacks and why is she so special that we have to read a book about her. It turns out that Henrietta Lacks is a HUGE deal. I would conservatively say that she has affected everyone living in America and the possibly the world. How is it then that no one knows her story?
Rebecca Skloot, the author of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks wondered the same thing around the same time in her life that I and my fellow college freshman are at now. Her curiousity led her to research the life of Mrs. Lacks and her family. This book not only tells their story but brings to light questions about ethics in the medical research field that few people are aware of but should as everyone who goes to the doctor could potentially become the next Henrietta Lacks.
Skloot does a wonderful job of presenting the information without throwing blame, thus lending credibility to her writing. She allows the readers to develop their own opinion on the topics she presents. Skloot also masterfully wrote the true story in a way that reads like a fiction book instead of a bland biography-style. I could not put this book down and was stunned by what I found out. I definately was impressed and would recommend this book to everyone.
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