The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Rebecca Skloot’s book presents an eye opening account of the life and afterlife of a woman, and how she had unwittingly changed the face of medical research. Henrietta Lacks was a poor Black woman, whose cancerous cells were extracted without her knowledge, and used for research. It soon grew into a multimillion dollar industry, while also aiding in advancements in various fields. Yet Henrietta herself had been forgotten. Skloot’s work opens up a crucial discussion on the issue of ownership over our cells and the role of consent in medical research. It also offers a bleak history of American medical science, which would often exploit marginalised people for the sake of research and progress.