Grade: A
With so much of our reading time spent in the realm of YA, we don't often get to pick up a non-fiction, adult title. However, this one has been popping up on all of the must read lists so we grabbed the paperback edition and dove right in.
Henrietta Lacks was an African American woman diagnosed with a particularly aggressive form of cervical cancer in the 1950's. After enduring extreme radiation treatments and eventually dying from the rapidly growing tumors, doctors began growing and commercializing her cells. Unbeknown to Henrietta or her family, these HeLa cells were used in numerous studies ranging from the creation of vaccinations to the effects of nuclear bombs on cancer. They have been injected into medical test subjects and even sent into space. It is incalculable as to the number of people whose health has been improved by the use of these cells or the amount of revenue that can be directly attributed to the sale of HeLa samples. Yet, her own family cannot afford health care and there is some question as to whether or not Henrietta or her family gave the doctors permission to begin cloning her cells in the first place.
The book is part biographical and medical. Time is also spent discussing the legal fallout, ethical use of human tissue, and basic civil rights as applied to the field of medicine and medical studies. Don't be dissuaded by the bio-tech/med history aspect. Author, Rebecca Skloot did a great job of explaining medical procedures and studies without bogging us down in jargon. It's the human aspect of the book that she wanted to focus on anyway- and it does. You will get caught up in hunting down the Lacks family and we know you will begin asking yourself: How would I feel about the doctors using my cells? You'll learn some surprising and horrifying facts about what you do and DO NOT have control over when it comes to your body.
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