The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

The book narrates the story of Henrietta Lacks, a poor black tobacco farmer whose cervical cancer cells, known as HeLa cells, were taken without her knowledge in 1951 and have since become one of the most important tools in medicine.

The cells have been used in developing the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping, and more, yet Henrietta's family remained unaware of her 'immortality' for decades and never benefited financially from the cells.

The book delves into the dark history of experimentation on African Americans, the birth of bioethics, and the legal battles over body ownership.

It also explores the personal story of Henrietta's family, particularly her daughter Deborah, and their struggles with the legacy of her cells.