Rebecca Skloot Journalist, Teacher, Author of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

October 3, 2009

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Gets Starred PW Review and a Shiny New Cover

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Lots of excitement here at Culture Dish:  The final cover for The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks has arrived (see left). And … <drum roll> … the the book’s first pre-publication review has hit the press:  In the issue coming out this Monday, Publishers Weekly gives The Immortal Life a starred review, calling it, “a remarkable debut … a rich, resonant tale of modern science, the wonders it can perform and how easily it can exploit society’s most vulnerable people.” (wOOt!) Full review here and here:

“Science journalist Skloot makes a remarkable debut with
this multilayered story about ‘faith, science, journalism, and grace.’
It is also a tale of medical wonders and medical arrogance, racism,
poverty and the bond that grows, sometimes painfully, between two very
different women–Skloot and Deborah Lacks–sharing an obsession to learn
about Deborah’s mother, Henrietta, and her magical, immortal cells.
Henrietta Lacks was a 31-year-old black mother of five in Baltimore
when she died of cervical cancer in 1951. Without her knowledge,
doctors treating her at Johns Hopkins took tissue samples from her
cervix for research. They spawned the first viable, indeed miraculously
productive, cell line–known as HeLa. These cells have aided in medical
discoveries from the polio vaccine to AIDS treatments. What Skloot so
poignantly portrays is the devastating impact Henrietta’s death and the
eventual importance of her cells had on her husband and children.
Skloot’s portraits of Deborah, her father and brothers are so vibrant
and immediate they recall Adrian Nicole LeBlanc’s Random Family.
Writing in plain, clear prose, Skloot avoids melodrama and makes no
judgments. Letting people and events speak for themselves, Skloot tells
a rich, resonant tale of modern science, the wonders it can perform and
how easily it can exploit society’s most vulnerable people.” – Publishers Weekly, starred review.

To say Culture Dish is thrilled about that review would be an understatement.  And we would be remiss at this point if we didn’t point out that you can pre-order your copy (for 36% off!) by clicking here (available in both hardback and unabridged audio). 

There have been a few other exciting developments that I’m not allowed to report on yet, but will as soon as I’m able.  For now, all I can say is, wOOt! 

About the cover:  I’m curious to know if the He and La in her name on the cover jump out for people who know HeLa …