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Book Nook provides readers with insights into the world of books. Vick Mickunas takes you into the center of the publishing world with the latest book buzz, book reviews, and exclusive chats with authors..Home > Blogs > Book Nook > Archives > 2011 > March > 25 > Entry
“The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks”
Rebecca Skloot was a high school student when she first heard the name of Henrietta Lacks. Skloot wanted to know more about this mystery woman. Who was she? In 1951 Lacks was being treated for cancer when doctors removed some living cancer cells from Henrietta. There was something amazing about those cells. Her cells, known as HeLa cells, are still living and being reproduced today.
The Lacks family knew nothing about it until years later when researchers contacted them to try to do more research. When Skloot’s biology teacher had mentioned Henrietta’s name he couldn’t tell his sixteen year-old student anything else about her.
The mystery of Henrietta Lacks propelled Skloot upon a mission to learn as much as possible about the woman who, without her consent, had yielded these miraculous cells. Her search for information took many years and it yielded some fascinating information. When Skloot published her book “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” last year it became a runaway best-seller.
The book was selected as this year’s BIG READ community reading title in the Dayton region.
The book just came out in paperback. I interviewed Rebecca Skloot recently and you can read some excerpts from our conversation this Sunday in this newspaper. You can also hear the entire interview on WYSO (91.3fm) this Sunday morning at 11.
Vick Mickunas
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By lmj
March 25, 2011 11:29 PM | Link to this
I didn’t realize this was the Big Read this year. Already read it last spring. Very interesting.
By DS
March 25, 2011 12:41 PM | Link to this
I read this book last month. It was excellent.
By Mike
March 25, 2011 12:20 PM | Link to this
Vick, you piqued my interest just enough with your little teaser post that I had to do a little digging to find out what this was all about. And what a fascinating topic it has turned out to be. Now I’m going to have the buy the dang thing. Mission accomplished, dude.