There was a heaviness to my chest after I finished Skloot's The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (2010). I was in the midst of what felt like a social, emotional, philosophical, and moral gyre that highlighted the uglies of science, race, poverty, and many --isms. I couldn't put into words what I was feeling because there was just too much. Skloot, however, had already put into words what overwhelmed me so much by addressing the following questions in the FAQ section of her website about this book:
Q: Why is the story of Henrietta Lacks so important?
The story of the HeLa cells is important for many of reasons: It’s about race and class and science and ethics and the importance of access to education and health care, all of which are vital current issues.
The story of the HeLa cells is important for many of reasons: It’s about race and class and science and ethics and the importance of access to education and health care, all of which are vital current issues.
Q: What messages should be taken from the story?
Some of that depends on each individual reader, because there are a lot of potential messages from the book: it’s about trust, race and medicine, class, access to education and health care, it’s also the story of a family and the impact that losing a mother can have on her children, and much more.
Some of that depends on each individual reader, because there are a lot of potential messages from the book: it’s about trust, race and medicine, class, access to education and health care, it’s also the story of a family and the impact that losing a mother can have on her children, and much more.
Skloot's biography of Henrietta Lacks is captivating, for she conveys so much not only about science but also about life. Through this masterful example of narrative nonfiction, Skloot reveals the humanity in what scientists see as subjects or experiments in their desire to scientifically advance civilization. Ironies abound. In the end, I was in awe of the writer's skills and style in weaving past and present along with various people into what is a very complex story. My biggest takeaway is with the writer herself--her passion and perseverance in getting this story told, along with her empathy.
I know that Rebecca Skloot has a second book under contract, but if The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks turns out to be her magnum opus, she should be proud: She has humanized and immortalized a person whose scientific legacy had been unacknowledged and who (along with her family) had just simply been wronged. Skloot's book is a must-read that I hope, too, becomes an immortal part of the literary canon.
This is a cross-posted CBR8 review.
Comments
Post a Comment