Popular science · Biography · Medicine and the body
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Rebecca Skloot traces how cells taken from a poor Black woman dying of cancer in 1951 became the HeLa line used across medicine. She also tells the story of Henrietta's family, who learned of it decades later.
Facts last checked 2026-10-17
- First published
- 2009
- Pace
- Medium
- Length
- Medium
- Pages
- 402
- Format
- Standalone
Read this if you like science writing that treats ethics and human stories as seriously as the research.
Skip this if you want a technical account of cell biology.
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Quick answers about The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
- What is The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks about?
- Rebecca Skloot traces how cells taken from a poor Black woman dying of cancer in 1951 became the HeLa line used across medicine. She also tells the story of Henrietta's family, who learned of it decades later.
- Who should read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks?
- Read it if you like science writing that treats ethics and human stories as seriously as the research. Skip it if you want a technical account of cell biology.
- How long and how fast is The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks?
- It is a medium-paced, medium read of about 402 pages, first published in 2009.
- Does The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks have content warnings?
- Content we flag: Racism, Death, Terminal illness.
- Can I borrow The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks for free?
- Often, yes. Check Libby (OverDrive) to see whether your library lends The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks; the borrow button above searches it for you.
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|---|---|---|
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