In the immortal life of henrietta lacks, the lacks family has turmoil buried right into the roots of its family tree. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. Discussion questions for the immortal life of henrietta lacks 1. As much as this book is about henrietta lacks, it is also about deborah learning of the mother she barely knew, while also finding out the truth about her sister, elsie. At johns hopkins, the doctors harvested cells from her cervix without her permission and distributed them to labs around the globe, where they were multiplied and used for a diverse array of treatments.
Oprah winfrey on the immortal life of henrietta lacks the. Last week our book club met to discuss the immortal life of henrietta lacks. When my book club chose the immortal life of henrietta lacks i had no idea that i was in for such a compelling read. Discussion questions for the immortal life of henrietta lacks. The immortal life of henrietta lacks book discussion. I saw four distinct stories within the story and each could stand on their own as a subject of a novel. For clarity, each part of this summary covers henrietta s life story and the familys story first, followed by the story of skloots research. Bookpage named the immortal life a top pick for book clubs, calling it a deeply intimate look at one familys efforts to claim its legacy. Jan 31, 2012 oprahs book club do you remember the first book she picked. Jul 28, 2010 back in march, i read the immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca skloot. The immortal life of henrietta lacks paperback 1 jan 2011. The immortal life of henrietta lacks summary from litcharts.
How to discuss a book helpful discussion tips generic discussion questionsfiction and. Find a summary of this and each chapter of the immortal life of henrietta lacks. The immortal life of henrietta lacks chapter 12 summary. Welcome to the comments and discussion of the young adult cancer book club we are reading the immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca skloot. The immortal life of henrietta lacks paperback the. Back in march, i read the immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca skloot. Jul 15, 2011 the complexity and depth of immortal henrietta is one of the things that appealed to me most. The immortal life of henrietta lacks themes shmoop. A journalist named rebecca skloot recounts learning about an african american woman named henrietta lacks, who died in 1951 of cervical cancer, but whose cancerous cells became the first immortal human cell line, called hela. Rebecca skloot explores the racism and greed, the idealism and faith in science that helped to save thousands of lives but nearly destroyed a family. We had a very diverse and educational discussion about the book the immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca skloot. I could not be more excited to be leading the book club this month, erin says, especially since we are going to be reading the immortal life of henrietta lacks. How do you feel about a white woman creating the narrative of this story. Rebecca explains that hela made possible some of the most important discoveries of the 21st century, but that we know little about the woman behind them.
Oprahs book club do you remember the first book she picked. In any case, the immortal life of henrietta lacks is a book that raises a lot of issues for discussion, all of which im sure would be great for a book club. The immortal life of henrietta lacks hardcover book discussion. This is an extraordinary book, haunting and beautifully told. Open to all princeton undergraduate and graduate students, in any field of study. The immortal life of henrietta lacks moves back and forth in time, from henrietta lacks s lifetime to rebecca skloots investigation of henrietta s story and the lacks s family history.
Cst will be sponsoring late afternoon discussions on relevant topics. The immortal life of henrietta lacks, rebecca skloot the immortal life of henrietta lacks 2010 is a nonfiction book by american author rebecca skloot. Because there isnt much information about henrietta and her family, skloot wants to tell their story. The immortal life of henrietta lacks does more than one book ought to be able to do. Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors. What did you knowthink about henrietta lacks before reading the book.
The immortal life of henrietta lacks discussion questions. Nov 06, 2017 welcome to the comments and discussion of the young adult cancer book club we are reading the immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca skloot. The immortal life of henrietta lacks, by rebecca skloot, 4 stars. The immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca skloot is the story of a poor black woman who was raised in the south. In 1951, henrietta lacks, an africanamerican mother of five, was diagnosed with what proved to be a fatal form of cervical cancer. I was so impacted by the story that i decided to choose it as a reading selection for my book club. It was the 2011 winner of the national academies communication award for best creative work that helps the public understanding of topics in science, engineering or medicine. It was chosen as a best book of 2010 by more than sixty media outlets, including entertainment weekly, people, and the new york times. Real simples book club discusses the immortal life.
The immortal life of henrietta lacks hardcover rebecca skloot goodreads author. On page xiii, rebecca skloot states this is a work of nonfiction. The immortal life of henrietta lacks chapter 4 summary. Mar 08, 2011 skloots debut book, the immortal life of henrietta lacks, took more than a decade to research and write, and instantly became a new york times bestseller. It is a wellwritten, carefullyresearched, complex saga of medical research, bioethics, and race in america. In the immortal life of henrietta lacks, skloot has an epiphany when she speaks with cousin gary in clover. The immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca skloot. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 370 pages and is available in hardcover format. The immortal life of henrietta lacks rebecca skloot. Apr 12, 2017 rebecca skloots the immortal life of henrietta lacks was a publishing and scientific sensation earlier this decade that spent 75 weeks on the new york times paperback nonfiction best. Science writer rebecca skloot has always been obsessed with henrietta lacks, the africanamerican woman whose cancer cells were harvested and used to create an immortal cell line for scientific experimentation. The immortal life of henrietta lacks 2010 is a nonfiction book by american author rebecca skloot. The immortal life of henrietta lacks is an excellent choice for a book club. As cousin cliff tells skloot, the family cemetery is filled with black lackses buried right over the top of their white, slaveowning ancestors.
The virtual book group discussion is staged in three parts. The immortal life of henrietta lacks book tour part 1 duration. The immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca skloot is a nonfiction book that describes skloots efforts to find out more about the history behind the hela cell line, and especially the woman. Henriettas mother died when she was only four, and life got rougher than it had already been. The immortal life of henrietta lacks summary litcharts. Join us for one hour to enjoy the book and refreshments. Did anything you read change your previous opinions. According to, the immortal life is consistently in the top 10 book club picks of 2011. The immortal life of henrietta lacks is a triumph of science writing it is truly one of the best nonfiction books i have ever read, and i was deeply affected by it on a personal level. Rebecca skloot, the author of the immortal life of henrietta lacks, split the book into three distinct sectionslife, death, and immortalityin order to describe the events of henriettas. Known to science as hela, the first immortal human cells grown in culture are still alive today, and have been bought and sold by the millions. Obviously, first and foremost is henrietta s story, and that of her family members a tragedy. The immortal life of henrietta lacks summary shmoop. Skloot was yet another white person asking the lacks family about henrietta.
But the immortal life of henrietta lacks is much more than a portrait of the lacks family. Race and racism are woven throughout the book, both in the story presented and in the process of the research for the book. The first edition of the novel was published in february 2nd 2010, and was written by rebecca skloot. There are so many facets to this story that will draw you in, whether you are more interested in the history of discrimination against africanamericans, or the topics of medical. Free download or read online the immortal life of henrietta lacks pdf epub book. The immortal life of henrietta lacks hardcover book. Real simples book club discusses the immortal life rebecca. The complexity and depth of immortal henrietta is one of the things that appealed to me most. Feb 19, 2020 the immortal life of henrietta lacks medicine, the rights of women, bioethics, and race relations intersect in ways both disturbing and eyeopening in this account of a poor southern tobacco farmer whose cells, taken without her knowledge or her permission, became an important tool in medicine.
Immortal life of henrietta lacks skloot discussion questions. Everyone found the book to be a fascinating read with much to talk about. The immortal life of henrietta lacks moves back and forth in time, from henrietta lackss lifetime to rebecca skloots investigation of henriettas story and the lackss family history. The immortal life of henrietta lacks medicine, the rights of women, bioethics, and race relations intersect in ways both disturbing and eyeopening in this account of a poor southern tobacco farmer whose cells, taken without her knowledge or her permission, became an. Catch up on chapters, chapters 46, chapters 79, chapters 1012, chapters 15, and chapters 1618 lets get started. Rebecca skloots the immortal life of henrietta lacks was a publishing and scientific sensation earlier this decade that spent 75 weeks on the new york times paperback nonfiction best. In your opinion, what were the most interesting parts of the book. Rebecca explains that hela made possible some of the most important discoveries of the 21st century, but that we know.
Jun 18, 2010 this week, the doublex audio book club discusses the immortal life of henrietta lacks, which tells the amazing story of a baltimore woman who died of cancer, but whose cellswhich seemed to have. Discuss skloots relationship with deborah and the lacks family. The immortal life of henrietta lacks yonkers public schools. Yet her cells taken without her knowledge became one of the most important tools in medical research. Feb 09, 2010 in 1951, henrietta lacks, an africanamerican mother of five, was diagnosed with what proved to be a fatal form of cervical cancer. This week, the doublex audio book club discusses the immortal life of henrietta lacks, which tells the amazing story of a baltimore woman who. No names have been changed, no characters invented, no events fabricated. The immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca skloot book.
However, as much as i searched, i was unable to find a published discussion guide for the book to facilitate a discussion. The immortal life of henrietta lacks literacy minnesota. Imagine discovering similar information about one of your family members. A thorny and provocative book about cancer, racism, scientific ethics and crippling poverty, the immortal life of henrietta lacks also floods over you like a narrative dam break, as if someone had managed to distill and purify the more addictive qualities of erin brockovich, midnight in the. Hundreds of book groups worldwide have read the immortal life with wonderful results below you will find information and resources designed to enhance your groups discussion of the immortal life of henrietta lacks. Skloot weaves together a captivating story of medical history, personal tragedy and disturbing insight into what little consent we. The book contains elements of sexual assault and abuse. As much as this book is about henrietta lacks, it is also about deborah learning of the mother she barely knew, while also finding out. For clarity, each part of this summary covers henriettas life story and the familys story first, followed by. Among others, the immortal life of henrietta lacks was awarded the national academies best book of the year award, the american association for the advancement of sciences young adult science book award and the wellcome trust book prize. Feb 07, 2010 but the immortal life of henrietta lacks is much more than a portrait of the lacks family.
The main characters of this non fiction, science story are henrietta lacks. The immortal life of henrietta lacks plot summary course hero. The discussions involve dozens of real simple readers, all of whom post thoughtful. Obviously, first and foremost is henriettas story, and that of her family members a tragedy. Find examples of episodes which indicate that deborah and other family members are beginning to trust skloot. How to discuss a book helpful discussion tips generic discussion questionsfiction and nonfiction. However, as much as i searched, i was unable to find a published discussion guide for the book. It is also a critique of science that insists on ignoring the messy human provenance of its materials. Chapter summary for rebecca skloots the immortal life of henrietta lacks, part 3 chapter 34 summary.
Catch up on chapters, chapters 46, chapters 79, chapters 1012, chapters 15, and chapters 1618. Jul 29, 2011 in any case, the immortal life of henrietta lacks is a book that raises a lot of issues for discussion, all of which im sure would be great for a book club. Oprah winfrey on the immortal life of henrietta lacks. The immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca skloot book club questions 1. The immortal life of henrietta lacks is a heroic work of cultural and medical journalism. Jan 01, 2011 the immortal life of henrietta lacks did not require that at all and yet for some reason a large portion of the book is devoted to showing how fair this white and how often they remind us that she is white. Henrietta lacks, a poor southern tobacco farmer, was buried in an unmarked grave 60 years ago. Laura miller, no dead woman has done more for the living. It is also a critique of science that insists on ignoring the. The immortal life was selected for the first nonfiction edition of the atlantics 1book140 reading club. Our first book will be the immortal life of henrietta lacks, by rebecca skloot.
Throughout her childhood and adult life, she worked from sunrise to sunset on a tobacco farm. Discuss the immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca skloot. Henrietta s story is divided into three parts by theme life, death and immortality, how would the story have been different if told chronologically. Discuss the immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca. Pdf the immortal life of henrietta lacks book by rebecca. The immortal life of henrietta lacks brings to mind the work of philip k. Were very excited to be reading a book thats been tearing up the bestseller lists for the past two years, rebecca skloots the immortal life of henrietta lacks. The immortal life of henrietta lacks is a fascinating read and a ringing success. The immortal life of henrietta lacks friday morning bookclub. They see her illness not as the result of rampaging cancer cells, but as something manmade i. Skloots debut book, the immortal life of henrietta lacks, took more than a decade to research and write, and instantly became a new york times bestseller. The immortal life of henrietta lacks plot summary course.