I read nothing but raves about this scientific bestseller, which recounts the story of the poor black tobacco farmer whose cells established the first line of human cells used widely in research.
Skloot interweaves the stories of Henrietta, the cell line that bears her initials, and her family. All of these stories have fascinating elements, but it is the present day story of Henrietta's children that stands out. Skloot is remarkable in her ability to capture the texture of their lives and their speech. The scientific portions of the book were less detailed, leaving me with a lot of questions, and the ethical questions raised by Henrietta's story are relegated to an afterward. But the very specific story of the Lacks family kept me interested throughout.
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