The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

The internationally bestselling story of a young woman whose death in 1951 changed medical science for ever . . .

With an introduction by author of The Tidal Zone , Sarah Moss Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. Born a poor black tobacco farmer, her cancer cells - taken without her knowledge - became a multimillion-dollar industry and one of the most important tools in medicine. Yet Henrietta''s family did not learn of her ''immortality'' until more than twenty years after her death, with devastating consequences . . . Rebecca Skloot''s fascinating account is the story of the life, and afterlife, of one woman who changed the medical world for ever. Balancing the beauty and drama of scientific discovery with dark questions about who owns the stuff our bodies are made of, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is an extraordinary journey in search of the soul and story of a real woman, whose cells live on today in all four corners of the world. Now a HBO film starring Oprah Winfrey and Rose Byrne. ''No dead woman has done more for the living . . . A fascinating, harrowing, necessary book.'' - Hilary Mantel, Guardian

A heartbreaking account of racism and injustice . . . Moving and magnificent.

Autorentext

Rebecca Skloot is an award-winning science writer whose articles have appeared in The New York Times Magazine; O, The Oprah Magazine; Discover; Prevention; Glamour; and others. She has worked as a correspondent for NPR's Radiolab and PBS's NOVAscience*NOW, and is a contributing editor at *Popular Science magazine and guest editor of The Best AmericanScience Writing 2011. Her work has been anthologized in several collections, including The Best Creative Nonfiction. She is a former vice president of the National Book Critics Circle, and has taught creative non-fiction and science journalism at the University of Memphis, the University of Pittsburgh, and New York University. She lives in Chicago. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is her first book. It is being translated into more than twenty languages and adapted into an HBO film produced by Oprah Winfrey and Alan Ball. For more information, visit her website at RebeccaSkloot.com, where you'll find links to follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

Klappentext

There's a photo on my wall of a woman I've never met . . . she looksstraight into the camera and smiles, hands on hips, dress suit neatly pressed,lips painted deep red . . . her name is Henrietta Lacks.

Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. Born apoor black tobacco farmer, her cancer cells - taken without her knowledge -became a multimillion-dollar industry and one of the most important tools inmedicine. Yet Henrietta's family did not learn of her 'immortality' until morethan twenty years after her death, with devastating consequences . . .

Rebecca Skloot's fascinating account is the story of the life, andafterlife, of a woman who changed the medical world for ever. Balancing thebeauty and drama of scientific discovery with dark questions about who owns thestuff our bodies are made of, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is anextraordinary journey in search of the soul and story of a real woman, whosecells live on today in all four corners of the world.

'A fascinating, harrowing, necessary book' Hilary Mantel

'Remarkable . . . a vivid portrait of Lacks that should be as abiding asher cells' The Times

Zusammenfassung

*A heartbreaking account of a medical miracle: how one woman's cells taken without her knowledge have saved countless lives. *The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a true story of race, class, injustice and exploitation.

'No dead woman has done more for the living . . . A fascinating, harrowing, necessary book.' Hilary Mantel, Guardian

With an introduction Sarah Moss, author of by author of Summerwater.

Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. Born a poor black tobacco farmer, her cancer cells taken without asking her became a multimillion-dollar industry and one of the most important tools in medicine. Yet Henrietta's family did not learn of her 'immortality' until more than twenty years after her death, with devastating consequences . . .

Rebecca Skloot's moving account is the story of the life, and afterlife, of one woman who changed the medical world forever. Balancing the beauty and drama of scientific discovery with dark questions about who owns the stuff our bodies are made of, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is an extraordinary journey in search of the soul and story of a real woman, whose cells live on today in all four corners of the world.

Now an HBO film starring Oprah Winfrey and Rose Byrne.