The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

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

Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor black tobacco farmer whose cancer cells - taken without her knowledge - became one of the most important tools in medicine. Henrietta's family did not learn of her 'immortality' until more than 20 years after her death, with devastating consequences. 'Rebecca Skoot explores the racism and greed, the idealism and faith in science that helped to save thousands of lives but nearly destroyed a family' Eric Schlosser