The immortal life of henrietta lacks book club questions. On page xiii, rebecca skloot states this is a work of nonfiction. The immortal life of henrietta lacks paperback watermark. Born a poor black tobacco farmer, her cancer cells taken without her knowledge became a multimilliondollar industry and one of the most important tools in medicine. The immortal life was selected for the first nonfiction edition of the atlantics 1book140 reading club. The immortal life of henrietta lacks no one can say exactly where henrietta lacks is buried. The immortal life of henrietta lacks discussion questions. Sep 08, 2015 jackie sims 10thgrade son was asked to read the immortal life of henrietta lacks during the summer.
However, some moms are saying that its not really appropriate for kids in grade 9 and 10 because the kids they know in those grades who have read it its required in grade 10 here are so disgusted by certain descriptions the decaying cervix was one that the broader point of the book isnt. Im doing my best to keep my snacks mostly healthy, which is often quite difficult when. When henrietta lacks was diagnosed with cancer in 1951, doctors took her cells and grew them in test tubes. The immortal life of henrietta lacks brings to mind the work of philip k. 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. In an excerpt from her book, the immortal life of henrietta lacks, rebecca skloot tells her story. This book is a perfect example of something i didnt really want to read, but ended up loving and i loved having a great group of girls to talk about it with. No names have been changed, no characters invented, no events fabricated. 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. But the immortal life of henrietta lacks succeeds despite itself. 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.
The immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca skloot nonfiction that. The immortal life of henrietta lacks does more than one book ought to be able to do. The immortal life of henrietta lacks is a science book and one that i almost did not read because of that fact. It is also a critique of science that insists on ignoring the. Skloot was yet another white person asking the lacks family about henrietta. Feb 07, 2010 but the immortal life of henrietta lacks is much more than a portrait of the lacks family.
The immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca skloot, 9780330533447, download free ebooks, download free pdf epub ebook. Because there isnt much information about henrietta and her family, skloot wants to tell their story. The immortal life of henrietta lacks friday morning bookclub. Rebecca skloot, author of the immortal life of henrietta lacks. What did you knowthink about henrietta lacks before reading the book. The immortal life of henrietta lacks paperback the. It is also a critique of science that insists on ignoring the messy human provenance of its materials. The immortal life of henrietta lacks named by more than 60 critics as one of the best books of 2010 i could not put the book down. The tale could have been told in an unwieldy and dry consecutive order. Winner of bookbrowses 2010 best book award intimate in feeling, astonishing in scope, and impossible to put down, the immortal life of henrietta lacks captures the beauty and drama of scientific discovery, as well as its human consequences. According to, the immortal life is consistently in the top 10 book club picks of 2011.
I consider the book pornographic, she tells wbirtv. 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. May 21, 2010 but the immortal life of henrietta lacks succeeds despite itself. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. It is a science book but it is also a book with a fascinating story to tell. We had a very diverse and educational discussion about the book the immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca skloot. Tennessee mom calls henrietta lacks book pornographic. Oprah winfrey on the immortal life of henrietta lacks the. The immortal life of henrietta lacks is a heroic work of cultural and medical journalism. Dec, 2019 the immortal life of henrietta lacks was selected as the 201112 howard book connection book so you know it is worth the read. Rebecca skloot later wrote a popular book on the subject, called the immortal life of henrietta lacks. 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.
The immortal life of henrietta lacks and millions of other books are available for instant access. 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. Its been difficult for me to get through, to be honest. The immortal life of henrietta lacks quotes shmoop. She was a poor southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave ancestors, yet her cellstaken without her. 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. It was chosen as a best book of 2010 by more than sixty media outlets, including entertainment weekly, people, and the new york times. The immortal life of henrietta lacks paperback boswell. The immortal life of henrietta lacks quotes suffering doctors examined her inside and out, pressing her stomach, inserting new catheters into her bladder, fingers into her vagina and anus, needles into her veins. Jul 26, 2019 rebecca skloot later wrote a popular book on the subject, called the immortal life of henrietta lacks. Oprah winfrey on the immortal life of henrietta lacks. If you like henrietta lacks book club, you might love these ideas.
But the immortal life of henrietta lacks is much more than a portrait of the lacks family. 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. Catch up on chapters and chapters 46 lets get started. Author bio rebecca skloot is a science writer whose articles have appeared in the new york times magazine, othe oprah magazine, discover, prevention, glamour, and others she has worked as a correspondent for nprs radio lab and pbss nova sciencenow, and is a contributing editor at popular science magazine. Immortal life of henrietta lacks skloot discussion questions. The immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca skloot page. The november book club selection is the immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca skloot. The virtual book group discussion is staged in three parts. The immortal life of henrietta lacks 2010 is a nonfiction book by american author rebecca skloot. Henrietta lacks was born loretta pleasant, on august 1, 1920 in roanoke, virginia. Find examples of episodes which indicate that deborah and other family members are beginning to trust skloot.
Laura miller, no dead woman has done more for the living. The immortal life of henrietta lacks was selected as the 201112 howard book connection book so you know it is worth the read. I know this book has been in primt for about 10 years, and have meant to read it before now. Discuss the immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca skloot. The immortal life of henrietta lacks summary shmoop. The book is about henrietta lacks a woman whose cells live on and on to be experimented with, cloned, put into space, blown up, used to make chapters about genes, cloning and cancer are juxtaposed with chapters about henrietta s personal life and about the authors interactions with the lacks family. Skloots book shows over and over again that breaches in medical ethics often happen when doctors and scientists dissociate their work from the human subjects who make it happen. Rebecca sklootauthor the immortal life of henrietta lacks skloot inserts herself into the narrative, and rightfully so, as her unrelenting commitment to tell the true tale of henrietta lacks went a long way in helping the overlooked and. Buy the immortal life of henrietta lacks first paperback edition by skloot, rebecca isbn. Its time to vote on the book well be reading for the pbf book club in january. Did your reading group do something special when you discussed. Sep 25, 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.
Mar 29, 2012 um, so i havent finished the immortal life of henrietta lacks yet. How do you feel about a white woman creating the narrative of this story. More life reflections from the bestselling author on themes of societal captivity and the catharsis of personal freedom. The discussions involve dozens of real simple readers, all of whom post thoughtful. The immortal life of henrietta lacks rebecca skloot, author. Discuss skloots relationship with deborah and the lacks family. We are a group of friends who happen to enjoy good books, good discussion, and good food. The immortal life of henrietta lacks rebecca skloot.
Um, so i havent finished the immortal life of henrietta lacks yet. 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 immortal life of henrietta lacks communicatehealth. A book about science that also appeals to nonscientists, the immortal life of henrietta lacks is an accessible and fascinating combination of social history, science writing, and biography. Join the discussion of the immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca skloot. Discussion questions for the immortal life of henrietta lacks 1. Real simple selected the immortal life for their no obligation book club. The immortal life of henrietta lacks yonkers public schools. I just joined a book club in my new city, larchmont, and the immortal life of henrietta lacks was the selection for my first meeting. This is a topic on my local facebook group, and everyone is pretty aghast at the idea banning it. The immortal life of henrietta lacks hardcover book. Like guinea pigs and mice, henriettas cells have become the standard laboratory workhorse. 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.
Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle device required. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Through lacks, the story of modern medicine and bioethicsand, indeed, race relationsis refracted beautifully, and movingly. Race and racism are woven throughout the book, both in the story presented and in the process of the research for the book. I also know a movie version was made, but have not pursued looking into it, yet. Oprah winfrey and hbo announced plans to develop a film based on skloots 2010 book and in. How to discuss a book helpful discussion tips generic discussion questionsfiction and nonfiction. Real simples book club discusses the immortal life rebecca. See more ideas about book club food, food and book club books. Jul 18, 20 i just joined a book club in my new city, larchmont, and the immortal life of henrietta lacks was the selection for my first meeting. In january 1951 she went to johns hopkins hospital the only hospital in the area that treated black patients at the time.
I am about 14 of the way through, and cant put it down. Intimate in feeling, astonishing in scope, and impossible to put down, the immortal life of henrietta lacks captures the beauty and drama of scientific discovery, as well as its human consequences. 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. Health literacy book club, were presenting a book thats not really about how to improve health literacy. 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. It was chosen as a best book of 2010 by more than sixty media outlets, includingentertainment weekly,people and the new york times. The chapters are brief, and the story moves back and forth between threads. Skloots debut book, the immortal life of henrietta lacks, took more than a decade toresearch and write, and instantly became anew york timesbestseller. 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. The immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca skloot. The immortal life of henrietta lacks paperback quail.
In her 2010 book the immortal life of henrietta lacks, skloot explores the importance of hela cells, the troubles that face the lacks family, and the controversial world of tissue culture. The immortal life of henrietta lacks is an excellent choice for a book club. Jackie sims 10thgrade son was asked to read the immortal life of henrietta lacks during the summer. Not only is it a richly drawn biography of a poor african american and her family, but also a laypersons primer to the evolution of cell culture and the world of medical research. The immortal life of henrietta lacks resonates on many levels. The book delves into the impact that henrietta lacks cells, known around the world as hela cells, have had in science throughout the last 60plus years, as well as the ethical and scientific implications. Notice how easily jones makes the connection between henrietta lacks. Discussion questions for the immortal life of henrietta lacks. With an introduction by author of the tidal zone, sarah moss her name was henrietta lacks, but scientists know her as hela. Those cells led to breakthroughs in everything from parkinsons to polio. Looking for creative menu ideas for your reading group. 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. See more ideas about food recipes, food and favorite recipes. The immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca skloot book.
May 8, 2014 for the immortal life of henrietta lacks book club pound cake, angel food cake, lipton onion dip wpotato chips, cheese ball w town. The immortal life of henrietta lacks, by rebecca skloot, 4 stars. Real simples book club discusses the immortal life. The immortal life of henrietta lacks rebecca skloot, 2010 crown publishing 381 pp. Jan 01, 2011 buy the immortal life of henrietta lacks first paperback edition by skloot, rebecca isbn.
But that did not stop skloot in her quest to exhume, and resurrect, the story of her heroine and her family. Her work has been anthologized in several collections, including the best food. The immortal life of henrietta lacks food for thought book club. The immortal life of henrietta lacks summary litcharts. Come together with other book lovers and discuss books at the library. The immortal life of henrietta lacks, rebecca skloot the immortal life of henrietta lacks 2010 is a nonfiction book by american author rebecca skloot. Parent asks to ban immortal life of henrietta lacks gbcn. 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. The immortal life of henrietta lacks, skloot, rebecca.
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