Rebecca Skloot writes compellingly on the scientific research around cell culturing, DNA engineering, ethical and cultural debates surrounding the commercialization of human tissues / genes. Moreover, she never lets the reader forget that behind all this research was a woman who suffered immeasurable pain, and in the wake of her death left behind a family who would be kept in the dark for more than twenty years about her contributions to science. Through her meticulous research, Skloot brings to light the reality of segregation in health care for African Americans in the 1950's, as well as the tug-of-war between a patient's ownership rights of their tissues and the advancement of medical science. Whatever your opinion of some members of the Lacks family - you can't help but be moved by the vicious circle of poverty, illiteracy and poor health that this family suffers from - even as there is a multi-billion dollar industry which came into existence as a direct result of Henrietta's affliction.
This book reminded me of the movie "Wit", in which Emma Thompson portrays a woman with terminal cancer, and who is treated by her physicians more like an interesting lab specimen than a woman who is undergoing immense emotional and physical pain. As with the movie, the reader of this book will feel a strong emotional connection to the central theme of the narrative, which is the dignity of human life.
