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Rebecca Skloot Books

1 book·~10 min total read

Rebecca Skloot is an American science writer best known for her debut book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. She has written for The New York Times Magazine, O, The Oprah Magazine, and Discover, and is recognized for her work in making complex scientific and ethical issues accessible to general readers.

Known for: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Books by Rebecca Skloot

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

biographies·10 min read

Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer whose cancer cells, taken without her knowledge in 1951, became one of the most important tools in medicine. The book explores the story of Henrietta, her family, and the ethical issues surrounding the use of her cells in scientific research, illuminating the intersections of race, class, and bioethics in modern medicine.

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1

Henrietta’s Early Life

Henrietta Lacks was born in 1920 in Roanoke, Virginia, one of ten children in a family descended from slaves and sharecroppers. Her childhood unfolded among the tobacco fields of Clover, a rural community where family ties ran deep but opportunities were scarce. After the death of her mother, she wa...

From The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

2

Diagnosis and Treatment

In early 1951, Henrietta walked through the doors of Johns Hopkins Hospital with a sense of quiet resilience. Doctors found a malignant tumor on her cervix—an aggressive cancer that would spread rapidly. Henrietta trusted the physicians, believing they would heal her as best they could. She received...

From The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

About Rebecca Skloot

Rebecca Skloot is an American science writer best known for her debut book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. She has written for The New York Times Magazine, O, The Oprah Magazine, and Discover, and is recognized for her work in making complex scientific and ethical issues accessible to general...

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Rebecca Skloot is an American science writer best known for her debut book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. She has written for The New York Times Magazine, O, The Oprah Magazine, and Discover, and is recognized for her work in making complex scientific and ethical issues accessible to general readers.

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Rebecca Skloot is an American science writer best known for her debut book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. She has written for The New York Times Magazine, O, The Oprah Magazine, and Discover, and is recognized for her work in making complex scientific and ethical issues accessible to general readers.

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