![]() ![]() Modern society hasn’t escaped the injustices that were apparent decades ago. This serves white readers an important reminder of the trust we have in institutions/authority that many do not. Once the reader is able to understand where these intrinsic fears come from, in this case “Sir Lord Keenan Kester Cofield,” it’s clear to the reader that this is just a human response to all she has been through she isn’t inherently flawed. It’s heartbreaking, and comes off almost childlike when Deborah repeats herself and changes her mind constantly about Rebecca. I immediately think about current social issues in cases of Deborah’s direct and indirect distrust towards white authority. I was emotionally stricken by the effects of trauma that the family has faced from HeLa, particularly Deborah, and how it motivates her to learn more about Henrietta and Elsie. Rather than judge troubled characters, such as Zakariyya, the events in Part 3 foster a sense of empathy. I appreciate this third part most, because readers are finally able to deeply understand the perspective of the Lacks family, rather than just snippets from accounts with doctors, scientists, or others who harassed the family. The third section, “Immortality,” importantly demonstrates Deborah Lacks’s personality, personal suffering, and resolute love towards her mother and sister. Both the ending of the Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, and the actual act of finishing this novel was bittersweet. This needs to be part of a public discussion. Cells are still taken from people without consent - a lot of people don't realize it. On how she hopes students will be inspired to make a difference in the world. ![]() And so that journey ends up being a lot of what I talk about." And then I went from that to where I am now. I thought I was going to be a veterinarian, and I failed freshman biology, which I mention in the book. "So I hear from students and teachers all the time that for them it's really a book. Where did that come from, and how do you foster that in students?' "The thing I hear over and over again is, 'You know, we'd really like her to come and talk about the determination. And I spent the rest of my life to this point working on trying to find answers to that question and writing the book and facing so many almost absurd hurdles along the way. "And I just followed my curiosity, and I asked these questions - 'Who is this woman?' And no one could answer me. I learned about HeLa cells in my first basic biology class, and I just became completely obsessed with them from that point on. On how the book was born of her own freshman experience They sort of turn a page and go, 'Oh, wait - that's me! My mom took that drug.' And I think that's part of what helps to sort of bring it to life within the classroom." "And there's always a point in reading the book when a student realizes that. Because there isn't a single person out there that hasn't benefitted personally from these cells, whether it's because they got the polio vaccine, or someone that they love survived cancer by being treated with a drug made using HeLa cells, or because they were conceived through, which HeLa cells helped develop in the beginning. And one of the things that I hear over and over from students and from teachers is not that it just touches all the disciplines, but it touches every student personally. "There really isn't any department within a university that can't find something specific in the book that relates to it, whether it's law, women's studies - it really does cross all of the different boundaries. On how students relate personally to the book Your purchase helps support NPR programming. ![]() Close overlay Buy Featured Book Title The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Author Rebecca Skloot
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