The immortal life of henrietta lacks rebecca skloot. On page xiii, rebecca skloot states this is a work of nonfiction. Oprah winfrey on the immortal life of henrietta lacks the. If you like henrietta lacks book club, you might love these ideas.
The immortal life of henrietta lacks yonkers public schools. It is a science book but it is also a book with a fascinating story to tell. 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. The immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca skloot book.
The immortal life of henrietta lacks, skloot, rebecca. What did you knowthink about henrietta lacks before reading the book. We had a very diverse and educational discussion about the book the immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca skloot. With an introduction by author of the tidal zone, sarah moss her name was henrietta lacks, but scientists know her as hela. Tennessee mom calls henrietta lacks book pornographic. The immortal life of henrietta lacks hardcover book. Like guinea pigs and mice, henriettas cells have become the standard laboratory workhorse. Those cells led to breakthroughs in everything from parkinsons to polio. The chapters are brief, and the story moves back and forth between threads.
Real simples book club discusses the immortal life rebecca. Im doing my best to keep my snacks mostly healthy, which is often quite difficult when. The immortal life of henrietta lacks paperback boswell. 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. How do you feel about a white woman creating the narrative of this story. Did your reading group do something special when you discussed. In an excerpt from her book, the immortal life of henrietta lacks, rebecca skloot tells her story. The immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca skloot. The immortal life of henrietta lacks, by rebecca skloot, 4 stars. Catch up on chapters and chapters 46 lets get started.
Skloots debut book, the immortal life of henrietta lacks, took more than a decade toresearch and write, and instantly became anew york timesbestseller. Skloot was yet another white person asking the lacks family about henrietta. The immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca skloot page. 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 summary litcharts. Find examples of episodes which indicate that deborah and other family members are beginning to trust skloot. The immortal life of henrietta lacks no one can say exactly where henrietta lacks is buried. 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.
The immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca skloot, 9780330533447, download free ebooks, download free pdf epub ebook. She was a poor southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave ancestors, yet her cellstaken without her. 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. Come together with other book lovers and discuss books at the library. It was chosen as a best book of 2010 by more than sixty media outlets, including entertainment weekly, people, and the new york times.
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. 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. 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. See more ideas about book club food, food and book club books. The immortal life of henrietta lacks was selected as the 201112 howard book connection book so you know it is worth the read. Oprah winfrey on the immortal life of henrietta lacks. Feb 07, 2010 but the immortal life of henrietta lacks is much more than a portrait of the lacks family. 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 is an excellent choice for a book club. 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. Through lacks, the story of modern medicine and bioethicsand, indeed, race relationsis refracted beautifully, and movingly. 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. I consider the book pornographic, she tells wbirtv. Looking for creative menu ideas for your reading group.
The immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca skloot nonfiction that. The immortal life was selected for the first nonfiction edition of the atlantics 1book140 reading club. The virtual book group discussion is staged in three parts. 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. It is also a critique of science that insists on ignoring the messy human provenance of its materials. 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. Sep 08, 2015 jackie sims 10thgrade son was asked to read the immortal life of henrietta lacks during the summer. The immortal life of henrietta lacks rebecca skloot, 2010 crown publishing 381 pp. How to discuss a book helpful discussion tips generic discussion questionsfiction and nonfiction. More life reflections from the bestselling author on themes of societal captivity and the catharsis of personal freedom. 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. 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.
Discussion questions for the immortal life of henrietta lacks. The immortal life of henrietta lacks paperback quail. Discussion questions for the immortal life of henrietta lacks 1. See more ideas about food recipes, food and favorite recipes. 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. According to, the immortal life is consistently in the top 10 book club picks of 2011. 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. Its time to vote on the book well be reading for the pbf book club in january. 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. I know this book has been in primt for about 10 years, and have meant to read it before now. 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.
The immortal life of henrietta lacks and millions of other books are available for instant access. 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. Discuss skloots relationship with deborah and the lacks family. The immortal life of henrietta lacks 2010 is a nonfiction book by american author rebecca skloot. 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.
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. In january 1951 she went to johns hopkins hospital the only hospital in the area that treated black patients at the time. Oprah winfrey and hbo announced plans to develop a film based on skloots 2010 book and in. 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. The immortal life of henrietta lacks summary shmoop. 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. No names have been changed, no characters invented, no events fabricated. It doesnt have enough of a narrative to keep me interested and the first 34 of the book is too sciencey factdriven for my taste.
The immortal life of henrietta lacks paperback watermark. The discussions involve dozens of real simple readers, all of whom post thoughtful. It was chosen as a best book of 2010 by more than sixty media outlets, includingentertainment weekly,people and the new york times. The immortal life of henrietta lacks is a heroic work of cultural and medical journalism.
Laura miller, no dead woman has done more for the living. Rebecca skloot later wrote a popular book on the subject, called the immortal life of henrietta lacks. 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. The tale could have been told in an unwieldy and dry consecutive order. The immortal life of henrietta lacks discussion questions.
The immortal life of henrietta lacks is a science book and one that i almost did not read because of that fact. 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. Parent asks to ban immortal life of henrietta lacks gbcn. Her work has been anthologized in several collections, including the best food. The immortal life of henrietta lacks rebecca skloot, author. The immortal life of henrietta lacks brings to mind the work of philip k. Buy the immortal life of henrietta lacks first paperback edition by skloot, rebecca isbn. Henrietta lacks was born loretta pleasant, on august 1, 1920 in roanoke, virginia. We are a group of friends who happen to enjoy good books, good discussion, and good food. But that did not stop skloot in her quest to exhume, and resurrect, the story of her heroine and her family. 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 friday morning bookclub. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. The immortal life of henrietta lacks book club questions. Notice how easily jones makes the connection between henrietta lacks. Immortal life of henrietta lacks skloot discussion questions. The immortal life of henrietta lacks quotes shmoop. The immortal life of henrietta lacks paperback the. Jul 26, 2019 rebecca skloot later wrote a popular book on the subject, called the immortal life of henrietta lacks. 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. I am about 14 of the way through, and cant put it down. Real simples book club discusses the immortal life. The november book club selection is the immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca skloot. May 21, 2010 but the immortal life of henrietta lacks succeeds despite itself. It is also a critique of science that insists on ignoring the.
Um, so i havent finished the immortal life of henrietta lacks yet. The immortal life of henrietta lacks does more than one book ought to be able to do. But the immortal life of henrietta lacks is much more than a portrait of the lacks family. Jan 01, 2011 buy the immortal life of henrietta lacks first paperback edition by skloot, rebecca isbn. 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. 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. 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. 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. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Jackie sims 10thgrade son was asked to read the immortal life of henrietta lacks during the summer. The immortal life of henrietta lacks food for thought book club.
Mar 29, 2012 um, so i havent finished the immortal life of henrietta lacks yet. Rebecca skloot, author of the immortal life of henrietta lacks. 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. Real simple selected the immortal life for their no obligation book club.
Its been difficult for me to get through, to be honest. Discuss the immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca skloot. When henrietta lacks was diagnosed with cancer in 1951, doctors took her cells and grew them in test tubes. I also know a movie version was made, but have not pursued looking into it, yet. Because there isnt much information about henrietta and her family, skloot wants to tell their story.
The immortal life of henrietta lacks, rebecca skloot the immortal life of henrietta lacks 2010 is a nonfiction book by american author rebecca skloot. But the immortal life of henrietta lacks succeeds despite itself. The immortal life of henrietta lacks resonates on many levels. 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. Join the discussion of the immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca skloot. Health literacy book club, were presenting a book thats not really about how to improve health literacy. Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle device required. 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. 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. Four years ago, she writes, married to the father of my three children, i. The immortal life of henrietta lacks communicatehealth. Race and racism are woven throughout the book, both in the story presented and in the process of the research for the book.
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