Henrietta Lacks Reflection

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The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a book that caught me off guard, and going into the book I had no idea what to expect. The way the story of the Lacks family and the HeLa cell line evolved over time and through the course of the book was a new and interesting experience for me. Nonetheless, I knew going into this that it was nonfiction, and there was bound to be some emotional impact and thought provoking material within the book. The book was both informative, educational, and explored the hidden history of the shady unchecked medical industry before laws, ethics, and regulations. Furthermore, the book also touched on sensitive subjects such on some of the issues and injustices faced by poor people, and more specifically the poor black communities. One of the most intriguing things for me about the book was the switch back and forth between the two main stories. The story of the Lacks family, their struggles, and Skloot’s interaction with them was deeply emotional, and it made me think a lot about the struggles they must have went through dealing with Henrietta’s cells …show more content…
It tells a story of hardships and emotions that desperately needed to be told to the world. I had never heard of the Lacks family before this, and never heard of how one woman helped a medical revolution. The educational and informative elements of the book is something that drew me in as learning anything science related is something I am naturally drawn to. The emotional conflict created by the unethical medical practices and scientific breakthroughs made me reflect and think deeply about everything that happened in the book. I felt empathy, anger, sadness, happiness, and many more emotions while reading the book. The way the book drew me in and made me think and reflect is why I think the book is one of the greatest I have ever
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