The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

• Genre: Nonfiction; Science, biography
• Originally Published: 2010
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 1140L; Grades 9 and up
• Structure/Length: 38 chapters; approximately 381 pages; approximately 16 hours, 56 minutes on audiobook
• Protagonist/Central Conflict: The book tells the true story of Henrietta Lacks, a Black woman whose cancer cells were taken without her knowledge in 1951 and became the foundation for groundbreaking medical research. These cells, known as HeLa cells, played a pivotal role in medical discoveries and advancements, yet the Lacks family remained unaware of their significance for decades. The central conflict revolves around the ethical, scientific, and personal implications of Henrietta’s cells and the efforts to understand her legacy, her impact on medicine, and the questions that using her cells without her consent have raised.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Themes of medical ethics; racial and social injustices; health disparities; detailed clinical descriptions of cancer and tumors

Rebecca Skloot, Author

• Bio: Born 1972; American science writer and journalist; known for her investigative reporting and focus on ethical, medical, and scientific topics; The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is her debut book and became a bestseller, praised for its blend of scientific and personal storytelling; advocates for ethical treatment of research subjects; Skloot’s research for the book spanned years and included interactions with Henrietta Lacks’s family; contributed to discussions on bioethics and science communication
• Other Works: The Best American Science Writing 2011 (Editor); other works include articles and essays, but this is her best-known book
• Awards: Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Nonfiction 2010

CENTRAL THEMES Connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• Scientific Ethics and Informed Consent
• Racism in the Medical Community
• Racism and Cycles of Poverty and Abuse

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Teaching Guide, students will:

• Explore criteria for journalistic ethics and nonfiction writing methods before reading and analyzing The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.
• Discuss and analyze nonfiction textual elements such as tone, purpose, nuance, and organization and construct essay topics connecting these elements to themes.
• Through paired texts, identify, analyze, and synthesize related ideas and themes to explore concepts of consent, ethics, and definitions of harm. 
• Write a well-constructed review of the novel that includes clearly defined evaluation criteria, addresses counterarguments, and takes a clear stance.