In 2017, HBO released a made-for-television movie based on the book, directed by George C. It was one of the best-selling books of the year and remained on The New York Times Best Seller list for more than seven years. In 2010, the book won the Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize for Nonfiction, the Wellcome Trust Book Prize, and the Best Book of the Year Award from the National Academy of Science, among others. The book was released to great critical acclaim. Skloot has remained in contact with several members of the family since the publication of the book.
Over the course of her research, Skloot developed a deep friendship with Henrietta’s daughter Deborah, who passed away in 2009. The organization also seeks to raise awareness of ethical issues within biomedical research, including consent and access to healthcare. This organization provides financial support and education for descendants of Henrietta Lacks and other individuals who have been affected by unethical medical research. Because journalistic standards dictate against paying someone for their story, Skloot decided to repay the family by setting up the Henrietta Lacks Foundation at the time of the book’s publication. Skloot, however, wanted to be transparent with the Lacks family and share with them everything she learned, and she had to repeatedly earn their trust in order to continue her research. Initially, the Lacks family was reluctant to share their story with Skloot because of their negative experiences with previous journalists and medical professionals and because they were wary of people who profited from Henrietta’s story while they continued to live in poverty. Skloot’s research on Henrietta Lacks differed from that of other journalists because of its focus on Henrietta and the Lacks family. The book finally sold at auction to the Crown Publishing Group in July 2003. She cut ties with her second editor because the editor did not want to include the extensive portions on the Lacks family, which were important to her vision. In addition to the challenges she faced in her research, Skloot also faced a rocky road to publication. Skloot spent ten years researching and writing the book. Years later, while working on her MFA, she envisioned creating a book that explored both who Henrietta was and the scientific legacy of her cells. As Skloot encountered HeLa cells throughout her formal biology education, the lack of information on Henrietta continued to confound and intrigue her. Her father differed from Henrietta in that he volunteered for the study, but Skloot’s deeply personal connection to medical research immediately aroused her curiosity about the woman behind the famous immortal cells. When Skloot first learned about Henrietta Lacks at Portland Community College, her father was undergoing experimental treatment for a viral brain infection as part of a research study. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is her first book. After graduating with a degree in biology, Skloot opted to get an MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of Pittsburgh.
Although her father, Floyd Skloot, is a novelist and poet, Skloot never thought she would like writing herself until she took writing classes in order to meet her university’s foreign language requirement. However, her career aspirations changed when she discovered she enjoyed writing. After working as a veterinary technician for several years, she went on to study biology at Colorado State University with the intent of pursuing veterinary medicine. Initially a student who failed the ninth grade for poor attendance, Skloot attended an alternative high school and took courses at Portland Community College, where she first learned about Henrietta Lacks. Rebecca Skloot is a science writer and journalist whose work has appeared on Radiolab, PBS Nova’s ScienceNOW, The New York Times Magazine, O Magazine, and others. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (including electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without prior written permission from the publisher.įor information about custom editions, special sales, and premium and corporate purchases, please contact Sterling Special Sales at email to report any errors. This 2020 edition printed for SparkNotes LLC by Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.Īll rights reserved. SPARKNOTES and the distinctive SparkNotes logo are registered trademarks of SparkNotes LLC.
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