“She's the most important person in the world [but] her family [lives] in poverty.” This is the truth engraved in every page of the book. In a society full of racial inequality, those of darker skin are secretly used as test subjects in the medical world. They are lured into hospitals, claiming to offer “free” treatment. But the actual price they pay at the end of the day is beyond monetary value. One such victim was a Black mother, Henrietta Lacks. After much contemplation, Henrietta Lacks thought how bad would it be if she just went to the hospital and got her tumor-like bump checked out. After all, it was not costing her family a single penny. After the reports came back, she found out that she had cancer. Being at a young age, Henrietta had hope of recovering and having more children. Desperately, she sought treatment at the world renowned John Hopkins Hospital. Being illiterate, she agreed to everything the doctors said without really understanding what it meant. But within a few months, everything went down hill, eventually leading to Henrietta’s death.
To her children and family, her death was a mystery. She wasn’t meant to die. She was young, strong and hopeful. Anger brew in each of them at the feeling that something was wrong. And growing up with distant relatives who beat them every moment did not help the situation. Upon finding out about the HeLa cells, all of Henrietta’s siblings lost it. Some became mad, some stop interacting with the world and others chased one lawsuit after another to reach the end of this. They were only able to calm down after journalist Rebecca Skloot, through much difficulty, worked day and night to crack the mystery and reveal Henrietta’s story. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is intertwined with facts and story: a balance too perfect to imagine. Skloot's style of writing makes you feel that you were thrown in the book, driving right next to her as she investigated every piece. Each page sheds light not only on Henrietta’s story but more importantly on the cruel secrets of society's history.