This is subject matter that deserves being publically aired
and is worth our time, 20-30 hours this month, as library bibliophiles. Besides a valuable topic or topical value,
it’s well-written. The author has taken
a topic that could easily have run out of steam in a magazine short story, and
kept the reader’s spark of interest throughout the whole book. My only knock on the writing was that an
editor would have cut about 100 pages, eliminating many repetitious retellings
of the same story. I can understand
though, that the author probably had two strong reasons not to turn her
manuscript over to a publisher’s editor:
1. She is a
journalist with a great story – or maybe a scientist who wants to make sure
that accuracy is foremost
2. The Lacks
family might have said no way.
I had heard much about this book back in 2010 when Rebecca was on the
book tour circuit. Ten to thirty minutes
on NPR or KGO, however, is not sufficient to do this book justice. The book represents a great effort at
journalistic research. This is a model
effort for those striving at really digging up a story that wants to stay
hidden. Perseverance! That’s what
Rebecca personifies.
I’m glad I read this book and would recommend it, especially to younger
people, who might take a pathway down the road of writing stories.
It is unfortunate, when recounting true biography, that events don’t
always fit to a convenient timeline, nor have proper precedents and antecedents.
The flow of this story was dictated by
the author’s research efforts and this made the pacing of the book
understandably erratic.
Rebecca Skloot, however, demonstrated prowess as an author by creating
a loveable character with Henrietta, imbued with spunk and quotable lines:
“You Don’t Mess With Henrietta”.!!!
