
Author: Rebecca Skloot
Publisher: 2010, Broadway Books
Lexile Measure: 1140L
Classification: Non-fiction
Summary:
This novel, a New York Times Bestseller, describes the life, death, and cellular afterlife of an African American woman, Henrietta Lacks, who died of cervical cancer in 1951. Her cells, taken without her knowledge, divided like none others before and became a vital medical tool still in use today. Despite the millions of cells bought and sold since then, her family received neither monetary compensation, thanks, nor understanding of what the cells really are and how they are used.
This book tells Henrietta’s story and discusses the race relations and medical practices that shaped, and continue to shape, her family.
Publisher: 2010, Broadway Books
Lexile Measure: 1140L
Classification: Non-fiction
Summary:
This novel, a New York Times Bestseller, describes the life, death, and cellular afterlife of an African American woman, Henrietta Lacks, who died of cervical cancer in 1951. Her cells, taken without her knowledge, divided like none others before and became a vital medical tool still in use today. Despite the millions of cells bought and sold since then, her family received neither monetary compensation, thanks, nor understanding of what the cells really are and how they are used.
This book tells Henrietta’s story and discusses the race relations and medical practices that shaped, and continue to shape, her family.
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Language:
This is a work of nonfiction, and (with one exception on p. 283) profanity comes from interview subjects, not the author. Profanity includes:
Drug and Alcohol Use: Drinking and drug use are not glorified in any way, but the book mentions characters getting drunk and smoking cigarettes. See, for example, pp. 24, 123, 146-147. Violence and Crime:
Sexual Content: This book contains little in the way of sexual content. It is, however, a story that began with Henrietta dying of a virulent form of cervical cancer. Her cancer and her anatomy are mentioned in a non-salacious, non-gratuitous way throughout.
Other:
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