The Aussie Zombie

I quite enjoy a bit of non-fiction occasionally, but it has to be entertaining. And honestly, going into this one, I was quite worried that it would be far too science-y for me - I hated science at school because I just wasn't interested.

But with The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot has taken a subject and turned it into a far more emotional story than just the tale of how one woman's cells became the building blocks of modern medicine. The scientific / medical parts are written in a way that are easily understandable, and dotted with interesting, well-presented facts that grabbed my attention, and actually had me wanting to know more.

Alongside the science, there is also a very human side to the story. From diagnosis, to treatment to Henrietta's early death, Ms Skloot tells the tale with a sympathetic yet straight-forward voice. As she becomes more and more involved with the story behind HeLa and begins the arduous task of gaining the trust of Henrietta's family in order to find out as much as possible about the mystery lady behind one of the greatest advancements in medicine, I liked her more and more.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is more than a non-fiction book. It's a moving, and sometimes shocking investigation into the life of Henrietta, her family and the fall-out from the scientific advances made using her cells. From the radical treatments, lack of information, complete lack of consent, through to the investigation into homes for the disabled in the 1950's, there were many times during this book that I was completely floored that parts of history have been so completely glossed over.

Even if non-fiction isn't your thing, The Immortal Life of Henrietta lacks doesn't feel like non-fiction at all - there's far too much emotion, and it's far too compelling to be considered just another non-fiction book.

Read more of my reviews at The Aussie Zombie