This is a work of non-fiction. It is almost a documentary or perhaps a history book. It might also be called a biography but it is not entirely about one person, or about that person's entire life. It is more about the impact of Henrietta Lacks on her family, and on the world.
Although I am trained in the sciences and enjoy studying science, much of the science in this book was new to me. This is not to say that the book is a science book - the science, although integral to the story, is not difficult, is not the focus, and is not presented for pedagogical purposes.
This book is also partly a history or exploration (through one person) of medical ethics, and related law. With all of this introduction you might think that this book is bound to be crashingly boring, but it is a page turner. I didn't want to put it down, because it was so intriguing and informative. It was sometimes sad, but always relevant and compelling. Even as a side note, the glimpses it gave into the author's process were also interesting and worthwhile.
I highly recommend this book for any reader, but particularly for those who have at least an idle interest in science, or history, or the nature of humanity.
The book is published by Crown Publishing / Random House, and is 366 pages long. It took me more than a few hours to get through, although it was probably less than six hours. It was worth every minute.
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