2024

I wanted to like this book as much as everyone else seems to...but I have never been much of a fan of "fever dream' writing. At the end of the book I was torn between wondering what actually happened and if I even really cared.

In honor of 2024's international Woman's Month I decided to devote some reading time to some unsung females and their often heroic contributions to history--even if most of their accomplishments were often shoved "under the rug".

I will admit this book has long moldered away on one of my many TBR stacks waiting for its chance. It finally found its moment. Young, poor, uneducated, black woman has her cancer cells taken for biopsy and used for research without her consent. While Henrietta soon is overcome by her cancer and dies...her harvested cells do not. In fact these cells are still alive today--launching a medical revolution, a multi-million industry, and have been invaluable in the treatment of many diseases--not just cancer. If you haven't read this book you should. While it does leave me on the fence about medical ethics (harvesting cells for research) I am still on soap box in regards that it should not been done without patient consent. This remains an issue even to this day--on both sides.