On Monday, November 3rd, you are invited to attend the FBC Fabulous Book Club at noon in the library as Linda Williamson leads a discussion of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. This award-winning book was made into a movie in 2017.
And who was Henrietta Lacks? She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave ancestors, yet her cells – taken without her knowledge – became a very important tool in medicine. Even though Henrietta died nearly three-quarters of a century ago, her “immortal” human cells grown in culture are still alive today. The “HeLa” cells, as they are known, have been vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovering secrets of cancer, viruses, and the atom bomb’s effects; and many other areas of science.