The entire club really liked this one, and pleasing all of us is difficult. We even stayed on topic for this one- forgoing our usual forays into make up and celebrity scandals. We loved the characters and felt their stories were fresh and compelling ( a difficult accomplishment when tackling a historic topic). In fact, we liked it so much, we felt that students should be required to read it.

The concept, and the truth, behind this book is truly interesting and important. In fact, the first half was riveting. However, it does begin to drag a bit. Henrietta's contribution to science, although she doesn't know it, has had profound impacts on modern medicine. Equally important is the book's portrayal of race as a huge contributing factor.