The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Henrietta has various identities throughout her story: the anonymous person behind the HeLa cells, who was unknown until several decades after her death; the late mother of Deborah and her brothers, who knew little about her other than the painful tragedy of her absence from their lives; and, finally, Henrietta as a real person who has gradually been uncovered by Skloot’s painstaking research, as depicted by people who knew and loved her.

Henrietta’s friends and family, most notably her cousins who were the most willing to talk to Skloot, portray her as a strong, warm, and vivacious woman. She was extremely beautiful and, from her early teens onwards, had many admirers. Later, when she had her own home and family, she was always the hostess, providing food, time and love for her many cousins: “Hennie made life come alive—bein with her was like bein with fun […] Hennie just love peoples. She was a person that could really make the good things come out of you” (43).

As a mother, Henrietta was loving and affectionate. “Henrietta had a way with children—they were always good and quiet when she was around” (45), yet she was also a strong person who did not hesitate to discipline her children when she felt it necessary.