New York Times best-selling author, Rebecca Skloot speaks at San Joaquin Valley Town Hall, Feb. 12. Skloot wrote the No. 1. NY Times award winning novel, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. 

This book shares the true story of Henrietta Lacks whose cells (known as HeLa) were stolen in 1951 without her knowledge. They came from Lack’s cervical cancer cells and were later used for medical research. 

These cells were critical for the development of the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping, and in vitro fertilization.

In 2011, the book won the National Academies Communication Award for spreading knowledge of science, engineering or medicine.

Seven years after publication, a movie based on the book was released. Directed by George C. Wolfe, the movie told the story of Henrietta Lacks with actors such as Renée Elise Goldsberry, Oprah Winfrey, and Sylvia Grace Crim.

Skloot travels to Fresno, California sharing her story with many at Town Hall as she speaks about her journey of writing the book. 

Stay tuned to The Feather Online for an article about Skloot written by editor-in-chief Vijay Stephen.

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