The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot is a work of creative nonfiction, a genre that deals in verifiable facts but relays them using storytelling and other creative techniques. IT IS NOT A NOVEL, or work of total fiction. The book is
told using three different “storylines”: Henrietta and her family’s history, the author’s experience researching with the Lacks
family, and the science behind HeLa. These storylines are “braided” together to form a coherent, holistic examination of the issues from several different perspectives.
As you become familiar with the people and places and history and science that are wrapped up together in this book,
decide which of the three “braided” stories appeals to you most at this point.
PART ONE (at least 300 words)
1. Discuss why you prefer this particular storyline and identify at least two examples from different chapters to illustrate what you’ve learned or appreciated from that thread so far.
2. Also observe the types of research that the author uses to move your chosen storyline forward in these two examples or chapters.
3. It may help to review the early passage, “A Few Words about This Book” in which Skloot discusses her various
research sources to ensure accuracy in a narrative form.
4. As you introduce examples and research, cite the page numbers where they appear in your edition.
Last Completed Projects
| topic title | academic level | Writer | delivered |
|---|