Saratoga Reads!
2024 Reading Season

Saratoga Reads to Offer Insider's View of the Henrietta Lacks Story

Saratoga Reads will wrap up its eighth year with a discussion featuring David “Sonny” Lacks on Thursday, April 26, at 7 p.m. in Bernhard Theater at Skidmore College.

Lacks will be accompanied by his son David Jr., and both will participate in a wide-ranging discussion, based on questions submitted by the public. The discussion will be moderated by Joe Donahue, the familiar voice of the “Roundtable” and the “Book Show” on WAMC Northeast Public Radio. The event is free and open to the public.

David Lacks is a son of Henrietta Lacks, whose story is told in this year’s Saratoga Reads book of choice, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot. The widely acclaimed nonfiction book recounts the story of an African American woman who sought treatment for cervical cancer at Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1951. During treatment, and without her consent, samples of her cancer tissue were taken for medical and scientific experimentation.

For 60 years, cells reproduced from Henrietta’s samples have been used worldwide in research that has led to dozens of medical breakthroughs, including advances in the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping, and in vitro fertilization. The cells have been bought and sold by the billions, yet Henrietta has remained virtually unknown, with scientists referring to her only by the code name HeLa.

It was not until decades after the surgery that David and other Lacks family members, many of whom could not afford medical insurance, learned of their links to this medical phenomenon, a discovery that profoundly affected their lives.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is not only a biography of Henrietta and her family, many of whom have lived in poverty, unable to afford health care, but also a revealing account of medical research and the variety of ethical questions it poses. Dwight Garner of the New York Times described the bestseller as “a thorny and provocative book about cancer, racism, scientific ethics, and crippling poverty.”

“This is the first time Saratoga Reads has celebrated a work of nonfiction,” said Tabitha Orthwein, chair of the organization’s board. “Rebecca Skloot introduced us to the Lacks family and their incredible history, and now we have the opportunity to expand upon that relationship by interacting with members of the family.”

David Lacks and David Jr. will be available for book signing at the conclusion of the discussion. Copies of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks will be available for purchase at the event.

In appreciation of its many community supporters, Saratoga Reads will offer an informal reception in the theater lobby at 6:30 p.m., immediately prior to the discussion. “We would like to thank the many volunteers, sponsors, and participants who have contributed to the success of Saratoga Reads, and whose support enables us to offer high-quality programming free of charge for readers of all ages,” said Orthwein.