this book was a great combination of story and science; i was one-third into it on the first day of reading and still didn't want to put it down.

the author heads each chapter with a timeline which makes the jumps between timeframes easy to follow and lets her see through one 'arm' of the story (of which there are many!). this must be one of the hardest things to balance: how to weave scientific discovery - which is incremental and is often attributed to many different scientists - into a story that encompasses not one, but 2 women's lives.

what results is a remarkable piece of non-fiction that couches the details of cancer research, gene mapping, the development of the polio vaccine, tissue culture and it's legal implications into a memoir.