The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks: Chapter 10 Summary & Analysis

Rebecca describes Clover a community in Southern Virginia, which she visits on a warm day in December. By 1998, Clover had a population of only 198 and lost its town charter. The only steady business left is a post office, which is closed when Rebecca arrives. Near one of the shops, Rebecca meets a man called the Greeter, who has spent most of his life welcoming people who come to Clover. She asks him to point her towards Lacks Town.

The divide between Clover and Lacks Town is clear: on one side of the road there are well-kept farms, and on the other side is a series of one-room shacks, slave cabins, cinder-block houses, and trailers. An older man comes out to ask Rebecca if she’s lost. She asks if he’s heard of Henrietta, and he responds that he’s named Cootie, and that he’s Henrietta’s first cousin. He explains that everyone in Lacks Town is related to Henrietta, but that few remember her.

Rebecca describes Cootie’s small house. He’s recently gotten indoor plumbing, but still prefers to use his outhouse. Cootie goes into his bedroom to find papers about Henrietta that he’s hidden under his mattress. He laments the fact that “other countries” are buying Henrietta’s cells, but that the family has never gotten money. He emerges with the Rolling Stone article, but explains that he can’t read, and asks Rebecca if the piece mentions Henrietta’s childhood in Clover.

Cootie reminisces about Henrietta, whom he remembers as cheerful and loving. He marvels at how her cells have multiplied, explaining that she used to care for him when he was in pain. He imagines that she is still using her cells to help others. None of the Lackses understands, though, how Henrietta’s cells can be alive when she herself is dead. He wonders whether Henrietta’s illness was caused by voodoo, or by doctors performing tests on her.