"The rarest of books about the experience of a science writer uncovering and investigating a cell line that changed the world, all while being thrown into a transformative journey of discovering race and racism in America, the culture of African Americans in the USA, and the painful reality of loss and family. A truly remarkable read—and I failed at science. Fascinating and phenomenal, heartbreaking and utterly compelling."

"I have three of her poetry books, and will often pick one of them up to dip back into her work. I find it very calming, and each time I read one of her poems it has some relation to something that I am doing or feeling at the time. It’s the way I feel about Joni Mitchell’s lyrics. They seem to correspond to whatever is going on in my life."

"Well, of course you probably read it when you were a girl. Read it again. In Canada, it’s almost an object of worship since the author is Canadian, but the truth is it’s an absolutely wonderful book that will start you crying about halfway through, and you won’t stop. I particularly love rereading children’s books when I’m sick because I want guaranteed rapture; I want the book equivalent of mashed potatoes"