Rebecca Skloot’s remarkable true story about a poor African American migrant who died from an aggressive cancer at the age of 30 in 1951 is captured in The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. A sample of Henrietta’s cancerous tissue was taken without her knowledge or consent and was studied by scientists who became fascinated with their potential to survive and thrive outside of the human body. Beginning with the cure for polio, Henrietta’s cells gave way for countless breakthroughs in medicine. The Lacks family continued to live in poverty and knew not of Henrietta’s unknowing contribution until decades later. Skloot pieced together the threads of this story and shares this haunting tale with us.

The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee is a comprehensive and eloquent account of cancer’s origins, modern treatments, and preventative care. This book discusses chemotherapy, radiation, surgery that came about after a century’s worth of research, trials, and breakthroughs around the world. Against a backdrop of science and history, Mukherjee also illustrates a meditation on illness, medical ethics, and the lives of doctors and patients. This book is written with compassion for cancer families and patients alike and provides a profound account of a frighteningly complicated disease. » Read more: Bestselling Books About Living And Dealing With Cancer