Press release submitted by Bettendorf Public Library.

A discussion of "Major Pettigrew's Last Stand" by Helen Simonson led by Lea Farley will be 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 16, at Bettendorf Public Library.

Major Pettigrew epitomizes the Englishman with the "stiff upper lip" who clings to traditional values and has tried (in vain) to pass these along to his yuppie son Roger. The story centers around Pettigrew's fight to keep his greedy relatives (including his son) from selling a valuable family heirloom.

At 7 p.m. Radish magazine editor Sarah Gardner will lead a discussion of "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot. Scientists know Henrietta Lacks as HeLa. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer, yet her cells--taken without her knowledge--became one of the most important tools in medicine. The first "immortal" human cells grown in culture, they are still alive today, though she has been dead for more than 60 years. Both books are available for loan on a first-come basis at the Information Desk. New members are always welcome.