Fever 1793

Despite the fact that I have a habit of yelling at absurd history (like bleeding people to cure them), I rather liked this book. There are some small bits that have me on the fence because I'm wondering how they would actually look in history. Perhaps after more reading, I might upgrade my rating.

Overall, it makes the epidemic of yellow fever really tangible; it shows that epidemics turn people into the worst (or, at least, certain groups of people), where they would just toss their loved ones and friends into the streets because they feared the illness. I feel like that message could've been stronger in some scenes. It was definitely clear that strangers would rather protect their own than help everyone and would toss people should one person appear unwell.

Interesting young adult book about a young woman growing up in the midst of the yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia 1793.

Mattie is a strong heroine, but not perfect. I like that she was flawed and didn't always do the right thing. I also loved her silly grandfather. It would have been nice to get a better idea of her mother's motivations, but overall the characters were fleshed out well and realistic.

A good introduction to the devastation of the epidemic and how it impacted families. It is a time I hadn't read about before so I will find further reading to learn more.