Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson

Now that I've finished reading Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson, I have accomplished my goal. I set a personal goal to read the three books that won Ms. Anderson the 2009 Margaret A. Edwards Award for her lasting contribution to teen writing. The other winning titles were Catalyst and Speak. Fever 1793 is the only one that is a historical fiction.

Set in Philadelphia in 1793, it chronicles the yellow fever epidemic through the eyes of 10 year old Mattie. At the time, Philadelphia was our largest city, a port city, and our nation's capital. Doctors did not know how best to eradicate the deadly sickness, people lived in fear and those who could, fled the city to less populated areas. As I read I was making personal connections to the H1N1 swine flu that is afflicting people now. I learned that this flu pandemic is no where near the seriousness of yellow fever. We also have medical advances and means to quickly educate people that help to control the spread of H1N1.

If you're a fan of history, and if you've never known about the yellow fever epidemic you may enjoy this book. If you're like me and history is not your favorite subject, you'll appreciate how easy it is to learn a bit of U.S. history through the eyes of a young child gravely affected by the yellow fever. Give it a try!

Reviewed by Mrs. Boehm