Fever 1793: Module Ten

Anderson, L.H. (2000). Fever 1793. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Summary:

This book follows the life of fourteen-year-old Matilda Cook from August 16th, 1793 to December 11, 1793 - the months that saw Philadelphia, Pennsylvania swept with panic and death from yellow fever.  The fever is seen through the eyes of this young girl whose worries transform virtually overnight from boys and an overbearing mother to fears for her very life and those of her loved ones.  Matilda lives through things that no one should ever have to experience, yet she finds strength and conviction despite the widespread panic and distrust that grips the city.  You will tremble with Matilda as this book brings to life the terror of living in Philadelphia in 1793. 

My Evaluation:

My favorite thing about well-written and researched historical fiction is the way that it brings an event in history to life.  This book accomplishes that feat marvelously.  It would be easy to skim over this event in history - from such and such date in 1793 this many people died from yellow fever, and then it would be forgotten.  This book will make sure that 1793 is a date that you remember.  Upon reading the book I could feel the panic in the air and the desperate knowledge that your death could be next.  The main character Matilda was an admirable and spirited character.  She fights on when many would have despaired, and she is able to grow and mature through this horrible ordeal.  When so many of her elders turn their backs on their neighbors, Matilda shows compassion.  This book not only makes history come to life, but it shares themes that are quite beautiful.

Reviews:

Samantha. (2012, April 1). Re: Bookreview: Fever 1793 [Web Log Message]. Retrieved from http://bookwormsandtea.blogspot.com/2012/04/bookreview-fever-1793.html 

Fever 1793 is based on an actual epidemic of yellow fever in Philadelphia that wiped out 5,000 people--or 10 percent of the city's population--in three months. During the hot mosquito-infested summer of 1793, the dreaded yellow fever spread like wildfire, killing people overnight. The rich fled to the country, abandoning the city to looters, forsaken corpses, and frightened survivors. In the foreground of this story is 16-year-old Mattie Cook, whose mother and grandfather own a popular coffee house on High Street. Mattie's comfortable and interesting life is shattered by the epidemic, as her mother is felled and the girl and her grandfather must flee for their lives.

This book is a quick read, but thoroughly enjoyable. The author really knows what she’s talking about. The historical details are amazing, but they never take over the story. And the story itself is really a coming-of-age tale, where the difficult circumstances force Mattie to grow up. I liked this book, it’s a good read for anyone who likes a historical story despite the fact that it’s fairly light reading.

Earley, L. (2000). Children's Review Fever 1793. Publisher's Weekly. Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-689-83858-3

The opening scene of Anderson's ambitious novel about the yellow fever epidemic that ravaged Philadelphia in the late 18th century shows a hint of the gallows humor and insight of her previous novel, Speak. Sixteen-year-old Matilda ""Mattie"" Cook awakens in the sweltering summer heat on August 16th, 1793, to her mother's command to rouse and with a mosquito buzzing in her ear. She shoos her cat from her mother's favorite quilt and thinks to herself, ""I had just saved her precious quilt from disaster, but would she appreciate it? Of course not."" Mattie's wit again shines through several chapters later during a visit to her wealthy neighbors' house, the Ogilvies. Having refused to let their serving girl, Eliza, coif her for the occasion, Mattie regrets it as soon as she lays eyes on the Ogilvie sisters, who wear matching bombazine gowns, curly hair piled high on their heads (""I should have let Eliza curl my hair. Dash it all""). But thereafter, Mattie's character development, as well as those of her grandfather and widowed mother, takes a back seat to the historical details of Philadelphia and environs. Extremely well researched, Anderson's novel paints a vivid picture of the seedy waterfront, the devastation the disease wreaks on a once thriving city, and the bitterness of neighbor toward neighbor as those suspected of infection are physically cast aside. However, these larger scale views take precedence over the kind of intimate scenes that Anderson crafted so masterfully in Speak. Scenes of historical significance, such as George Washington returning to Philadelphia, then the nation's capital, to signify the end of the epidemic are delivered with more impact than scenes of great personal significance to Mattie. Ages 10-14.

My Suggestions for Use in a Library Setting:

I believe this book would be an excellent tie in for having a guest speaker discuss the deadly diseases that still ravage our world.  This would be a child friendly talk, and we would have someone from the Peace Corp or Red Cross tell the children about other children all over the world who still have to fear yellow fever.  The book could help the children to understand the significance and the need to prevent these illnesses.