Fever, 1793

by Laurie Hale Anderson

Summary:
It's been years since the Revolutionary Wary, and Philadelphia is a busy city and Matilda's family's coffeehouse is one of the places to see and be seen.  When yellow fever strikes the city, everyone is completely unprepared.  As the disease progresses thousands flee, Matilda included. Unfortunately she doesn't get far and is forced to return to Philadelphia, a city where no one leaves the house for fear of disease. Now she must learn to survive on her own, and then maybe she will make it through this pandemic.

Review:
Fever, 1793 is a great historical novel about a pandemic few knew about. With medicine rudimentary at best, there was little that could be done when these diseases arrived in overcrowded cities. The book stays true to the times and gives an accurate depiction of life in the late-1700's.  Matilda goes from being a sullen teenager to self-reliant and impressive. It's a good read for tweens who like historical fiction.

Genre: Historical Fiction
Age Level: 6th Grade