"Fever 1793" By Laurie Halse Anderson
It's 1793 and Philadelphia has just been hit with the worst plaque the world has seen, yellow fever. It spreads quickly and if you contract it, chances are you won't survive it. This is the story of Mattie Cook who lives with her mother and father above their family owned coffee shop. It doesn't take long for the fever to reach their area. Forcing them to shut down and try to escape it. When Mattie's mother contracts the fever she sends Mattie and her grandfather away in hopes they will be safe in the country. What she doesn't know is they never make it there.
This story was truly heartbreaking. I think of how so many families probably experienced this very thing. Families being ripped apart, trying to get back to their loved ones, not knowing if they are dead or alive. Mattie is an extremely brave girl that at times I forgot I was following a young teens story. and not the story of a grown woman. I think this story hit much differently than it would have before Covid, so heartbreaking. I only gave it two out of five stars because at times it felt the story line dragged on. Don't let this deter you though. It was a good book that I never thought we could relate to.
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