AN AMERICAN PLAGUE review

Virginia Caldwell
Book Review Module 4
TWU assignment
LS 5603 – 20


AN AMERICAN PLAGUE: THE TRUE AND TERRIFYING STORY OF THE YELLOW FEVER EPIDEMIC OF 1793


Bibliographic Data:
Murphy, Jim. 2003. AN AMERICAN PLAGUE: THE TRUE AND TERRIFYING STORY OF THE YELLOW FEVER EPIDEMIC OF 1793. New York: Clarion. ISBN 0395776082


Plot Summary:
AN AMERICAN PLAGUE: THE TRUE AND TERRIFYING STORY OF THE YELLOW FEVER EPIDEMIC OF 1793 is an actual account of a lesser known part of American history. Set in 1793 Philadelphia, this story is a detailed description of the events, social and political, that unfolded during this trying time, and of the surprising reactions that people had to this disturbing epidemic.


Analysis:
Murphy begins this journey that reads like a novel by setting the stage of Philadelphia in 1793 in the days before a Yellow Fever Epidemic breaks out in the city. Written in third person, and based on recorded personal experiences and public records, Murphy weaves an amazing and compelling story. Here is how Murphy describes the first stage of the disease:

“The sickness began with chills, headache, and a painful aching in the back,
arms, and legs. A high fever developed, accompanied by constipation.
This stage lasted around three days, and then the fever suddenly broke and the
patient seemed to recover.
But only for a few short hours.”

In addition to the plot about the developing epidemic, Murphy expertly weaves in the actions of prominent Philadelphians, one of whom was the President, George Washington. The story also includes the political happenings of the time. For example, Murphy writes about Washington’s words to a colleague after he fled the sickened city:

“I brought no public papers of any sort (not even the rules which have been
established in these cases,) along with me."

In addition, a major issue was that the United States Federal Government had to meet in Philadelphia, in order for their decisions to be legal. Almost all of these men had deserted the city, and the entire government was practically not functioning at all.

However, despite all of the abandonment of the leaders (even the governor), there were some strong people who stayed, like a handful of physicians and the mayor. The mayor eventually asked an unlikely group to aid the city in this most critical time; he asked the Free African Society to help treat and care for ht e city’s sick, which they bravely did.

This mingling of local, national and world historical events gives this book a great depth and drawing power that few historical accounts provide; this technique is brilliant.

The drawings, maps, and newspaper copies that accompany the text really add an authenticity and visual appeal to the book. First, the map of 1793 Philadelphia helps the reader get a perspective about where and what the places mentioned are in relation to each other and the city layout. Second, the portraits of people help to create a mental picture of the people that participated in the events. In addition, the historical newspaper clippings are a nice touch, and allow the reader to slip into the shoes of a townsperson of the time. Finally, the list of Yellow Fever deaths makes the event’s somberness evident.

AN AMERICAN PLAGUE concludes with a short study into how the cause of Yellow Fever was discovered, how a vaccine was made, and how the disease has been historically overcome. The very end includes a warning about becoming too passive about this disease, lest we see a reoccurrence of something like the 1793 epidemic.



Review Excerpts:

BookList, 06/01/2003
“History, science, politics, and public health come together in this dramatic account of the disastrous yellow fever epidemic that hit the nation's capital more than 200 years ago.” -- Hazel Rochman. Booklist, published by the American Library Association.


School Library Journal, 06/01/2003
“If surviving the first 20 years of a new nationhood weren't challenge enough, the yellow fever epidemic of 1793, centering in Philadelphia, was a crisis of monumental proportions. Murphy chronicles this frightening time with solid research and a flair for weaving facts into fascinating stories…” -- Mary R. Hofmann, Rivera Middle School, Merced, CA School Library Journal, A Reed Business Information Publication


The above reviews are from Book Index with Reviews. 2007 EBSCO Publishing, Powered by The Title Source TM (Accessed through http://online.twu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_142_1 on October 16, 2007).



Connections:
Some books with similar themes: FEVER by Laurie Halse Anderson; WHEN PLAGUE STRIKES: THE BLACKDEATH, SMALLPOX, AIDS by James Cross Giblin and David Frampton; OUTBREAK: PLAGUES THAT CHANGED HISTORY by Bryn Barnard; THE GREAT PLAGUE: MY STORY by Pamela Oldfield.