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38 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The life and crimes of Amos Quito, August 19, 2004
This review is from: An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 (Newbery Honor Book) (Hardcover)
It is an indisputable fact that disasters are a lot more fun to read about than they are to live through. Sure, we might enjoy flipping through a tale covering the potato famine or the crash of the Hindenburg, but would you really want to experience them first hand yourself? Not likely. Author Jim Murphy has always been particularly talented at writing about the disaster genre. His "The Great Fire" is one of the finest non-fiction glimpses into the devastating 1871 Chicago conflagration ever produced. To my mind, however, he seems to make his various projects particularly difficult for himself. The Great Chicago Fire did not have any photographs to include for interest, though it did contain copious newspaper illustrations and documents. Such is the case with Murphy's more recent creation, "An American Plague". Delving deeply into the Yellow Fever epidemic of the late 18th century, Murphy attempts the near impossible: Make colonial America interesting. Worse, make colonial American interesting to kids. And dang it if he doesn't pull it off. Framing the tale as a kind of mystery, Murphy starts slowly. He introduces us to some of the characters that would become important during the disease's height. As we read we find ourselves in the hot steamy smelly streets of Philadelphia. President Washington is having some difficulties with his Proclamation of Neutrality regarding the French. The Reverend J. Henry C. Helmuth is proclaiming that soon the city will be feeling God's displeasure due to Philly's rampant debauchery. And in a small boarding house on North Water Street, a French sailor has come down with a fever. The plague has begun. Murphy's excellent at picking up the pace in this story. Quickly, the situation escalates from a disease affecting only the poor to one touching a variety of different citizens. Quick as a wink Washington and his compatriots flee the city and hole up in different areas. Rich citizens, or those with family not in Philadelphia, get out lickety-split. Suddenly our focus concentrates on Doctor Benjamin Rush. Placing himself in constant peril, Rush works tirelessly to find a cure for the disease. Rich men like Stephen Girard and (gotta love the name) Israel Israel take on the jobs of ministering to the sick and poor. Most remarkably of all, however, are the members of the Free African Society. A group of freed blacks, this group is led by the formidable and eloquent Richard Allen and Absalom Jones. With little regard for their own safety, this group nurses the people of the town when no one else will. They take on the most disgusting cases and emerge as the real heroes of this tale. And anyone who thinks the Free African Society got so much as a whisper of thanks for their efforts, by the way, needs to study up on their history a little more. By the book's end Yellow Fever abates with the arrival of autumn. Though it would pop up periodically over the years, it wasn't until 1900 that the true culprit was discovered. Tiny mosquitoes were, and remain today to be, the carriers of the disease. The book ends with the chilling comment that despite years of research, "there is still no cure for yellow fever". As Duane Gubler, a director at the Centers for Disease Control notes, yellow fever is, "a modern-day time bomb. We're just sitting here waiting for it to happen". The end! Having successfully turned this book into a tale of true terror (fun!), Murphy had to accompany his words with arresting visual images. If someone were to offer you your weight in gold if you could come up with five interesting images from 1793, I doubt you'd have much success. Murphy, however, is cunning. He begins his chapters with newspaper selections as they were printed during the height of the fever. He draws upon paintings of the major players (not, interestingly enough, easy ones like Washington). He even goes so far as to cull prints from other plagues and diseases (like England's Black Plague of 1664) to give the reader some kind of an idea of what the streets of Philadelphia must have resembled. From early American advertisements (personally my favorite print in the whole book) to political cartoons where Uncle Sam condemns Amos Quito (put the words together) for crimes against humanity, Murphy bends over backwards trying to fill his book with visually engaging scenes and visions. Be sure to read the book's acknowledgements and note about the illustrations for further fascinating information. If you have a teen that needs to read a non-fiction book from a colonial time period, this book's your best bet. Honestly, it makes a time period interesting that has forever been buried in dull repeated facts. Oh, it's still going to bore certain people. No doubt. I mean, books of this nature are bound to enthrall only types of kids. But for those who stick with it and read it through, it's an eye opening look at a disease that couple wipe us out as easily today as it did back then. And if that doesn't run a finger down your spine, I don't know what will.
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A fascinating book, August 4, 2003
This review is from: An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 (Newbery Honor Book) (Hardcover)
In August 1793, the capital of the new United States, Philadelphia, was in the grip of a heat wave. Suddenly, in the poorer quarters of the city, the poor began to sicken and die in the most horrible of ways. Many people fled, while other worked to stem the tide of illness. Armed with an archaic (and downright wrong) theory of medicine, the city could do little but suffer as this disease raged throughout the city, carrying off some 4-5,000 people (out of a population of 51,000). This is the story of that plague (Yellow Fever), its effects on the country, and its possible future. This book was written for younger readers, but is detailed and informative enough to interest even the oldest of readers. I found the book to be quite fascinating, and learned a good deal about the state of medicine at the time. The final chapter, which attempts to scare the reader with the idea of a return of Yellow Fever, I found to be a bit out-of-focus. Nonetheless, I found this to be a fascinating book, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the early days of the American Republic.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Riveting and Terrifying History, July 1, 2005
This review is from: An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 (Newbery Honor Book) (Hardcover)
This dramatic account of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 is riveting. It is packed with historical facts and presents the horror of the disease, the implications for the city of Philadelphia and neighboring areas, and the reaction of both the townspeople as well as those in power with vivid detail. Politicians, the medical community, common people, orphans, the poor are all brought to life before our eyes and we feel their pain, we share their misery, and we gain insight into what life was like for them during this terrifying time. Author Jim Murphy chronologically follows the beginning of this epidemic, making us feel as if we were actual witnesses to this American Plague, using quotes from those who were there, newspaper clippings, period engravings and portraits. Additionally, we are shown true acts of courage and selfless behavior as Mr. Murphy tells us of great men and woman who risked their lives to help their fellow people, and some who ultimately sacrificed their lives. He also unravels the controversies, particularly among the medical community in regards to the reaction to the disease and discusses bloodletting, ingesting poisons, bathing in vinegar, purging air with gunpowder, inhaling black pepper as well as other practiced modes of treatment. Some people may find the descriptions of the disease and the progression of the illness horrifying, but it is truth nonetheless, Yellow fever is nothing short of horrific. I believe this fascinating book is truly deserving of the many awards it has earned. This very visual and brilliantly written book is a great tool for you to use in teaching this part of our nation's history to your children.
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