Fever 1793

Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson is about yellow fever in Philadelphia.

Matilda Cook lives with her mother and grandfather in a coffee house in Philly. In August of 1793 yellow fever struck, killing nearly 5000 people - 10% of the city's population.

Those who could, fled the city for the open air of the country. Matilda and her grandfather left when her mother got sick. But due to her grandfather's cough, not related to the fever, people were afraid to give them passage out of the city.

Matilda ends up back at the coffee house. She doesn't know where her mother or their cook, Eliza, have gone. The city is running out of food, as farmers are not willing to brave the city to deliver goods.

Fever is an easy to read history of the yellow fever - the worst epidemic to hit the US in history.

Anderson, Laurie Halse. (2000). Fever 1793. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.