Bibliographic Information
Murphy, Jim. AN AMERICAN PLAGUE: THE TRUE AND TERRIFYING STORY OF THE YELLOW FEVER EPIDEMIC OF 1793. New York, NY: Clarion Books. ISBN: 978-0395776087
Plot and Critical Analysis
As the title states, this is about the Yellow Fever epidemic that swept through the country in 1793. Mr. Murphy is an award winning author for other works of juvenile nonfiction and judging by this example of his work it is clear why he is so respected. He can deliver facts in a clear and informative way as well as add supporting details which any reader is likely to remember. His focus on the plague reads as clearly and entertainingly as a novel, which guarantees the reader will likely remember its details which educate and inform. It begins with the chapter, "No One Noticed" of the early stages of the plague then goes through the fear and aftermath of this epidemic. By choosing the social history type of format, he has included primary documents such as journal entries, newspaper articles, and photographs, which assists in personalizing this part of American history. The facts of the early days of the epidemic immediately focus on the topic while having diary entries offer a factual sense of fear, and not one created by the author. The imaginative responses do not appear, but instead when an emotional reaction is offered, it is from a primary source. This helps the reader understand the real-life element to this book and not an overly dramatic piece of entertainment. These personal accounts are even more personal as they appear in the writer's hand or are next to the writer's photograph. For example, when the entries focus on the constant sound of the church bell (signifying another death) even over a terrible storm, the reader can understand how haunting the sounds were felt by the townspeople.
Anyone reading this book could do it in one sitting as it's clearly outlined in a chronological sequence and, to many, an unknown part of history which would draw them into the text even further. The chapters are brief with many visual aspects and photographs included to keep someone reading into the next chapter. It is very readable with facts easy to remember and personal accounts difficult to forget.
While reading, I would imagine a child would wonder what they would have felt like during this confusion and hysteria. It is not difficult to get deep into the details of this disaster. It is clearly written with enough death and mystery to attract children who are developing their critical thinking skills and have probably seen some sadness and death in their own lives.
Awards and Reviews
ALA Notable Children's Books: 2004
Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards: Nonfiction
NCTE Orbis Pictus Nonfiction Award
Newbery Honor Books: 2004
Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children's Non-Fiction
Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal
School Library Journal Best Books: 2003
Vancouver Children's Literature Roundtable Information Book Award
YALSA Best Books for Young Adults: 2004
School Library Journal
Grade 6-10-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, beginning with the fever's emergence on August 3, when a young French sailor died in Richard Denny's boardinghouse on North Water Street. As church bells rang more and more often, it became horrifyingly clear that the de facto capital was being ravaged by an unknown killer. Largely unsung heroes emerged, most notably the Free African Society, whose members were mistakenly assumed to be immune and volunteered en masse to perform nursing and custodial care for the dying. Black-and-white reproductions of period art, coupled with chapter headings that face full-page copies of newspaper articles of the time, help bring this dreadful episode to life. An afterword explains the yellow fever phenomenon, its causes, and contemporary outbreaks, and source notes are extensive and interesting. Pair this work with Laurie Halse Anderson's wonderful novel Fever 1793 (S & S, 2000) and you'll have students hooked on history.
Mary R. Hofmann, Rivera Middle School, Merced, CA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Booklist
Gr. 6-12. 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. Drawing on firsthand accounts, medical and non-medical, Murphy re-creates the fear and panic in the infected city, the social conditions that caused the disease to spread, and the arguments about causes and cures. With archival prints, photos, contemporary newspaper facsimiles that include lists of the dead, and full, chatty source notes, he tells of those who fled and those who stayed--among them, the heroic group of free blacks who nursed the ill and were later vilified for their work. Some readers may skip the daily details of life in eighteenth-century Philadelphia; in fact, the most interesting chapters discuss what is now known of the tiny fever-carrying mosquito and the problems created by over-zealous use of pesticides. The current struggle to contain the SARS epidemic brings the "unshakeable unease" chillingly close. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Connections
Being an informational book, the facts included explain and answer many questions before a reader could ask them. The details included are helpful in reminding the reader of the time period and what was (and was not) available to the doctors and scientists of the late 1700's. This leads the reader to realize how science and medicine are an ever-evolving discovery. The conclusion is that there have been over 150 years of numerous yellow fever outbreaks in this country. It also mentions the treatments and further developments, such as DDT, but the result is that there is still no cure for yellow fever and that it most likely will have another outbreak.
This book could also help a child learn how science and medicine does progress and that sometimes it is better to look for reasoning and facts instead of being influenced by mass hysteria, such as thinking smoking a cigar or chewing garlic would keep someone from not getting the illness. Also included is an index, a bibliography, and many visual aids which will assist any child who needs to refer to an earlier passage or return to it in multiple reads. This will be made easier by the table of contents, index, and 13 pages of sources.
Similar Readings
Pandemics: epidemics in a shrinking world (Miriam Segall): Addresses other epidemics, in a modern world, and how doctors and technology helps to detect, treat, and prevent communicable diseases.
When plague strikes: the Black Death, smallpox, AIDS (James Cross Giblin): Focuses on various health crises of the past and in the present world, could offer a source exhibiting the growth and progress of medicine from each epidemic to the next.
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