Review: An American Plague

The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793

By Jim Murphy

Clarion Books; 2003; 165 pages

Non-Fiction; Award Winner: Newbery Honor Book, National Book Award Finalist, Robert F. Sibert Medal Winner

Grades: 6-12

ISBN: 978-0-395-77608-2

This book relates the tale of how the Yellow Fever crippled our nation's capital of Philadelphia. Political bigwigs, such as George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, along with pioneering doctors and a fearful populace were all caught up in the horrific epidemic that changed history.

My Thoughts:
It is obvious why this book has won so many awards. I thought that this was a very well executed, and very interesting book on a topic that I generally do not enjoy reading about. I am not a fan of sickness, or reading about sickness, or reading about the often barbaric practices of early doctors, or reading about political intrigues and ramifications. Yet, for some reason, I really enjoyed this book. For one thing, Jim Murphy is an outstanding writer. The mere mechanics and style of the text pulls the reader in. At the same time, he handles the subject matter in a mature and yet kid-friendly manner. Also, it is beneficial for students to read works like this early in their school careers since it introduces them to several standard non-fiction practices: citation, primary documentation, and quotation. (And does all of this without being dry or boring.)

The book is full of facts that kids will enjoy, especially the section on bleeding people. I think they will be intrigued by the fact that this is still an incurable disease as well. All though the time period and setting won't be familiar to the kids, some of the people described in it will be: George Washington, Dolly Madison, Benjamin Franklin. I think having them in the book helps make it more accessible to children. In addition, the artwork throughout the book does a good job of supporting the text. (Keep in mind though that this is meant for older children, so the artwork is secondary to the text.) I also really liked the facsimiles of newspapers and publications from the time. They added visual interest, but also made for fun reading...especially the bits that had nothing to do with the story at hand!

The Thoughts of Others:
Publisher's Weekly reviewed An American Plague in 2003 and liked how "Murphy injects the events with immediacy." It doesn't seem like it is a history book. Their reviewer also praised the comprehensive nature of the text, liked the photos and appreciated the recommended resources and cautionary note.

Kirkus's Review in 2003 called this book "a mesmerizing, macabre account that will make readers happy they live in the 21st century." They highly praised the prevalence of primary sources, as well as how the "powerful, evocative prose carries along the compelling subject matter."