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There are currently 27 member reviews
for Fever
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Paul R. (Albuquerque, NM)
Fever by Mary Beth Keane
Heart wrenching and dark but I was unable to put book down. The historical setting is a fascinating time in history - amidst the churning and changing of bustling New York City is the main character trying to find understanding and meaning and some element of peace in a world where she unwittingly has become an angel of death.
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Deanna W. (Port Jefferson, NY)
Human Face
This fictionalized biography puts a human face on Typhoid Mary. We learn about the woman behind the facts and rumors. We also get a vision of every day life in the streets and tenements of early 1900's in NYC. The story is told from Mary's perspective as she comes to terms with her tragic situation.
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Helen S. (Sun City West, AZ)
A Fascinating woman
The author of Fever successfully tells the troubling story of Mary Mallon, the infamous Typhoid Mary, as she fills the background with the sights, sounds, smells, and lives of the people living in New York City in the early 1900s. As I read, I had conflicting feelings about Mary and the Health Department. My heart empathized with Mary Mallon's fear and anger when she was pursued and quarantined as a public health danger, but my head told me that Dr. Soper had to do all he could to avoid widespread outbreaks of typhoid fever. The complex and compelling story of Mary Mallon is well-written and could create lively discussions in a book group.
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Melissa P. (Greenville, NY)
Fever
This was a historical fiction book about Mary Mallon, better known as Typhoid Mary. Mary was believed to spread typhoid through her cooking, though she never showed symptoms of the illness herself. This book details how the Department of Health took Mary into custody and forced her to live on Brother Island in isolation for years. It details the court case to get Mary her freedom to leave the island and what happens to her as she returns to the "real world". Mary is portrayed as an intelligent yet stubborn woman. This book also talks of her relationship with her companion, Alfred, who has a host of issues of his own.
I found this book interesting. I find it amazing that this woman was isolated on an island for so many years. The medical tests that she was put through were intrusive and degrading. Yet, there were enough people she cooked for who took ill that makes the belief that she was a carrier have some credibility. I enjoyed this read.
I received a copy of this book from BookBrowse in exchange for a review.
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Nikki M. (Fort Wayne, IN)
Poor Typhoid Mary!
I found this historical fiction fascinating, illuminating one of history's "infamous" characters, "Typhoid Mary". I wavered between feeling so sorry for Mary to being angry at her! This was all such new science when they discovered Mary was a healthy "carrier" of typhoid. I'm glad the author didn't get too bogged down in the science, and instead focused on the lives of Mary and those connected to her. Very interesting and thought-provoking, too!
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Abby D. (Montclair, NJ)
Disappointed with Fever
I had high hopes for this book but I felt pretty let down. The story was pretty interesting in general but I kept waiting for the plot to pick up and it never did. It was generally predictable with a few minor twists. I think the author could have done a better job with developing the main characters by revealing a more of their motivations behind their actions and thoughts. However, I did enjoy the depiction of New York in the early 1900s. I work in New York and it was refreshing to read about the past of a city I know pretty well. I would not recommend this book.
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