An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 by Jim Murphy
My rating: 3/5 cats
it is inconceivable to me that this is a book intended for children. the beginning part is fine, but the last chapter or so is paralyzingly terrifying. if i had read this as a child, it would have given me night terrors for years and even now i would think of it with chills, as i do with tailypo. brrr… this book chronicles an outbreak of yellow fever that killed 5000 people. and by chronicling, i mean it goes into details of black-bile-vomiting, and women giving birth to babies where both die within moments etc…and then—THEN—the last chapter is devoted to the oh-so-reassuring information that there is still no cure and it is only a matter of time before this happens again and mosquitoes are getting stronger and stronger and we have fewer options for prevention. and it’s delivered in this blithe, casual shrugging tone, AND THIS IS HOW THE BOOK ENDS!! not with a bang, but a quiet buzzing.
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