Fever 1793

by Laurie Halse Anderson

     I am reading Fever 1793; it is historical fiction, placed in 1793 and the people in Philadelphia are getting rapidly ill with yellow fever. It is interesting to learn about what it was like in the olden days after the War for Independence, when Washington was president. Things I have learned about life in 1793 include housing, transportation, medical resources and availability, and food supply and storage. 

     Mattie is living peacefully with her mother and grandfather when along comes the fever. Doctors aren't sure if it's yellow fever or not, but people start dying rapidly and families are fleeing to the country where the citizens are not infected and the air is fresh. It is sometimes scary, like when Mattie's mom vomits blood when she is infected with yellow fever. But the book is sometimes peaceful, like at the beginning when Mattie, her mother, and her grandfather are all living together as one big, happy family.

     Mattie has several traits, such as bravery, kindness, and helpfulness; these help her survive and help other people. She is brave because she goes out on her own to gather food and water, while she and her grandfather are alone on their way home from the country. She is also helpful because she does these things to keep her grandfather from dying. Finally, she is kind because she helps take care of her mother and grandfather while she is with them.