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lsparrow's review against another edition
2.0
historical fiction - telling of Typhoid Mary. Although this tried to tell more of her side of the story it felt very modern in the feelings. Also I felt that there was not enough background or understanding of the current medical culture to give a real context to the characters and the reader is left with modern sensibilites to judge Mary on. Also there is very little discussion of the views on Irish at this time which would have been a huge factor. I did find it interesting how the issue of opoid addictions was brought in.
shosh's review against another edition
2.0
I've been fascinated by Mary Mallon's story for a long time. This book did a great job of depicting her love for cooking, one of the few joys she has after a hard life first in Ireland and then as an immigrant in New York City. It helped me understand the choices she made and the dimension of her character. She was a woman struggling to survive in a rough city with a little autonomy in her life (plus no universal understanding of how disease spread works).
But the book dragged on and I frankly did not care about her longtime boyfriend, some early 1900s proof that f***bois have been around for awhile. The story sometimes veered towards his struggles, especially later on, but didn't connect them well with Mary's; it seemed like a disjointed effort to show the immigrant struggle or Mary's empathy, or both. Overall I feel like the book could have been shorter.
But the book dragged on and I frankly did not care about her longtime boyfriend, some early 1900s proof that f***bois have been around for awhile. The story sometimes veered towards his struggles, especially later on, but didn't connect them well with Mary's; it seemed like a disjointed effort to show the immigrant struggle or Mary's empathy, or both. Overall I feel like the book could have been shorter.
bethsponz's review
4.0
This is an account of “Typhoid Mary” or Mary Mallon, an immigrant from Ireland at the turn of the 20th century in New York. The book was not told in linear form but rather back and forth as the story unfolded. Her personal life I would guess was very fictionalized but the facts of her isolation and disease were very real. A very interesting story.
alliehwilliams's review
5.0
I read this title because I'm fascinated with tales of diseases, how they spread, and the human stories behind them. I didn't really know anything about Mary Mallon going in, other than that she gave a lot of people typhoid and people who come to work with the flu or pinkeye are likely to get called "Typhoid Mary." But I was hooked by the first few pages and soon was reading this book while brushing my teeth, drying my hair, even while sitting in traffic waiting for a train to pass. The setting and time felt so real to me that this book felt more like non-fiction written in an ultra-engaging style rather than a novel. Clearly Keane did her research because everything about this book felt authentic.
Halfway through the book, I had to look Mary Mallon up on Wikipedia to see what happened to her. What I learned rendered her so unsympathetic to me that I wavered on whether I would finish the book or not. I kept reading because I really just couldn't stop, and I am glad I did.
Keane is an incredible writer, creating a three dimensional, ultimately sympathetic character in a woman it would be so easy to despise due to her actions. At times I wanted to smack Mary Mallon and other times I felt so much pity for her. What I never expected to do was cry, and I made it all the way to the last page before I did! That last paragraph did me in.
I would recommend "Fever" to anyone who enjoys well-researched historical fiction, books such as "The Hot Zone" (non-fiction, but written in a suspense novel style), or books chronicling the human toll of diseases, such as "And the Band Played On."
This was one of my three favorite books for the year 2012. Five stars.
carlywalker's review
challenging
dark
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
wkmcconnell's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely loved this creative telling of the story of Typhoid Mary, an Irish immigrant who was the first known healthy carrier of typhoid in the United States. Mary is relatable and yet so piteous for the way her life plays out.
mayag's review against another edition
5.0
What a great book— a fictional telling of the life of “Typhoid Mary” told from her point of view.
melohpa's review against another edition
2.0
See my review at
https://topplingbookpile.blogspot.com/2021/01/by-mary-beth-keane-new-author-i-was.html
https://topplingbookpile.blogspot.com/2021/01/by-mary-beth-keane-new-author-i-was.html