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A review by cher_n_books
Fever by Mary Beth Keane
3.0
3.5 stars - It was really good.
Very well written historical fiction novel based on the life of Typhoid Mary, who was the first person found to be a carrier of Typhoid fever, immune herself to the disease. The book reads easily with a nice pace and never gets bogged down with too much clinical or historical detail.
It's hard to imagine a healthy and robust person being forcibly quarantined, sacrificing their own freedom and quality of life in an effort to protect others. Is it ethically just? The first time Mary was quarantined, I was not so sure, but after Mary continues to work as a cook, which is how she spread the disease, after being told she could never do so again, the ethical line no longer seemed quite so blurry. It's not a clear right vs wrong situation however, especially when you consider the time frame when it occurred, and the general ignorance regarding germ theory that prevailed back then.
I enjoyed the beginning and the very end of the book, both of which often led me to do more research, but much of the 2nd 1/2 of the novel involves Mary's love life. I felt this became too much of a focus and was a distraction from the educational, historical element that I found to be so appealing about the novel. I was anxious for the author to get back to Typhoid Mary vs Mary the girlfriend, and felt the novel would have been improved by shortening those segments regarding her personal relationships.
Mary's cottage on North Brother Island:
Mary Mallon:
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Favorite Quote: It would be laughable, really, if it weren't already criminal for them to have locked her up, one woman, a cook, when every corner of America hid a pestilence just waiting to be stirred up, set free.
First Sentence: The day began with sour milk and got worse.
Very well written historical fiction novel based on the life of Typhoid Mary, who was the first person found to be a carrier of Typhoid fever, immune herself to the disease. The book reads easily with a nice pace and never gets bogged down with too much clinical or historical detail.
It's hard to imagine a healthy and robust person being forcibly quarantined, sacrificing their own freedom and quality of life in an effort to protect others. Is it ethically just? The first time Mary was quarantined, I was not so sure, but after Mary continues to work as a cook, which is how she spread the disease, after being told she could never do so again, the ethical line no longer seemed quite so blurry. It's not a clear right vs wrong situation however, especially when you consider the time frame when it occurred, and the general ignorance regarding germ theory that prevailed back then.
I enjoyed the beginning and the very end of the book, both of which often led me to do more research, but much of the 2nd 1/2 of the novel involves Mary's love life. I felt this became too much of a focus and was a distraction from the educational, historical element that I found to be so appealing about the novel. I was anxious for the author to get back to Typhoid Mary vs Mary the girlfriend, and felt the novel would have been improved by shortening those segments regarding her personal relationships.
Mary's cottage on North Brother Island:
Mary Mallon:
---------------------------------
Favorite Quote: It would be laughable, really, if it weren't already criminal for them to have locked her up, one woman, a cook, when every corner of America hid a pestilence just waiting to be stirred up, set free.
First Sentence: The day began with sour milk and got worse.