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A review by debbiecuddy
Fever by Mary Beth Keane
3.0
I first learned about Mary Mallon in an epidemiology class in college and have always viewed her as a case study. What I liked about this book was that the author brought her to life in a way that I could view her as a person, although she came across as one we might be quick to label as stubborn and "non-compliant" with medical advice.
I think that if the author had explored more about Dr. Sloper, medical research at that time, & the ethics of public health laws, it would have provided us with a deeper understanding of what Mary was experiencing. At that time the germ theory of disease transmission was relatively new and the concept of asymptomatic carriers was poorly understood by many medical professionals, so it would be completely baffling to a lay person like Mary.
I think that if the author had explored more about Dr. Sloper, medical research at that time, & the ethics of public health laws, it would have provided us with a deeper understanding of what Mary was experiencing. At that time the germ theory of disease transmission was relatively new and the concept of asymptomatic carriers was poorly understood by many medical professionals, so it would be completely baffling to a lay person like Mary.