Wednesday, March 30, 2005
Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
Laurie Halse Anderson, author of
Fever 1793 also wrote Speak and Catalyst both beautiful, strong books about stresses (rape and academic success) that affect many teens. I recommend them to mature 6-12th graders.
Fever 1793 is about the yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia in 1793. Mattie Cook lives with her mother and grandfather above the coffeehouse they own. Her life is ordered around the coffeehouse and the chores there but her mother plans for Mattie to marry well and wants her to behave in womanly demure ways. When people start dying from fevers the government first denies that there is any malaise and then all control falls off as the fevers spread throughout all the neighbourhoods of the city. Mattie's mother falls ill and send her out of the city but along the way Mattie and her grandfather fall ill, she with fever and he with a heart ailment. Mattie survives but her struggle to pull her family back together and to survive is fierce. Along the way MAttie starts to see beyond herself and to seek the things she values for other people.
Fever 1793 also wrote Speak and Catalyst both beautiful, strong books about stresses (rape and academic success) that affect many teens. I recommend them to mature 6-12th graders.
Fever 1793 is about the yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia in 1793. Mattie Cook lives with her mother and grandfather above the coffeehouse they own. Her life is ordered around the coffeehouse and the chores there but her mother plans for Mattie to marry well and wants her to behave in womanly demure ways. When people start dying from fevers the government first denies that there is any malaise and then all control falls off as the fevers spread throughout all the neighbourhoods of the city. Mattie's mother falls ill and send her out of the city but along the way Mattie and her grandfather fall ill, she with fever and he with a heart ailment. Mattie survives but her struggle to pull her family back together and to survive is fierce. Along the way MAttie starts to see beyond herself and to seek the things she values for other people.
# posted by JJ @ 7:22 PM 
