Awards
A 2004 Newbery Honor Book
Synopses & Reviews
1793, Philadelphia. The nation's capital and the largest city in North America is devastated by an apparently incurable disease, cause unknown...
In a powerful, dramatic narrative, critically acclaimed author Jim Murphy describes the illness known as yellow fever and the toll it took on the city's residents, relating the epidemic to the major social and political events of the day and to 18th-century medical beliefs and practices. Drawing on first-hand accounts, Murphy spotlights the heroic role of Philadelphia's free blacks in combating the disease, and the Constitutional crisis that President Washington faced when he was forced to leave the city and all his papers while escaping the deadly contagion. The search for the fever's causes and cure, not found for more than a century afterward, provides a suspenseful counterpoint to this riveting true story of a city under siege.
Thoroughly researched, generously illustrated with fascinating archival prints, and unflinching in its discussion of medical details, this book offers a glimpse into the conditions of American cities at the time of our nation's birth while drawing timely parallels to modern-day epidemics. Bibliography, map, index.
Review
"A mesmerizing, macabre account that will make readers happy they live in the 21st century....Powerful, evocative prose carries along the compelling subject matter. Even as the narrative places readers in the moment with quotations, the design aids and abets this, beginning each chapter with reproductions from contemporary newspapers and other materials, as well as placing period illustrations appropriately throughout the text." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Jim Murphy has once again created a masterful, impeccably researched book that both enthralls and horrifies the reader." Children's Literature
Review
"Murphy chronicles this frightening time with solid research and a flair for weaving facts into fascinating stories." School Library Journal
Review
"Nobody does juvenile nonfiction better than Murphy. Here, in his usual transparently clear and well-paced prose, he tells the story of the yellow fever outbreak that paralyzed Philadelphia in 1793....There are enough gruesome medical details to satisfy even the most ghoulish tastes, but also plenty of serious history." Washington Post
Synopsis
A 2004 Newbery Honor Book
1793, Philadelphia. The nation's capital and the largest city in North America is devastated by an apparently incurable disease, cause unknown . . .
In a powerful, dramatic narrative, critically acclaimed author Jim Murphy describes the illness known as yellow fever and the toll it took on the city's residents, relating the epidemic to the major social and political events of the day and to 18th-century medical beliefs and practices. Drawing on first-hand accounts, Murphy spotlights the heroic role of Philadelphia's free blacks in combating the disease, and the Constitutional crisis that President Washington faced when he was forced to leave the city--and all his papers--while escaping the deadly contagion. The search for the fever's causes and cure, not found for more than a century afterward, provides a suspenseful counterpoint to this riveting true story of a city under siege.
An American Plague's numerous awards include a Sibert Medal, a Newbery Honor, and designation as a National Book Award Finalist. Thoroughly researched, generously illustrated with fascinating archival prints, and unflinching in its discussion of medical details, this book offers a glimpse into the conditions of American cities at the time of our nation's birth while drawing timely parallels to modern-day epidemics. Bibliography, map, index.
Synopsis
Powerful and riveting, this Newbery Honor-winning narrative describes the illness known as yellow fever, the toll it took on the nation's capital--and the eventual triumph over the disease. National Book Award Finalist and Winner of the Sibert Medal.
Philadelphia, 1793: the capital of the United States and the largest city in North America is devastated by an apparently incurable disease, cause unknown . . . Drawing on first-hand accounts, critically acclaimed author Jim Murphy spotlights the heroic role of Philadelphia's free Black citizens in combating yellow fever, the efforts and intrigues of doctors and politicians--among them George Washington--and the search for the fever's causes and cure, not found for more than a century afterward. Thoroughly researched, unflinching in its discussion of medical details, and generously illustrated with archival prints and photographs, this award-winning account offers a glimpse into life in the United States in the years immediately following our nation's birth while drawing timely parallels to modern-day epidemics. Bibliography, map, index.
Synopsis
Powerful and riveting, this Newbery Honor-winning narrative describes the illness known as yellow fever, the toll it took on the nation's capital--and the eventual triumph over the disease.
Long before Covid and the West Nile virus, yellow fever was a medical mystery that forced thousands in Philadelphia, the nation's temporary capital, to flee and brought the workings of the federal government to a virtual halt. A riveting account of this country's first large-scale medical epidemic, An American Plague is generously illustrated with archival prints and photographs and includes a bibliography, map, and index.
This is the story of how half the city's residents fled and half of those who remained died; neighboring towns, cities and states barricaded themselves; George Washington himself fled, setting off a constitutional crisis; and bloodletting caused blood to run through the streets. It is also the story of a little known chapter in Black history in which free Blacks nursed the sick only to be later condemned for their heroic efforts.
Meticulously researched, first-hand accounts, newspaper clippings, death lists, and period engravings recreate the fear and panic while exploring the political, social, cultural, medical and scientific history of the times. A final chapter explores the causes of the epidemic and provides a wake-up call about the potential for epidemics today.
Newbery Honor Book * National Book Award Finalist * Winner of the Sibert Medal
About the Author
Jim Murphy is the author of An American Plague, which received the Sibert Medal and a Newbery Honor and was selected as a National Book Award finalist. His Clarion titles include The Boys' War and other award-winning nonfiction.
Table of Contents
No one noticed -- "All was not right" -- Church bells tolling -- Confusion, distress, and utter desolation -- "It was our duty" -- The prince of bleeders -- "By twelve only" -- "This unmerciful enemy" -- "A delicate situation" -- Improvements and the public gratitude -- "A modern-day time bomb."