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Laurie Halse Anderson
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Fever 1793 Paperback – March 1, 2002

by Laurie Halse Anderson (Author)
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An epidemic of fever sweeps through the streets of 1793 Philadelphia in this novel from Laurie Halse Anderson where "the plot rages like the epidemic itself" (The New York Times Book Review).

During the summer of 1793, Mattie Cook lives above the family coffee shop with her widowed mother and grandfather. Mattie spends her days avoiding chores and making plans to turn the family business into the finest Philadelphia has ever seen. But then the fever breaks out.

Disease sweeps the streets, destroying everything in its path and turning Mattie's world upside down. At her feverish mother's insistence, Mattie flees the city with her grandfather. But she soon discovers that the sickness is everywhere, and Mattie must learn quickly how to survive in a city turned frantic with disease.
Previous page
  1. Reading age
    10 - 12 years, from customers
  2. Print length
    272 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    5 - 9
  5. Lexile measure
    580L
  6. Dimensions
    5.13 x 0.9 x 7.63 inches
  7. Publication date
    March 1, 2002
  8. ISBN-10
    9780689848919
  9. ISBN-13
    978-0689848919
  10. See all details
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Popular Highlights in this book
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Previous page
  1. Life was a battle, and Mother a tired and bitter captain. The captain I had to obey.
    Highlighted by 969 Kindle readers
  2. When I was eight, she got a letter saying her husband had been killed by a runaway horse.
    Highlighted by 773 Kindle readers
  3. Eliza was the coffeehouse cook. Mother couldn’t prepare a meal fit for pigs.
    Highlighted by 607 Kindle readers
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Editorial Reviews

Review

School Library Journal starred review Readers will be drawn in by the characters and will emerge with a sharp and graphic picture of another world.

The New York Times Book Review A gripping story about living morally under the shadow of rampant death.

VOYA A vivid work, rich with well-drawn characters.

The New York Times Book Review The plot rages like the epidemic itself.

About the Author

Laurie Halse Anderson is a New York Times bestselling author known for tackling tough subjects with humor and sensitivity. She’s twice been a National Book Award finalist, for Chains and Speak; Chains also received the 2009 Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction. Laurie was chosen for the 2009 Margaret A. Edwards Award and received the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in 2023, presented to her by the Crown Princess of Sweden. She lives in Pennsylvania, and you can follow her adventures on X (previously known as Twitter) @HalseAnderson or visit her at MadWomanintheForest.com.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0689848919
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition (March 1, 2002)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780689848919
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0689848919
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 10 - 12 years, from customers
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 580L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 5 - 9
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.13 x 0.9 x 7.63 inches
  • Customer Reviews:

About the author

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Laurie Halse Anderson

Laurie Halse Anderson

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Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Laurie Halse Anderson is the New York Times-bestselling author who writes for kids of all ages. Known for tackling tough subjects with humor and sensitivity, her work has earned numerous American Library Association and state awards. Two of her books, Speak and Chains, were National Book Award finalists. Chains also earned a spot on the Carnegie Medal Short List.

Laurie received the 2009 Margaret A. Edwards Award given by the Young Adult Library Services Association division of the American Library Association for her "significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature."

Mother of four and wife of one, Laurie lives in Northern New York State, an hour south of the Canadian border, where she likes to watch the snow fall as she writes. Right now she's finishing up her next YA novel and researching Ashes, which will conclude the adventure of Isabel and Curzon that readers enjoyed in her historical novels Chains and Forge.

You'll find loads more information about Laurie and her books on her website: http://madwomanintheforest.com/. You can follow her adventures on Twitter, http://twitter.com/halseanderson, on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/lauriehalseanderson, and on her blog, http://madwomanintheforest.com/blog/.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
6,821 global ratings
Excellent historical book
5 Stars
Excellent historical book
Review from my daughter Paige, 11yo; IG account: paige.s.reading for more book reviews!Genre: historical fiction, epidemic stylePlot:In Philadelphia, during the summer of 1793, Mattie (a young lady) is fighting for her life and her family’s life because of an epidemic of Yellow fever.Will she, her family, and her friends survive this epidemic?Fun facts:I read this book with my mom. I found the cover really cool and some old English words are in this book.Feelings:It was a devasting time, the description in this book was very realistic and it’s well-written. It was informative and I would like to learn more about this epidemic.
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Top reviews from the United States

Mamaof3
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book
Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2024
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I really enjoyed this book. A bit of history woven into the story. The author did a fine job of keeping it realistic.
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Gettysburg Girl
5.0 out of 5 stars I Could Learn History Like This All Day Long
Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2013
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This is the first book I've ever reviewed where I've been asked if I am over 13. I would like to say no 13 year old could have enjoyed this more than I did. This is proof that an author can write a really wonderful book that doesn't include obscene language and all manner of pornographic, shock-value activities on page after page. If I had a young adult in my household I would give them this book in a New York minute. That being said, I believe a reader of any age will find Anderson's story engaging, intelligent, charming and enjoyable, all the while delivering a rivetting historical account of the 1793 yellow fever epidemic that swept Philadelphia which was then the country's capital. It is well-written and fast-paced - yes, a page turner.

There is enough wonderful detail to make you feel you are there with Mattie and her family, yet it is not bogged down with excessive narrative. Anderson does a great job of "showing" not "telling". The many characters are perfectly drawn out and the story moves at just the right pace.

As a bonus the author has fantastic background material at the end of the book, if you care to read it, about the 1793 epidemic and how it affected the citizens of Philadelphia as well as President Washington, Jefferson and other political figures. Philadelphia pretty much became a ghost town nearly overnight and remained so for many months. Those who were too sick to leave and died were buried in unmarked mass graves; a great many still lie at the area that is today known as Washington Square. There is so much fascinating history woven into the book, it is really a treasure. Two other things I didn't know is that coffee houses were all the rage in Philadelphia in the 1790's; additionally, the whites didn't believe blacks could contract yellow fever. They asked for the help of freed slaves, members of the Free African Society, to help care for the ill. The blacks volunteered quite willingly, but alas, they were not immune and did become sick themselves. There is so much more. Just please read the book.
6 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Really Good Book
Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2010
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Fever by Laurie Halse Anderson is a novel written based on the life of a young girl by the name of Matilda Cook. Mattie lives with her mother and grandfather in Philadelphia. Mattie's mother is a single mother strong and strict making sure Mattie is nothing less than a proper woman. Mattie's grandfather is a warrior, a true fighter one and tries to live life to the fullest. Before the epidemic of the yellow fever began to brew around town everything was fine with the exception of a few strange suprises. Business seemed to be going at an all time well before the epidemic of yellow fever began to take its toll on the town. Soon Mattie's world turns upside down nothing seems to be going right. Mattie is losing everything and everyone that is important to her. She is forced to learn how to survive on her own after tradegy stikes. Will Mattie make it in the world that everyone is trying to escape from? As the book goes on Mattie experiences problem after problem one thing leading to another. Laurie Halse Anderson has done a wonderful job organizing the script written in the book. The book is rich in detail and every page will leave you wanting more. I personally enjoyed the book very much. Its rich detail helped me to visualize the book as I read along. For a second there was no word around me just Mattie, Grandfather, and Mother. This book is one that I would definetly recommend to others as a good read. This book has just about everything that a good book needs. It has mystery, suspense, action, romance, and of course an unexpected twist. This book even has a lesson to it: appreciate everything you have and the life youhave now because in a matter of time it could all be gone.
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ally
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2024
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Great Young Adult book about the yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia in 1793.
One person found this helpful
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AnnetteBReviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Vivid Portrayal of Epidemic
Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2020
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“The yellow fever outbreak that struck Philadelphia in 1793 was one of the worst epidemics in United States history. In three months it killed nearly five thousand people, 10 percent of the city’s population.”

Philadelphia, 16 August 1793. Matilda Cook lives with her mother and grandfather above their coffeehouse. Today, before the day is in full swing with their chores, they learn that they lost Polly, their serving girl, to fever. It happened very quickly, in a matter of hours.

“A week later, sixty-four people had died.” The grandfather is skeptical about all those deaths being blamed on fever. He insists, “Even a few hundred isn’t enough to call it an epidemic.”

“There are forty-thousand people living in Philadelphia.” Half of them left the city. Over three thousand are dead. “Those who don’t die of the fever are beginning to starve.”

Matilda, a dreamy girl, now needs to learn how to survive the plague.

Loved the character of Matilda. She is so opposite of her mother, who is a very hard worker and that’s what distinguished her from the early childhood. Matilda pours her thoughts how she feels about it.

The rage of fever is very real. “Bodies are piling up like firewood.” The doors are shut in your face as each family tries to stay alive behind their own walls. “The streets were ghosted, colorless and hushed.” Except lonely children without their mothers and thieves breaking into empty houses.

Loved the atmosphere of the coffeehouse, filled with “gentlemen, merchants, and politicians enjoying a cup of coffee, a bite to eat, and the news of the day.” Matilda’s grandfather, former army officer, is “the heart of all gossip and tall tales in the coffeehouse.” He is quite a character, which I enjoyed very much.

The storyline and the writing are very impressive. The plot is engrossing, moving the story forward as fast as the rage of epidemic.”

Historical fact, “In a few short weeks the city was transformed into a living nightmare, with the sick dying, the healthy paralyzed with fear, and the doctors helpless. (…) The brave people who stayed in the city and helped the sick were extraordinary.”
18 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Marilyn van Doorn
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read
Reviewed in Canada on April 17, 2024
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Book kept my interest, enjoyed the read.
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gabrielapauls
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting read!!
Reviewed in Mexico on July 27, 2021
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I found the historical aspect of the story really interesting. It was really easy to read and I was hooked to it from start to finish.
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Froschkönigin
4.0 out of 5 stars Geschichte einer fast vergessenen Epidemie
Reviewed in Germany on November 4, 2016
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Mattie (Matilda) ist beinahe fünfzehn und lebt mit ihrer verwitweten Mutter, dem Großvater und der freigekauften ehemaligen Sklavin Eliza in Philadelphia - im Jahre 1793 nicht nur die Hauptstadt der noch jungen Vereinigten Saaten, sondern mit etwa 40 000 Einwohnern auch deren größte Stadt. Philadelphia ist Handelsmetropole, günstig gelegen am Delaware. Diese Lage, das feucht-warme Klima des Spätsommers 1793, wird der Stadt zum Verhängnis. Es fängt relativ harmlos an - ein paar Fieberfälle, manche davon mit tödlichem Ausgang - nichts Ungewöhnliches für die Monate der Sommerhitze, so scheint es zunächst. Mattie ist anfangs ebenso unbesorgt wie die übrigen Bewohner und verfolgt ihren Traum, das florierende Cafehaus, das sie mit ihrer Mutter betreibt, zu einem der feinsten der Stadt auszubauen. Dann aber mehren sich die Fälle schwerer Erkrankungen. Das gefürchtete Gelbe Fieber greift rasant um sich und befällt arm und reich gleichermaßen. Bald ist auch Matties Familie unmittelbar betroffen, und es bleibt nur die Flucht aufs Land...

Laurie Halse Andersons "Fever 1793" erscheint, glaube ich, auf jeder Liste, die historische YA-Romane aufführt - nicht ohne Grund. Die Autorin hat die historischen Umstände und Fakten akribisch recherchiert und läuft nicht Gefahr, in Anachronismen zu verfallen - auch nicht, was ihre Protagonistin betrifft. Mattie ist eine selbstbewusste und moderne junge Frau, aber eben selbstbewusst und modern im Rahmen ihrer Zeit, sie benimmt sich nicht wie ein verkleideter Teenager aus dem 21. Jahrhundert. Insofern hat mir dieses Buch gut gefallen.
Man sollte sich aber darüber im Klaren sein - und das war ich aufgrund des Alters der Hauptperson nicht, als ich zu lesen begann - dass der Roman wohl für Leser unter 14 gedacht ist. Die Autorin möchte ihren jungen Lesern - und ihren Hauptpersonen, so scheint es - eindeutig nicht zuviel zumuten. Auch das hatte ich, nachdem ich "Wintergirls" gelesen hatte (eine ziemlich brutale Schilderung einer Magersucht-Erkrankung fast bis zum Tod der Protagonistin) nicht erwartet. Im Gegensatz dazu ist die Darstelllung des entsetzlichen Verlaufs der Gelbfieber-Epidemie, die ein Fünftel der Bevölkerung von Philadelphia das Leben kostete, recht verhalten. Zwar gibt es ein paar drastischere Beschreibungen des Krankheitsverlaufs - das aber wird dadurch wieder beschönigt, dass am Ende nur ein einziges Opfer unter den Personen, die der Leser genauer kennenlernt, zu beklagen ist, und dabei handelt es sich um eine Person, die ihr Leben gelebt hat. Eine etwas unmotiviert wirkende zarte Liebesgeschichte, die rührende Geschichte um ein kleines Waisenmädchen, und vor allem häufige Ausschmückungen mit zwei putzigen Haustieren, sorgen ebenfalls dafür, dass Andersons Buch eine etwas seltsame Mischung aus Katastrophen-Roman und Unterhaltung ist. Es ist trotzdem natürlich nicht schlecht, und manch Leser wird gerade daran Gefallen finden, dass am Ende alles gut wird, zumindest für Mattie und ihre Familie.
Vier Sterne gibt es nicht zuletzt für die Charakterzeichnung von Matties Großvater, einem Veteranen der Unabhängigkeitskriege mit "bärbeißigem Charme" - und vor allem von Eliza, mit deren Figur die Autorin der Leistung der Mitglieder der "Free African Society" ein Denkmal setzt, die selbstlos und mutig und teilweise über die eigegen Grenzen hinaus die Pflege erkrankter Mitbürger auf sich nahmen.
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Cristina
5.0 out of 5 stars Lectura que se disfruta
Reviewed in Spain on August 31, 2016
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Interesante, muy bien escrita, los personajes tienen vida y te los crees. Muy buenas descripciones que te transportan a esa época. Muy recomendable.
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CriMacc
3.0 out of 5 stars Carino per ragazzi di scuola media
Reviewed in Italy on March 10, 2015
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Mia figlia ha apprezzato. Non e' stata entusiasta ma ha gradito. La giovanissima protagonista cresce in fretta a causa della febbre gialla e impara a cavarsela da sola e a contribuire alla sopravvivenza fisica ed economica della sua famiglia.
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