The Horn Book Guide

TECHNOLOGY

Murphy, Jim

An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793

166 pp. | Clarion | April, 2003 | Trade ISBN 0-395-77608-2 $$17.00

(2) 4-6 Murphy culls from a number of historical records the story of the yellow fever epidemic that swept Philadelphia, skillfully drawing out the fear and drama of the time and making them immediate to modern readers. Attentive to telling detail, Murphy offers representative images, from black-and-white portraits to plague scenes. Thoroughly documented, with an annotated source list, the work is both rigorous and inviting. Ind.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2003