FEVER is a fictional portrayal of Mary Mallon, the cook who became known as "Typhoid Mary" when it was found that she was a carrier of the dreaded Typhoid Fever even though she had no symptoms herself.
The novel starts with Mallon being arrested in 1907 after a Dr. Soper determines that she is a carrier of the disease but is asymptomatic. She worked as a cook for several prominent families whose family members all contracted Typhoid and some died including the children in the families. Soper quarantines Mary first in a hospital where she is forced to provide urine and stool samples and then later she is sent to North Brother Island in the East River where she stays for two years before being released upon the condition that she would not cook as a profession. The novel dips back into Mallon's arrival in New York in 1883 and tells of her work ethic and ambition to rise from laundress to cook. As part of the storyline, it also tells of her loyalty to her boyfriend, Alfred Briehof, an alcoholic who refused to marry her and who later becomes addicted to heroin and morphine after being burned in an accident. After she is liberated from North Brother Island, Mary returns to laundry work in the city. However, she becomes exhausted by the laundry and yearns to cook. She becomes a baker thinking this is not really the same as cooking for people but she is discovered by Dr. Soper. She manages to escape from him and later starts cooking at Sloane Maternity Hospital until ultimately she realizes that she is a Typhoid carrier and she then ends up spending the rest of her life back on the island.
This was really a sad story. Mary was indeed a carrier of Typhoid but she seemed to be targeted by Dr. Soper who wanted to use her as a study case. It was later found that there were many other asymptomatic carriers of the disease but Mary was the only one who was abducted and quarantined for years. I did find this story to be compelling and it kept me interested. The side story about Alfred was also interesting but I'm not sure how much of it was true. I thought this may have been added to the novel to give a more humanized story. But overall, I would recommend this. It does provide some interesting history that I knew little about.
The novel starts with Mallon being arrested in 1907 after a Dr. Soper determines that she is a carrier of the disease but is asymptomatic. She worked as a cook for several prominent families whose family members all contracted Typhoid and some died including the children in the families. Soper quarantines Mary first in a hospital where she is forced to provide urine and stool samples and then later she is sent to North Brother Island in the East River where she stays for two years before being released upon the condition that she would not cook as a profession. The novel dips back into Mallon's arrival in New York in 1883 and tells of her work ethic and ambition to rise from laundress to cook. As part of the storyline, it also tells of her loyalty to her boyfriend, Alfred Briehof, an alcoholic who refused to marry her and who later becomes addicted to heroin and morphine after being burned in an accident. After she is liberated from North Brother Island, Mary returns to laundry work in the city. However, she becomes exhausted by the laundry and yearns to cook. She becomes a baker thinking this is not really the same as cooking for people but she is discovered by Dr. Soper. She manages to escape from him and later starts cooking at Sloane Maternity Hospital until ultimately she realizes that she is a Typhoid carrier and she then ends up spending the rest of her life back on the island.
This was really a sad story. Mary was indeed a carrier of Typhoid but she seemed to be targeted by Dr. Soper who wanted to use her as a study case. It was later found that there were many other asymptomatic carriers of the disease but Mary was the only one who was abducted and quarantined for years. I did find this story to be compelling and it kept me interested. The side story about Alfred was also interesting but I'm not sure how much of it was true. I thought this may have been added to the novel to give a more humanized story. But overall, I would recommend this. It does provide some interesting history that I knew little about.
Back to all reviews by this member
Back to all reviews of this book
Back to Book Reviews
Back to Book Details
Back to all reviews of this book
Back to Book Reviews
Back to Book Details
