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    Fever 1793
    Fever 1793
    Fever 1793
    Audiobook6 hours

    Fever 1793

    Written by Laurie Halse Anderson

    Narrated by Bailey Carr

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    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.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateFeb 20, 2018
    ISBN9781977376534
    Author

    Laurie Halse Anderson

    Laurie Halse Anderson is the New York Times-bestselling author of many award-winning books including the groundbreaking modern classic Speak, a National Book Award finalist which has sold over 3.5 million copies and been translated into 35 languages. In 2023, Anderson was named the laureate of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, which is given annually to authors, illustrators, oral storytellers, and reading promoters "for their outstanding contribution to children's and young adult literature." In 2009, Anderson was selected by the American Library Association for the Margaret A. Edwards Award for her "significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature." A passionate spokesperson for the need to combat censorship and promote diversity in publishing, she has been honored for her battles for intellectual freedom by the National Coalition Against Censorship and the National Council of Teachers of English. Mother of four, grandmother of dragons, and wife of one, she lives in Pennsylvania.

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    Reviews for Fever 1793

    4/5

    1,399 ratings116 reviews

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    • 5/5
      I read this with my daughter for her US Literature class. I thought it did a good job mixing in historical facts, while really emphasizing the growth of the main character Maddie. Her maturity was lovely and a good discussion for my daughter and I.
    • 3/5
      It was a good book. 3 star due to terrible narrators in the beginning
    • 4/5
      This book offers a good historical view on the yellow fever epidemic. Written from a young girls perspective it offers some great insight into the life and times of 1793.
    • 4/5
      Wonderful story and well written main character. I found myself staying up late because I could not put this book down.
    • 5/5
      Really good book and good details. If you say it is bad, if there is a bridge near you, do it.
    • 5/5
      One of my new favorites. Especially during the 2020 pandemic, this story is so relatable and so unique.
    • 3/5
      I loved this book! I got to see how it was in the 1793 when there was yellow fever. I give this 5 star! :D
    • 3/5
      Set in Philadelphia during the 1793 Yellow Fever epidemic, this story is told from the perspective of Mattie, a young girl who works in her mother's coffee shop. All Mattie wants to do is be free to pursue her dreams, but when her mother falls ill with the strange new sickness, Mattie must rely on herself and her wits to survive. Together with the help of her community and kindly strangers, Mattie will go through much but eventually learn what it means to be a grown woman. She will take responsibility for her family's shop and care for several orphans that find their way into home.This is a quick read about a fascinating and frightening time in American history.
    • 4/5
      A twenty year old book written about a 230 year old epidemic and never more timely. What has changed? Pandemics still bring out the best and worst in people, and how you fare is largely to do with your race and economic status. When you read the historical facts in the appendix you realize how skillfully the characters were created out of real people’s lived experiences. A shout out to the archivists who kept all this information safe and accessible, and to Laurie Halse Anderson for shedding light on this chapter of history.
    • 4/5
      unsettlingly relevant historical fiction
    • 4/5
      Liked the strong heroine, with her big dreams and her willingness to do the work. Halse Anderson does an amazing job with evoking the historical time period and atmosphere. I didn't know anything about this particular episode in time, and I enjoyed reading it.
    • 4/5
      I read this book in July but I’m just not in the headspace to do detailed reviews on books. It’s all I can do to even read a book right now during COVID. The next few book reviews aren’t going to be much or too in-depth but I’m at least documenting that I read it.

      It has been a long time since I read a young adult novel but this one was worth it. When I was in middle school I read a ton of historical novels appropriate for my age group. I have kept a lot of them. This one was a recent beach trip read for m and then I passed it on to my niece.

      Fever 1793 is a fabulous historical story for everyone and not just young adults. It’s an easy read with great historical detail. That is what I most liked about the book. She didn’t go short on detail or accuracy but put it in there and helped explain what happened in history using a narrative that was believable.

      But here’s what I love most about this book. The author has on her website teaching guides, curriculum links, and more. I’ll definitely be spending some time going through these. . . . maybe when this pandemic is over.
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed this story of survival; and I learned a part of US history I was unaware of.
    • 5/5
      Occasionally I enjoy reading books that are aimed more toward kids, because they can be just as good as adult books. Laurie Halse Anderson is an authors who’s been on my radar for some time, so I decided to start my journey through her books with Fever 1793. I love historical fiction, and this one gives a fictional account of the yellow fever epidemic that hit Philadelphia in late 1793, killing over five thousand people. I’ve heard of a number of epidemics throughout history, but I’m not sure that I’d ever read anything about this specific one. It was made all the more interesting, because the United States was just coming off the Revolutionary War at the time and was still a fledgling country, whose capitol was then Philadelphia. Many of the patriots and founding fathers, including President Washington, left the city for safer areas. Those who stayed behind were obviously hit the hardest, and there were many people who IMHO were heroes for doctoring and nursing the sick, some of them coming down with the disease and dying themselves. It was a rather bleak chapter in our history as a nation but one that I found very interesting.The story is told from the viewpoint of Mattie, a fourteen year old girl who helps her widowed mother run a coffee house, something that was all the rage at the time (and apparently still is :-)). She’s a very smart, independent young lady, but one who’s perhaps a tad lazy as the story opens. She has grand dreams of expanding the coffee house to include a store and of traveling to Paris to bring back all sorts of fripperies to sell, but at the same time, she rather dislikes the day-to-day grind of running the family business. That all changes when the epidemic hits. Within a few months time, Mattie grows and changes as she deals with the fallout of this brutal disease. She must leave her sick mother behind in an effort to flee the plague and eventually loses someone very close to her. When she returns, not knowing what became of her mother, she must grow up almost overnight to take charge of several different situations, but she manages to handle them all with strength and dignity. I have to give the author kudos for writing a strong female protagonist. Mattie was a very admirable heroine, who is a great role model for young girls.Fever 1793 is a wonderful book for all kids, middle grade and up, although because of it’s female lead, it will probably appeal more to girls. The effects of the yellow fever can be pretty brutal (obviously a lot of people lost their lives, and some people were so scared by it, they even left loved ones in the streets to die) and the author doesn’t gloss any of this over. However, I certainly didn’t find anything to be overly shocking or in any way inappropriate for the age group (ages 10 and up according to the back cover) at which it’s aimed. Some younger, sensitive readers might be bothered by these things, but otherwise, there wasn’t any objectionable content, and IMO, the history lesson far outweighs any potential downside. Ms. Anderson even includes an appendix of fascinating historical facts at the very end of the book, and the quotes from persons who experienced this tragedy first-hand that begin each chapter were quite interesting. I also enjoyed the touch of romance between Mattie and Nathaniel. In addition to the strong female lead, I have to give the author credit for including several free African American characters and for highlighting their incredible and selfless contributions in the effort to fight this terrible disease. Overall, Fever 1793 was a really good story. The only reason I dropped a half-star is because it took me just a little while to connect with the characters and the narrative, but once the epidemic hit, I was very engaged. I highly recommend the book for kids middle grade or older who enjoy historical fiction. It was my first read by Laurie Halse Anderson, and after this wonderful book, I’m definitely looking forward to checking out more of her work.
    • 4/5
      Listened to audiobook w/ my 14 year old daughter - it was great in that context. Highly engaging, a bit scary, and great historical fiction. All good.
    • 3/5
      Even though it is a YA book.... it still was an enjoyable experience for an "old woman"..... The book gave a great inside in the life of people in Philadelphia during a Yellow Fever outbreak in 1793...... somehow there were a lot of similarities of what we are currently experiencing with COVID-19!
    • 4/5
      Through the perspective of 14 year old Mattie, the horror of the 1793 plague in Philadelphia is revealed. This is very well researched and gives insight into 18th century America including the role of the French and the African freepeople.
    • 3/5
      I have been wanting to read this novel for years. As it is the Pentathlon book for 2019-2020 school year, I've finally gotten around to it! A historical fiction novel, Fever, 1793, deals with the yellow fever epidemic that hit Philadelphia in 1793.Mattie Cook lives with her mother and grandfather running a successful tea shop in Philadelphia, just down the street from George Washington's home. Mattie, despite what her mother says, embodies energy and potential. Her mother worries constantly and wants to save money. After all, it's hard for a widow to support herself and a family during this time period. Mattie only sees potential with the tea shop. She has ideas about expansion and inventory. Their cook Eliza is more a part of the family than she is an employee. Mattie's grandfather was a member of the Revolutionary War and has taught Mattie some basic military ideas and defenses. Mattie loves her family.Rumors of sickness start to spread. Mattie's mother wants Mattie to marry well, so when an invitation arrives to a rich family's house for tea, off they go. It's there that one of the daughter collapses. The fever is upon Philadelphia. People literally drop all over town and many die. There's little to purchase because even the farmers and merchants won't enter town. Mattie's mother sends her to the country with her grandfather, but they never arrive at the friend's house. Mattie and her grandfather have to fend for themselves worrying about her mother.Mattie sees Philadelphia in the heart of this epidemic and takes the reader with her. The uneducated and prejudiced people of society abound, from doctors to business leaders. The reader experiences what happens before modern medicine when people survived despite the doctors. They bleed people and give them strange advice. Survival comes only to the strongest. Business leaders expect the black members of the city to take care of the sick because they assume only white people get sick. Overall, I enjoyed the novel, but I like Death Struck Year much better for a book about a pandemic. This novel reads like an elementary novel to me, seeming quite simple. If you like historical fiction, you may enjoy this novel as well.
    • 1/5
      For the love of all that's holy - stop passing this on to students who will think, by way of their teacher's recommendation, that this is a piece of quality historical fiction. What better way to turn them off of reading, while negating the efforts of their history teachers at the same time?

      The single most painful piece of poor writing I've ever seen prescribed to students. My poor 6th grader is reading this along with her class, but the opportunity came up for us to listen to the audio on a long car trip and I thought it could both get her ahead in Language Arts, and provide for a good story for the whole family.

      The protagonist's voice could hardly be more modern, and is supposed to be the voice of a girl from 220 years in the past. There isn't even an attempt made to use period language (no, leaving references to cell phones out does not count). Laura Ingalls Wilder writes of a time 100 years after this book takes place, and yet portrays the periods language, voice, and mores a thousand times better.

      The set-up is exciting, and banks on a slow build dystopian trend - it also tries to hitch a ride on even more specific trends like the day to day plodding that appeals to a fan of The Walking Dead (for example) - but if a modern sensibility is to be given to a plague outbreak story, there are unlimited better books and productions to choose from.

      The treatment of girls, blacks, and other minorities in this book could hardly be less period-accurate. In the best case this was done out of ignorance and simple-minded writing, but the fact that it is assigned reading for some students, and that it has been given awards, leads me to suspect a more sinister motive: white-washing history to portray the treatment of women and minorities as all-but equal citizens 220 years ago in America - with the bonus factor (in the eyes of people with the motive to push this narrative in schools) of preaching a white-washed version of the period's Christianity in the bargain (in school - under the auspices of historical accuracy).

      Completely irresponsible if not downright conspiratorial with those seeking to create a false history for the US. This would be a great book to let go out of print ASAP - or to dissect for its blatant use of misrepresentation. It certainly doesn't help that it's boring as can be for an interesting subject, in an interesting time period. You may well find yourself, as I did, rooting for the fever to do away with these insipid characters.
    • 4/5
      Having just finished a book where the Yellow Fever plays a big roll in the story line, I was excited to finally read this book. I have had it on my shelf for awhile. I think Ms. Anderson did a fabulous job making Mattie's ordeal very real. What a great book to teach young readers how difficult life was for people of these times.I was unaware of this event in Philadelphia's history. This is the reason I love historical fiction!
    • 4/5
      A YA historical novel about the yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia. A good representation of the nearly apocalyptic scene and the struggles of dealing with the threat of death of oneself and loved ones.
    • 5/5
      Philadelphia, 1793. The once bustling capital city is now a shell of its former self. Gripped by yellow fever, thousands are dead and dying, thousands more have fleed for the safety of the countryside. The raw emotion of this time in our history is truly felt within the pages. Based on true events, this is a must for historical fiction readers.
    • 4/5
      The scene at the tea... BRILLIANT. It's funny, but really not. I'd LOVE to see it acted out. My favorite part of the book hands down.
    • 5/5
      Excellent historical novel written as if a journal by a fourteen year old girl living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania during the Yellow Fever epidemic. Exceptionally well written account which entirely plausible, and includes verifiable facts regarding the devastation of the citizens and the great sacrifices and good works of the individuals of the AME church. I have read it several times, but noticed that I neglected to review, so I reread the audio today. Emily Bergl is wonderful as Mattie Cook and the other characters.
    • 4/5
      In Philadelphia (then, the capital of the United States) in 1793, yellow fever struck, taking about 10% of its residents. The outbreak hit in August and didn't subside until November. This fictional account is told from the point of view of 14-year old Mattie, who lives with her mother and grandfather; as a family, they run a popular coffeehouse. When the fever initially strikes, some people leave the city, while others (at least initially) don't believe it's anything more than a regular fever that tends to strike every fall. A series of events happens that forces Mattie to grow up quickly.I thought this was really good. I liked how Mattie's character developed over the course of the story. Because it's YA, it was quick to read. There is also a detailed appendix at the end - explaining more about the fever and what happened, as well as some additional history - that I found very interesting.
    • 4/5
      I recently read "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" so the facts learned from that book were fresh in my mind while reading Fever. I must say, everything was extremely spot on. The timeline was right, the major players were right, details of the disease progression were right, I even forgot most of the time that this was fiction and not another extremely well written piece of non-fiction. I found it interesting that the first plague victim we hear about in Fever is African American, whereas the first victim was a French sailor according to An American Plague. While they may have been fairly silent in popular culture at the time, The Free African Society was far from it in 1793. As African Americans were thought to be immune to the sickness, they were not, many African American maids saw patients in their homes that nobody else would go into and saved the lives and hopes of so many.
    • 3/5
      Book Review:
      Fourteen-year-old Mattie Cook is ambitious, adventurous, and sick to death of listening to her mother. Mattie has plans of her own. She wants to turn the Cook Coffeehouse into the finest business in Philadelphia, the capital of the new United States. But the waterfront is abuzz with reports of disease. "Fever" spreads from the docks and creeps toward Mattie's home, threatening everything she holds dear. As the cemeteries fill with fever victims, fear turns to panic, and thousands flee the city. Then tragedy strikes the coffeehouse, and Mattie is trapped in a living nightmare. Suddenly, her struggle to build a better life must give way to something even more important -- the fight to stay alive as the fever rages through the town.

      Characters:
      Matilda's Mother/Lucille Cook - A hardworking woman who labors endlessly at the coffeehouse, right where she belongs. She is the mother of Matilda. She gets sick on September 2, 1793.
      Grandfather/Captain William Farnsworth Cook - Matilda's paternal grandfather, who fought with Washington in the American Revolution. Tough, but generous with a sweet disposition.
      Eliza - African American woman who was once a slave, whose deceased husband bought her freedom. Works in the coffeehouse as the chef but retires to her brother's house at the end of each day.
      Nathaniel Benson - Matilda's friend and the painter's apprentice. (Keeps talking about catching a balloon rise [important in the story])
      Polly - Matilda's childhood friend and one of the first to die of the fever. (Mother's servant)
      Nell - A little girl Matilda looks after, after finding her alone in an abandoned house.



    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed this young adult historical fiction novel. The main character was interesting and you really got to see her mature through the story. This story was really well written and interesting. It was realistic for the drama surrounding Mattie, but you didn't feel hopeless as the story rolled on. I thought the medical information from the time period was fascinating and I really liked the extra information in the appendix about "bleeding doctors" vs. the "French doctors".
    • 4/5
      Mattie is a 14 year old girl in Philadelphia in 1793, the year the city had a major epidemic of yellow fever, which killed about 10% of the population. The book gets to the meat of the story quickly, taking only a short spell before the fever starts to introduce the main characters. It is well paced, and gives an excellent idea of what life would have been like if one had lived in that time and place.Mattie seems to have a bit of the spunk and personality of a modern 14 year old - perhaps realistic, perhaps not. But even if not, it will make her more approachable by the target audience.Eliza, the black cook at the coffee house Mattie's mother runs as the book opens, is a quiet heroine in the story. I loved the way it ended for her.
    • 3/5
      Forgettable. Unremarkable. I have no love for the main character built of sharing her turmoil. I couldn't bring myself to much care for the heroine or her circumstances.