An American Plague by Jim Murphy

NCTE Orbis Pictus Award

2004 Robert J. Sibert Informational Book Award

2004 Newbery Honor Book Award

Bibliography

Murphy, Jim. 2003. AN AMERICAN PLAGUE: THE TRUE AND TERRIFYING STORY OF THE YELLOW FEVER EPIDEMIC OF 1793. New York: Clarion Books.

Summary

In 1793, a killer holds Philadelphia hostage. It is yellow fever. In the heat and the humidity of late summer, the fever flourishes, but no one knows what is causing it or how to stop it. While half the residents flee and those who stay die by the dozens daily, the city flounders.

Critical Analysis

Based on numerous primary sources, Murphy's account is well-researched and well-written. Without sacrificing accuracy, he recreates the horror of 1793 Philadelphia through narrative rich with imagery that transports readers back in time: "Dead fish and gooey vegetable matter were exposed and rotted, while swarms of insects droned in the heavy, humid air." First-hand accounts blend perfectly with Murphy's text to emphasize the humanity of the victims and make them real for readers, rather than just a list of names.

In addition to the compelling text, AN AMERICAN PLAGUE is full of pictures that help readers imagine what the city was like back then, including contemporary portraits of key people, facsimiles of newspaper articles of the time, engravings of Philadelphia prior to the fever, and a map of 1793 Philadelphia.

Murphy provides an extensive bibliography in the back, arranged by subject, to facilitate readers' researching further the aspects they want to know more about, and an index for finding information quickly.

Review Excerpts

The Washington Post--"Nobody does juvenile nonfiction better than Murphy."

Kirkus Reviews -- "A mesmerizing, macabre account that will make readers happy they live in the 21st century. Powerful, evocative prose carries the compelling subject matter. Stellar."

School Library Journal -- "Murphy chronicles this frightening time with solid research and a flair for weaving facts into fascinating stories."

Connections

*FictionAnderson, Laurie Halse. 2002. FEVER, 1793. ISBN 0689848919. Historical novel based on the actual yellow fever epidemic of 1793.

*Other historical nonfiction by Jim Murphy:

Murphy, Jim. 2000. BLIZZARD: THE STORM THAT CHANGED AMERICA. ISBN 0590673092. The blizzard that hit the northeast in 1888.

_____. 1995. THE GREAT FIRE. ISBN 0590472674. The fire that almost destroyed Chicago in 1871.