Write your own review!
Mary Ann B. (Louisville, KY)
Fever
Sometimes non-fiction books read like fiction.The book Fever does the opposite. Ms. Keane takes real people,real incidents, and creates a world that readers come to live in. Mary Mallon, given the name Typhoid Mary by the press, is a compelling character whose story you want to know. The book's atmosphere puts you in the early 20th century, and what was known, and still unknown about disease causes and prevention.
Becky M. (Crumpler, NC)
Not your average historical fiction
Normally, I do not read historical fiction, because it is, after all, history--which I find difficult to read--and fiction--which sort of negates the history aspect. But I was intrigued by the topic, Typhoid Mary, and the fact that I knew so little about a woman whose name I had heard all my life. Fever captured my interest immediately and held on to it throughout the novel. Mary became more than a well-developed character. She became, instead, a woman of intrigue and conflicting emotions. There were elements of her personality which will resonate with most women--the need for independence, love, and respect. The fact that she lived 100 years ago only added to her appeal. Keane has melded the facts of that frightening time with the humanity of her characters and the quickly changing ethics of the early twentieth century. Still, Keane does not succumb to flippant fictional techniques and instead manages to write history in a serious, direct way while allowing her imagination to create believable scenarios and characters of depth.
Annette S. (Duluth, GA)
Fever
An unforgettable story of an Irish immigrant who came to New York at the beginning of the twentieth century. Her dreams included becoming a cook as she worked her way up through the different positions of domestic service until finally becoming a cook for some of the wealthy families of Manhattan. You will learn of how the poor coped with urban life, and how the seriously ill were treated by the Department of Health, while they were trying to protect the health of the public.
As historical fiction, Fever will not disappoint and is one of the best.
Teresa R. (Evansville, IN)
Gripping!
Wow! Loved, loved, loved this book. It usually takes me a good 100 pages to get into a book... and really want to continue reading. Not so with "Fever." After reading the first 5 pages I was hooked. The writing is wonderful... so good in fact that you forget to even notice it. This was another book of historical fiction that makes me realize just what isn't known by many of us... the cardboard characters we read about as children become real people with real emotions and secrets. Read this one... I promise that you will learn something!
Joan C. (Warwick, RI)
Fever
Wow! What a great story about a real, historical person with truly a life based on continuous strife and struggle. Mary Mallon - an Irish immigrant, domestic servant with no family and a violent temper turns out to be identified as the first asymptomatic carrier of Typhoid Fever. Through no fault of her own, she is taken by force, against her will and deprived of her civil liberties. Yet, she emerges as a woman trying to find her way in a new country, without family or friends. Keane, has given the reader a real character we can like or dislike, but cannot ignore. The pros and cons of what Mary experienced is what makes this story so riveting and worthy of discussion. She was such a complex woman that In the end I still couldn't make up my mind whether to give her a loud "Boo" or a rousing cheer. Definitely a good read.
Peggy K. (Long Beach, CA)
Fever Blues
On the surface here you have a simple story of a young Irish woman trying to make good in America. A good read but this isn't just any young woman, this is the woman we all know now as Typhoid Mary. The book fictionalizes her personal life using the facts of her medical history. That is what makes it the most interesting and what will generate discussion with book clubs and schools hopefully. There are a whole list of questions that could be generated by the actions taken against Mary. I enjoyed that part of the book more really and though it took Mary most of her life it seems to realize how wrong she had been I wonder how most readers will feel about what was done to her. This book would definitely be a valuable tool in schools discussing medical ethics and the rights of patients and the public.
Paul R. (Albuquerque, NM)
Fever by Mary Beth Keane
Heart wrenching and dark but I was unable to put book down. The historical setting is a fascinating time in history - amidst the churning and changing of bustling New York City is the main character trying to find understanding and meaning and some element of peace in a world where she unwittingly has become an angel of death.
Deanna W. (Port Jefferson, NY)
Human Face
This fictionalized biography puts a human face on Typhoid Mary. We learn about the woman behind the facts and rumors. We also get a vision of every day life in the streets and tenements of early 1900's in NYC. The story is told from Mary's perspective as she comes to terms with her tragic situation.
Book Reviewed by:
 (1).gif)
