In the foreground of this story is 16-year-old Mattie Cook, whose mother and grandfather own a popular coffee house on High Street. Mattie's comfortable and interesting life is shattered by the epidemic, as her mother is felled and the girl and her grandfather must flee for their lives. Later, after much hardship and terror, they return to the deserted town to find their former cook, a freed slave, working with the African Free Society, an actual group who undertook to visit and assist the sick and saved many lives. As first frost arrives and the epidemic ends, Mattie's sufferings have changed her from a willful child to a strong, capable young woman able to manage her family's business on her own. (Ages 12 and older) --Patty Campbell

Product Description

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.

Yet somehow we never come as close to Mattie as we might, or as we do with the main character in Anderson's SPEAK. Mattie's thoughts are so much on survival and on food that at times the book feels a bit like a travelogue of a disaster. Salvation, when it comes, also seems abrupt. In the end, this is a quick way to get an immediate feel for a terrible time in history, but although we are told a lot about Mattie, her family, her hopes and dreams, somehow she stays elusive. Emotionally, the book is a little disappointing, but it's still well worth a read.


Fever 1973   July 8, 2004
 6 out of 7 found this review helpful

Author of Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson writes her amazing historical fiction book, Fever 1793 about a teenage girl named Matilda a.k.a. Mattie who faces difficulty and fights for her life. The story is written really well and Laurie Halse Anderson does a good job making Matilda sound like a girl in the 18th century. In Fever 1793 the bonds of friendship and love is written really well.
16 year-old Matilda Cook's mother and grandfather owns a popular coffee shop on High Street. Mattie was a lazy girl with a comfortable and plain life. Her whole life changes when the yellow fever epidemic arrives in Philadelphia. Her mother caught the fever and sends Matilda and her grandfather away to be safe. They leave Philadelphia and on their way both Matilda and her grandfather catches yellow fever. So much happens like the death of Mattie's grandfather and her mother goes missing. The epidemic kills thousands of people. When winter comes the epidemic ends. The fever might have ended but the bad memories are still there.
The epidemic caused Mattie to change a lot. She was a lazy girl in the beginning of the book but then she became more responsible and strong. The character shift that Laurie Halse Anderson did was really good.
I had read her other book Speak and thought it was an ok book. But Fever 1973 is one of the best books I've ever read. This book was written I such a way that it is hard to put down. Anderson makes you want to keep reading. I read this book in 3 days and couldn't put it down. I never knew historical fiction could be so fun to read.
Fever 1793 is written so well. I couldn't find any downside besides the fact that I thought the beginning was boring, other than that it was perfect. This book really gives you a picture of the 18th century. This book was not only fun to read but it also was educational. These are two qualities that make the book great.


History comes to Life   April 12, 2001
 5 out of 5 found this review helpful

Fever, 1793 brings the sorrowful time in Philadelphia when Yellow Fever devastated the city, to life in a compelling manner. You see the sights of the ravished market,docks, and shops, smell the stench of the dead and dying, feel the despair of those waiting and watching and struggle right along with Mattie as she copes with the loss of her grandfather, the fear that her missing mother may be dead,and her determination to reach out to others and survive.Mattie's spirit brings hope and joy in a terrible time. I could not put this book down.

A librarian from Bucks County


Fever 1793 is GREAT!   August 7, 2004
 5 out of 6 found this review helpful

Everything was calm and well. Everything, until the fever broke out. Thousands of people were dying. No one knew how to cure the disease, not even the doctors. Yellow fever caused chaos, chasing people away from Philadelphia. The few families that dared to stay regretted it.
Mattie Cook lived with her widowed mother and grandfather in a coffee shop. Polly, their household servant, and Eliza their cook lived with them as well. They were all happy since they had such a pleasant life. Mattie was not. She was a teenager, yet everyone still seemed to treat her as a child.
Then one day, horrible news came. Polly had died. She was incredibly sick, and none of the doctors knew what killed her. A week later, about eighty more people had died. No one was sure of what had killed them, but rumors were spreading like crazy about an outbreak of a fever. The Cooks frowned upon such rumors. A fever outbreak at this time was normal. Every summer, a fever might come, take a few people, and leave in the winter.
Soon, the fever was everywhere, wiping out hundreds. When Mattie's mother came down with the disease, Mattie was forced to leave Philadelphia with Grandfather. They set out to stay with the Ludingtons, on their farm. On the way to the farm, Mattie became terrified when her grandfather had a coughing fit. The couple driving the wagon feared he had yellow fever and left Mattie and her grandfather on the road.
Mattie awoke in a hospital, where French doctors worked. They had treated many Indians with yellow fever. After she discovered she herself had the fever, Mattie was tended to, and she and her grandfather were soon on their way home.
When Mattie and her grandfather arrived at the house, they found Mattie's mother missing, as well as Eliza. They also found that someone has broken into the house. Later that night, two robbers broke in and killed grandfather. Mattie was left to fend for herself. Mattie had been treated like a child for so long, she didn't know how to act when she was alone. She found a child, named Nell, whose mother had died. Mattie cared for Nell, while trying to care for herself.
Mattie learned about the horrors of Philadelphia. It had changed in so many ways. Robbers had broken into almost every fever victim's house. Corpses were everywhere in the streets. Smells of blood and sounds of death disturbed Mattie in the night. Mattie could not find her mother, and was frightened for her mother's life and her own.
When all hope was lost, Mattie saw Eliza and went to stay with her. Eliza was caring for a man who had yellow fever, and his two twin boys. Soon, the boys and Nell came down with the fever. Everything was going wrong, when a miracle happened. Mattie spotted frost. The end of the fever season had started.
Soon, Mattie and Eliza opened up the coffeehouse, and business was booming. President Washington visited Philadelphia, where people had begun to move back in and regain their normal lives. Mattie's mother returned, and all was normal and back to the way it should be.
Laurie Anderson's writing style is enchanting. She brings the characters alive, and puts you in their position. She likes to educate you about the late 17th century.
In the story, Mattie has to make a lot of decisions on her own. She struggles for her life. Mattie Cook's character was persistent. By the end of the book, Mattie's character had grown up. "'May I go to the market, Eliza?' I asked.
`You don't need my permission,' Eliza said.
She was right. I could choose for myself."
Mattie had taken care of a little girl, and for the first time in her life, made her own decisions. In one part of the book, Eliza was appalled when Mattie spoke for herself and told the adult what to do. Mattie told Eliza not to bleed the children, that it would finish them. Mattie had learned things when French doctors had mended her.
Two big themes of the story are growing up, and finding bravery within yourself. Mattie survived the fever, and went from the tomboyish, chicken that she was I learned a lot about these themes and learned a lot of yellow fever. I would recommend this book to ages 10 and up.