Deadly by Julie Chibbaro is the story of Typhoid Mary, the Irish cook who spread typhoid to those who came in contact with her even though she had never been ill a day in her life.
It's also the story of Prudence Galewski, a sixteen-year-old Jewish girl living in the tenements of New York City at the turn of the century. It's a story of coming-of-age, of learning about women's rights (at that time before women could vote), and of a medical community just learning about germs and the spreading of disease.
The story is told in a first-person narrative through a diary kept by Prudence. Although at times the story seems to slow down as Prudence turns introspective, there is enough action to hold the reader's interest through those sections.
Prudence learns, for example, that during the Civil War, bacteria was used as a weapon. "Well, for instance, during the Civil War, men from the South would send men from the North blankets" -- but not as a gesture of truce; the blankets were from men who had died of smallpox. "They would spread the deadly disease to their enemies through those blankets."
The reader will find the information in the Author's Note at the end of the story of special interest. There, Julie Chibbaro discusses how the events in the book were carefully researched. The characters (except for Prudence) really existed, and many of the events retold in the book are based on fact.
This book would be a wonderful choice for a middle school or high school book club. The themes that jump out for discussion include: women's rights, medical history, germ theory, advocating for self, family relations, friendship, and more.
Find this book at your local independent bookstore like The Book Stall at Chestnut Court in Winnetka, The Book Bin in Northbrook, and Anderson's Bookshop in Downer's Grove and Naperville.
FTC Disclaimer: this review is based on a review copy of the book provided by the publicist.
Comments