(Book Cover Source: http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/50958941&referer=brief_results, accessed October 26, 2008)BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Murphy, Jim. 2003. An American plague: the true and terrifying story of the yellow fever epidemic of 1793. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 0395776082
2. SUMMARY:
Jim Murphy is the award-winning author of more than 30 books about American history for children. As the title suggests, in An American Plague, he tells the dramatic story of the 1793 yellow fever epidemic, which centered in Philadelphia. Through first-hand accounts, newspaper articles, maps, and drawings from the period, Murphy brings the research to life, telling of the events from multiple perspectives. In a comprehensive style, Murphy discusses the social, political, and physical conditions of the times, as well as the medical knowledge (and lack thereof) and subsequent arguments about causation and treatment of yellow fever. Sparing no details, Murphy describes the horrors of the illness, and a city filled with dead bodies, in gruesome detail. However, he also focuses on inspiring examples of exemplary character. After those who could flee the city did, Murphy pays particular note to the heroic efforts of ordinary citizens who stayed behind and showed tremendous leadership, including the significant role Philadelphia's free blacks played in the catastrophe. He also describes the Constitutional crisis President Washington dealt with when he was forced to leave the city, but couldn't convene congress elsewhere due to the laws of the time.
The book closes with a chapter, which chronicles subsequent epidemics and efforts to understand and prevent yellow fever, up to the present time. Chillingly titled, "A Modern-Day Time Bomb," Murphy warns, "Two factors make the situation especially dire in the United States . . . no company here has produced the vaccine in recent years . . . Second, despite years of research, there is still no cure for yellow fever. While modern medicines can lessen the impact the disease has on the human body, once a persona has yellow fever, he or she will have to endure most of the horrible symptoms that Philadelphia's people suffered in 1793." Thus, the reader is brought full-circle. Source notes are included at the end, along with a note about the illustrations, and a comprehensive index. The source notes are extensive, and include Murphy's comments about the relevance of the particular source.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
"Riveting" is an apt description of An American Plague. In a modern world haunted by fears of epidemics such as SARS and avian influenza, readers will find Murphy's account of this historic epidemic, and cautions for our time, to be both fascinating and informative. History enthusiasts will appreciate the vivid images he paints of life in 1793 Philadelphia. Fans of medical and forensic media will enjoy the vivid details with which he describes the illness, resulting deaths, and disposal issues. Although it is nonfiction, Murphy has chosen his sources with such care, and woven them together with such finesse, the book reads more like an absorbing tale.
Aside from the sheer entertainment value of the book, one must also look at issues like accuracy, organization, design, and style when critiquing it. Regarding accuracy, Murphy not only lists over 90 sources he consulted when writing the book, for many of them, he also includes a paragraph summarizing their relevance to his topic. Further, Murphy's award-winning reputation as an author of historical nonfiction for children, strengthens the sense that he has presented accurate information. Finally, multiple, glowing reviews of An American Plague, published by top tier reviewers, lend credence to the notion that Murphy has offered an accurate accounting of the subject.
In terms of organization, the book begins with a Table of Contents with chapter headings. Maps are clearly labeled, and illustrations include informative captions. Although as stated above, the Sources section is very extensive, one minor disappointment is the absence of in-text citations. Should one want to learn more about a specific detail Murphy discusses, one must still hunt through the Sources section in hopes of finding the precise information sought. The thorough Index at the end should be useful to readers, as it includes names, events, and medical terms. As for the layout of the book, Murphy describes the events in chronological order, beginning with Chapter One's intriguing title, "No One Noticed," and concluding with the aforementioned "A Modern-Day Time Bomb." This makes it easy to follow the progression of the events.
An interesting inclusion in the book is Murphy's "A Note About The Illustrations," at the close. In it, Murphy laments that no one ever documented the epidemic visually. Instead, he tells us he had to rely on illustrations from Europe, which depicted similar settings and events to help tell the story about the American epidemic. Aside from this limitation in design, Murphy has done a good job of interspersing maps, drawings, and newspaper articles with the text. The text itself is broken up into easy to absorb, brief paragraphs.
Finally, regarding style, according to Sylvia Vardell (2008), "Style is what makes an informational book a work of literature and not just a book of facts." Murphy has definitely succeeded in achieving this in An American Plague. As you may note below, reviewers gush with phrases like, "lyrical tone," "laudable insight," "truly absorbing," and "a flair for weaving facts into fascinating stories." Murphy's lively, fascinating presentation of information definitely offers the reader a satisfying literary experience.
Source:
Vardell, Sylvia. 2008. Children's literature in action. Westport: Libraries Unlimited.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS:
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, Starred Review: "Laudable insight . . . Readers view the panic from several vantage points . . . allows his audience to share the contemporary complexity . . . truly absorbing."
The Horn Book: "Diverse voices . . . representative images . . . Everywhere, Murphy is attentive to telling detail . . . Thoroughly documented . . . the work is both rigorous and inviting."
Publisher's Weekly: "Leisurely, lyrical tone . . . Murphy injects the events with immediacy."
School Library Journal, Starred Review: "Solid research and a flair for weaving facts into fascinating stories . . . extensive and interesting . . . you'll have students hooked on history."
5. CONNECTIONS:
Due to the difficulty level of the vocabulary and the rather gruesome nature of the topic, this book is probably not suitable for elementary students. Aside from suggesting it to students interested in history and medical issues, it might be used:
* In conjunction with a history class studying the growing pains of our early nation and the Constitutional crisis President Washington faced as a result of the epidemic.
*In conjunction with a public health class or pre-med course at a health magnet high school.
*In conjunction with a student's independent, in-depth study for a project.
*In conjunction with a literature course analyzing the attributes of a nonfiction book recognized for its high quality, or comparing and contrasting it with a fiction book written about the same topic. In the latter case, a possible title might be the following well-researched, historical fiction novel:
Anderson, Laurie Halse. Fever 1793. ISBN 0689848919
*Finally, if a student or teacher were looking for other titles by Jim Murphy of a similar vein, they could be directed to the following:
Murphy, Jim. A young patriot: the American Revolution as experienced by one boy. ISBN 0395900190
Murphy, Jim. Across American on an emigrant train. ISBN 0395764831
Murphy, Jim. Blizzard!: the storm that changed America. ISBN 0590673106
Murphy, Jim. The great fire. ISBN 0439203074
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