Sunday, August 16, 2015

Terrible Typhoid Mary: A True Story of the Deadliest Cook in America by Susan Campbell Bartoletti - ADVISABLE


Bartoletti, Susan Campbell Terrible Typhoid Mary: A True Story of the Deadliest Cook in America, 229 pgs. NON FICTION Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015. $17.99.  Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: PG (references to urine and feces) Violence: PG.  

When a vacationing family contracts typhoid fever, their cook, Mary Mallon, is suspected of passing the disease to her employers and other members of the household.  But Mary has never had typhoid fever and is not sick! So why are people she cooks for getting this horrible disease?  Epidemiologist (and sanitary worker) George Soper and others want to find out.  

This gripping narrative non-fiction tells the story of Mary and her fight with the New York Public Health department. Bartoletti keeps the story moving and current by making comparisons to modern references.  Even a reader with little or no background knowledge will find this fascinating.  Well researched; includes an index, bibliography, photo album, source notes, timeline, and afterward. This is a great addition to your non fiction collection.  

EL MS, HS - ADVISABLE  Lisa Librarian

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