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

Have you ever heard of Typhoid Fever? What about Typhoid Mary? In this time of school closures due to the COVID 19 pandemic, this nonfiction account of Mary Mallon (aka Typhoid Mary)'s life is extra interesting!

Typhoid fever is a life-threatening illness caused by the Salmonella Paratyphi bacteria. It is spread by poor hygiene (improper hand washing) and contaminated food and water.

Terrible Typhoid Mary tells the story of Mary Mallon, an Irish immigrant who lived in New York City and worked as a cook in the early 1900's. She was one of the first identified as a healthy carrier of the disease and is believed to have infected 51 people with typhoid fever during her career. She was arrested and forcibly quarantined to a cottage on North Brother Island off the coast of New York City where she lived out the remainder of her life.

I recommend this book to 4th-6th grade nonfiction lovers who are particularly interested in reading about epidemics, science, and history.

Mrs. N.