One more excellent YA book

Surprisingly, I really enjoyed reading a non-fiction book this semester! Yes, it's true, I know, I usually don't enjoy this genre as much. But An American Plague - The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 was actually a terrific read and some worthwhile information on this time in history. I read this story in tandem with Laurie Halse Anderson's Fever 1793 which was a good adjunct. It tells the story of Philadelphia and the summer and fall of that year, when this fever (spread by mosquitoes, although not understood at that time) raged and ravaged the city, killing thousands and leaving many orphans and widows or widowers. I really liked hearing about the disparity in the doctor's thinking at that time, that they were radically opposed to eachother in how they felt the fever should be treated and how they tried to stop the spread. It was also interesting to see how it affected those more famous men we know about and their families, including George Washington and others. Congress was scheduled to meet in Philadelphia that winter, and Washington had to determine whether or not it was safe or whether they needed to postpone. Very real and a little graphic about the state of things, it's a good historical read for young adults and makes you feel so grateful for modern medicine and conveniences!