(5-8) During the summer of 1793, yellow fever struck Philadelphia killing thousands of people. This book accurately portrays what life would have been like during this time period from the viewpoint of Mattie, a fourteen-year-old girl. Mattie, who loves to sleep in and play rather than to help in the family bussiness, is forced to grow up quickly as she is needed to help care for others affected by the disease. At one point Mattie concludes that "A dying woman in a cot surrounded by strangers [is] sorrowful, but a dying woman surrounded by her children, her handiwork, the home where she worked so hard, lea[ves] me in tears." This story is an amazing tale of one young girl's perseverance and trust in God.
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