The fictional novel Fever 1793 written by Laurie Halse Anderson is narrated through the protagonist, Matilda "Mattie" Cook. Mattie is fourteen years old and lives with her mother and grandfather; as a family they run a famous cafe. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay. A series of events occur that force her to grow up rapidly and face hardships to support her family and her business. Mattie works in a cafe run by her mother, grandfather and their waitress Eliza. The Cook Coffeehouse outside Philadelphia becomes a refuge for those fleeing the citywide fever, also known as yellow fever. Yellow fever took about 10% of its residents. The epidemic hit in August and did not abate until November. When the fever initially hits, some people leave town, while others don't believe it's anything more than a normal fever that tends to hit every fall. Mattie is just a normal teenager. Like any other teenager, her body is changing, she can't stand the sound of her mother's voice, and she has a huge crush on a cute painter named Nathaniel Benson. The yellow fever epidemic, however, creates an urgent situation in the city she calls home. Once known for its brotherly love, Philadelphia has turned into a nightmare of orphaned children, thieves and unmarked mass graves. Over the course of the novel, Mattie experiences intense personal loss and comes face to face with death. He will also have to fight the wave of panic and fear that rages in the city and within himself. To win the battle, Mattie must muster every ounce of her courage, strength and morality. A true test of who she is, the fever will become one of the defining moments of Mattie's life. As the yellow fever epidemic continues to spread through her town, her mother falls ill and Mattie and her grandfather attempt to escape the town. However, her grandfather falls ill, and then Mattie herself. Once Mattie has recovered, they return to the city, but it is completely abandoned and their house has been robbed. When they are attacked by robbers, Mattie's grandfather dies and Mattie is left to fend for herself. On his way to the market after burying his grandfather, he discovers a little girl, Nell, whose mother has died of a fever, and Mattie takes her in. Mattie comes into contact with Eliza, who takes care of her brother's children, and stays with her. and Nell. Soon Nell and the twins fall ill with a fever and Mattie and Eliza must stop helping others care for them. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a custom essay They move into the cafe, and when everyone has recovered after the first frost, the city comes to life again. Mattie asks Eliza to be her partner in getting the coffee shop started again. Soon his mother arrives from relatives. Mattie believed she might be dead, but the family leaves after the fever tragedy subsides. Works Cited Anderson, L. H. (2002). Fever, 1793. Simon and Schuster.Glencross, R. (2003). Historical fiction for children and teenagers: changing times, changing perspectives. Taylor & Francis.Pennsylvania Historical Society. (n.d.). The yellow fever epidemic of 1793 in Philadelphia. Retrieved from https://www.brynmawr.edu/iconog/phila1793/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Yellow fever. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/giallofever/index.htmlU.S. National Library of Medicine. (n.d.). Epidemics in history: yellow fever. Retrieved from https://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/giallofever/index.htmlU.S. Department of State. (n.d.). Philadelphia and the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793. Retrieved from