Fever 1793 tells the story of Mattie Cook, a young girl who comes of age in Philadelphia during a tumultuous period of epidemic. Mattie is a typical young American girl who lives with her mother in a coffeehouse operated by the family. The business is profitable and enjoyable until rumors begin to circulate of fever. The rumors are proved true as hundreds and then thousands sicken and die from disease. Mattie's mother, several friends, and Mattie herself eventually contract the disease - many survive, but some die. At the conclusion of the novel, Mattie has matured into a capable young woman who looks forward to life with a certainty of purpose.

In the fall of 1793, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the largest and most prosperous city in the newly established United States of America. Not only is Philadelphia the nation's usual seat of government, it is also the hub...