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

Reviewed by: Kristin Taylor - Biddeford High School, Biddeford, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 5, 2015

Review

As usual, Susan Campbell Bartoletti has taken topic in history and made it a fascinating read. She has written this book about Mary Mallon and the Typhoid Epidemic to read like a novel instead of informational text. The author delves into the life of Mary's lesser know civil and human rights violations, the science of the pathology used to confine her and who "Typhoid Mary" really was despite the tabloid depictions of the time. Mary Mallon was a simple cook who unfortunately was a carrier for typhoid and refused to believe that she was spreading the disease to those that she cooked for. Health officials had her condemned and confined for a major part of her adult at North Brother Island off New York City where she died from a stroke in 1932.

Excellent coverage of the typhoid epidemic in the early 1900s with table of contents, photo album located at the end of the book of Mary and related images from the time, a timeline of Mary Mallon's life and a well documented bibliography. The book is easy to follow and would be helpful to anyone interested in Mary Mallon's personal life, the typhoid epidemic, the pathology of the time and history. Recommended for grades 7 and up, including adults.

Overall Book Score: excellent