Super Short Summary

Published in 2013, Fever by Mary Beth Keane tells the story of Mary Mallon, known as "Typhoid Mary," the first asymptomatic carrier of typhoid fever in America. Through Mary's perspective, readers gain an intimate understanding of her life as an Irish immigrant cook in New York and the challenges she faces during a time when the transmission of contagious diseases was poorly understood, including her eventual identification as a carrier and the legal and personal ramifications that follow. Themes of disease, isolation, and involuntary medical treatment are explored.