Fever by Mary Beth Keane

If you like historical fiction, well written and well researched, try Fever by Mary Beth Keane, about Mary Mallon aka Typhoid Mary, who was one of the most widely publicized cases of asymptomatic typhoid. I didn't believe the hype (book jacket? blog? Amazon review?) that I read the Keane could make Mary a sympathetic character, but she did.

What I liked the best was that the book was also a commentary on the New York City in the early 1900's, as well commentary on the emerging application of scientific germ theory.

And I liked this, in the voice of Mary herself:

"All I can say is that I thought I was doing the right thing, but I was doing the wrong thing, and it was a theme that repeated itself often."

From a literary analysis point of view, her boyfriend Alfred was such a perfect symbol/foil to the disease itself. Neither her boyfriend or her disease were something she could live with or without, but both the boyfriend and the disease were bad for her. Toxic, sometimes benign, sometimes dangerous.

It was a well constructed novel. Some adult content.

But overall, well done.