The Ballad Of Typhoid Mary

"An odd arrival from Switzerland: with philosophical and sociological asides, a dying New York City pediatrician narrates the grisly life story -- roughly factual, trimmed in fictional invention -- of Maria Caduff, a.k.a. Mary Mallon, a.k.a. "Typhoid Mary." (Supposedly, the narrator's grandfather, also a doctor, did original research on the case before Mary died in 1938; furthermore, she came from the same German/Swiss region as did this family of doctors.) The "ballad" -- with short, plain, episodic chapters -- begins in 1868, as the 13-year-old, just-orphaned Mary arrives in N.Y., one of the few healthy souls to come off the plague-ridden immigrant ship Leibnitz. But, "as chronicler of Maria's life, I have to admit it would have been better if she died then." Because, though herself unaffected, Mary is a carrier of typhus -- which she (at first unknowingly, later with a kind of pristine vengeance) transmits to one New Yorker after another. Her first victim: the pathetic, kinky doctor who rescues her from the immigration station. Next: a paralyzed man whom Mary is hired to feed. And the death toil mounts quickly -- especially since Mary, who had become the concubine of the Leibnitz's doomed cook, is single-minded in her determination to be a chef. ("I can cook" are her first, oft-repeated English words.) Most of Mary's victims are embodiments of greedy, selfish, capitalist America. Her true, unconsummated love -- who doesn't share Mary's own matter-of-fact approach to sex -- is a soulful, shack-dwelling anarchist named Chris Cramer. So, with the narrator musing on Mary's "ability to bring about a truly equalizing justice," there's a Brecht-like attempt to cast Mary's story as a Marxist, deterministic parable. ("I hereby proclaim Mary Mallon, alias Maria Caduff, a hero. She had no choice. That's why.") But only one of the tiny sequences here is truly haunting: before Mary has learned her own secret, someone else has guessed it -- and hires her to care for an unwanted mongoloid child, hoping (in vain, as it happens) that Mary's cooking will prove, as usual, fatal. And this short, spare recitation is finally more curious than powerful: a bit arch in its quasi-documentary manner, but effectively distanced (Mary's feelings and motives remain enigmatic) and -- allowing for losses in translation -- starkly stylish."--Kirkus

Discover the forgotten story of Mary Mallon—the real Typhoid Mary—in this humanizing portrait offering a window into the ethical dilemmas of public health policy that continue to haunt us in the COVID era. She was an Irish immigrant cook. Between 1900 and 1907, she infected 22 New Yorkers with typhoid fever through her puddings and cakes; one of them died. Tracked down through epidemiological detective work, she was finally apprehended as she hid behind a barricade of trashcans. To protect the public's health, authorities isolated her on Manhattan’s North Brother Island, where she died some 30 years later. This book tells the remarkable story of Mary Mallon—the real Typhoid Mary. Combining social history with biography, historian Judith Leavitt re-creates early 20th-century New York City, a world of strict class divisions and prejudice against immigrants and women. Leavitt engages the reader with the excitement of the early days of microbiology and brings to life the conflicting perspectives of journalists, public health officials, the law, and Mary Mallon herself. Leavitt’s readable account illuminates dilemmas that continue to haunt us in the age of COVID-19. To what degree are we willing to sacrifice individual liberty to protect the public's health? How far should we go? For anyone who is concerned about the threats and quandaries posed by new epidemics, Typhoid Mary is a vivid reminder of the human side of disease and disease control.

Everyone knows her story, but do you know the REAL history behind the story of Typhoid Mary? History has never been so juicy! Written with a high interest level to appeal to a more mature audience and a lower level of complexity with clear visuals to help struggling readers along. Considerate text includes tons of wild facts that will hold the readers' interest, allowing for successful mastery and comprehension. A table of contents, timeline, glossary with simplified pronunciations, and index all enhance comprehension.

A bold, mesmerizingly told story about the woman known as 'Typhoid Mary' and once described as 'the most dangerous woman in America'. They called her Typhoid Mary. They believed she was sick, that she was passing typhoid fever from her hands to the food that she served. They said she should have known. But Mary wasn't sick. She hadn't done anything wrong. She wasn't arrested right away. There were warnings. Requests. And when she was finally taken, she did not go quietly. Branded a murderer and condemned by press and public alike, Mary continued to fight for her freedom, no matter the cost. Mary Beth Keane's fictional account presents us with a very cleverly wrought conundrum: was Mary Mallon a selfish monster or a hounded innocent? 'Mary Beth Keane is one of those gifted young writers who helps me believe --still! --in the power of literature' Colum McCann 'Typhoid Mary is a sensational subject, but the strength of this novel is that it bears patient witness to an ordinary human life. Engrossing and wonderfully compassionate' Shelley Harris, Richard & Judy bestselling author ofJubilee 'Keane has very cleverly put flesh on the bogeywoman whom the press dubbed Typhoid Mary ...Disturbing and compelling' The Times 'Medical history's ultimate bad girl was Mary Mallon, the Irish cook who refused to concede that she might be a typhoid carrier, in spite of the trail of death that followed her. A fascinating turn of the last century-set medical cat-and-mouse story, Mary Beth Keane's Fever summons sympathy for the contrary personality at its center, a self-made immigrant grappling with work and love, dignity and denial' Vogue 'Mary Beth Keane inhabits Typhoid Mary in the infectiously readable Fever' Vanity Fair

One of the Greatest Medical Mysteries of All Time "Relentless: The Search For Typhoid Mary" details the search for, the torment and the persecution of Mary Mallon - Typhoid Mary. It is the first book that gives her a voice and humanity. It shows why - of all the typhoid carriers in New York at the time - and there were hundreds - she alone was locked up for years in solitary confinement. It is a story as relevant today as it was in 1906. It deals with issues that fill today's nightly news; public health, immigration, class and economic warfare, the war on women, prejudice, injustice and the plight of minorities. What Readers Say: "I had trouble putting this book down. It presents the tale in the style of good historical fiction, though it is clearly based on fact, and it is an engaging read." - Jennifer Davis "This was one of the most exciting historical novels I've read in a long time... It reads very much like a mystery detective novel, with the clues and chase driving the plot." - Tienne McKenzie A story about the ground breaking investigation into the cause of typhoid - an epidemic killer of hundreds of thousands. In 1906, Dr. George Soper, of the New York Department of Health, was hired to investigate a single typhoid outbreak in Oyster Bay, New York. This investigation led him to identifying the cause of all the typhoid epidemics that had plagued the world throughout history. His investigation was thrilling and masterful. The key was the Irish cook, Mary Mallon; Typhoid Mary. Working with her employment agency, Soper discovered that she had left a trail of typhoid dating back six years. Typhoid Mary is still known as a medical villain, but is she? Or, is she a courageous, hard working, responsible person who had the misfortune of being an unattractive, unmarried woman and Irish immigrant at a time when, "Irish Need Not Apply" could be seen on signs advertising housing and jobs throughout the City? Was she persecuted for fighting for her rights? Or, was she simply a victim of New York's rich and powerful? If you like books like "The Hot Zone" pick up a copy today."

From a Newbery Honor winner, “[a] well-researched biography of Mary Mallon, also known as Typhoid Mary…compelling.”—School Library Journal (starred review) Long Island, 1906: Mary Mallon has been working as a cook for a wealthy family for just a few weeks when members of the household were felled by typhoid. Mary herself wasn’t sick—but as it turned out, she was a carrier—a healthy person who spread the disease to others. When the New York City Board of Health found out about her, she was arrested and quarantined on an island. This biography tells the story of what she went through as she became the subject of a tabloid scandal. How she was treated by medical and legal officials reveals a lesser-known story of human and constitutional rights, entangled with the science of pathology and enduring questions about who Mary Mallon really was. How did her name become synonymous with deadly disease? And who is really responsible for the lasting legacy of Typhoid Mary? This thorough exploration also includes archival photographs and primary sources, an author's note, a timeline, annotated source notes, and bibliography.

Recounts the story of Mary Mallon, an immigrant cook considered responsible for the 1904 outbreak of typhoid fever in Oyster Bay, Long Island, and describes her attempts to escape capture and institutionalization.