Typhoid Mary

She was an Irish immigrant cook. Between 1900 and 1907, she infected twenty-two 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 thirty 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-twentieth-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. To what degree are we willing to sacrifice individual liberty to protect the public's health? How far should we go in the age of AIDS, drug-resistant tuberculosis, and other diseases? 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.

From beloved chef and bestselling author Anthony Bourdain, the riveting true crime tale of deadly cook Mary Mallon-otherwise known as the infamous Typhoid Mary. A riveting true crime tale told by one of the most gripping food writers in history, Typhoid Mary is the story of a madcap pursuit through the kitchens of New York City at the turn of the century. By the late nineteenth century, it seemed that New York City had put an end to the outbreaks of typhoid fever that had decimated the city. That is, until 1904, when the disease broke out in one household on Long Island. Authorities suspected the family cook, Mary Mallon, of infecting the home. But before she could be tested, the woman, soon to be known as Typhoid Mary, had disappeared. Over the course of the next three years, Mary spread her pestilence from household to household as she narrowly escaped the law until 1907, when she was traced to a home on Park Avenue and promptly arrested. Institutionalized at Riverside Hospital for three years, she was released on the promise that she never work as a cook again. So she disappeared again, only to assume countless aliases as she continued blazing a diseased path through New York for many deadly years to come. This is her story. Taking us through the seedy back doors of New York's kitchens circa 1900, Typhoid Mary uncovers the horrifying conditions that allowed for the deadly spread of typhoid over a decade. Writing with his signature panache about his best subject, the life of a chef, Bourdain serves a true feast for history lovers, true crime fans, and his own devotees alike.

What happens when a person's reputation has been forever damaged? With archival photographs and text among other primary sources, this riveting biography of Mary Mallon by the Sibert medalist and Newbery Honor winner Susan Bartoletti looks beyond the tabloid scandal of Mary's controversial life. 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 includes an author's note, timeline, annotated source notes, and bibliography.

Learn about the 1907 outbreak of typhoid fever and "Typhoid Mary" in this book perfect to share with young readers interested in a historical perspective of the COVID-19 pandemic that is gripping the world today — including a NEW chapter! This engrossing story reveals the facts behind Mary Mallon, a hardworking Irish cook hired by several of New York’s well-to-do families, who ultimately came to be known as "Typhoid Mary". Read how Mary unwittingly spread deadly bacteria, the ways an epidemiologist discovered her trail of infection, and how the health department ultimately decided her fate. Young readers will be on the edges of their seats wondering what happened to Mary and the innocent typhoid victims. The book includes a new chapter about the COVID-19 pandemic, a glossary, timeline, list of well-known typhoid sufferers and victims, further resource section, author's note, and source notes.

"On the eve of the twentieth century, Mary Mallon emigrated from Ireland at age fifteen to make her way in New York City. Brave, headstrong, and dreaming of being a cook, she fought to climb up from the lowest rung of the domestic-service ladder. Canny and enterprising, she worked her way to the kitchen, and discovered in herself the true talent of a chef. Sought after by New York aristocracy, and with an independence rare for a woman of the time, she seemed to have achieved the life she'd aimed for when she arrived in Castle Garden. Then one determined 'medical engineer' noticed that she left a trail of disease wherever she cooked, and identified her as an 'asymptomatic carrier' of Typhoid Fever. With this seemingly preposterous theory, he made Mallon a hunted woman."--

"In New York, in the early years of the 20th century, several families contract typhoid fever, an unpleasant and sometimes fatal disease. All seem to have caught it from the same person: a cook whom the newspapers call Typhoid Mary. How can she be stopped from spreading the deadly germs?"--Provided by publisher.

"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."--

John 5:19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. A dozen mutilated bodies. A flood of blood. And that's only the beginning.