First published 2013
Mary Mallon, a talented Irish immigrant cook, climbs the ranks of New York's culinary elite. But when a determined doctor links her to a deadly typhoid outbreak, she becomes a scapegoat, hunted and imprisoned for years. Forced to confront the truth about her asymptomatic condition, Mary must choose between the career and independence she's fought for, or the chance to reclaim her freedom and humanity.
Genres: historical-fiction, medical, 20th-century, 21st-century
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: forced-proximity, scapegoat
Setting: New York
Period: 19th-century, 20th-century
306 pages · Hardcover · Scribner
Content warnings: medical-trauma