Three starred reviews!From New York Times bestselling author Laurie Halse Anderson comes an "thoroughly researched, emotionally resonant" (Booklist, starred review) historical fiction middle grade adventure about a girl struggling to survive amid a smallpox epidemic, the public's fear of inoculation, and the seething Revolutionary War. In the spring of 1776, thirteen-year-old Elsbeth Culpepper wakes to the sound of cannons. It's the Siege of Boston, the Patriots' massive drive to push the Loyalists out that turns the city into a chaotic war zone. Elsbeth's father--her only living relative--has gone missing, leaving her alone and adrift in a broken town while desperately seeking employment to avoid the orphanage. Just when things couldn't feel worse, the smallpox epidemic sweeps across Boston. Now, Bostonians must fight for their lives against an invisible enemy in addition to the visible one. While a treatment is being frantically fine-tuned, thousands of people rush in from the countryside begging for inoculation. At the same time, others refuse protection, for the treatment is crude at best and at times more dangerous than the disease itself. Elsbeth, who had smallpox as a small child and is now immune, finds work taking care of a large, wealthy family with discord of their own as they await a turn at inoculation, but as the epidemic and the revolution rage on, will she find her father?
Book details
Format
Hardcover
Publication date
April 1, 2025
ISBN
9781416968269
Publisher
Atheneum Books
Pages
416
Language
English
Age range
10–14
Grade range
5–9
BISAC
Juvenile Fiction, Historical, United States - Colonial & Revolutionary Periods, Health & Daily Living, Diseases, Illnesses & Injuries, Family, Orphans & Foster Homes
Set in the spring of 1776, Fourteen year old Elsbeth Culpepper searches for her missing father while navigating the dangers of the Revolutionary War AND the devastating smallpox epidemic! Rich with historical detail, this story brings colonial Boston to life and makes you feel as though you are right alongside Elsbeth on every step of her journey. While revealing the harsh and heartbreaking realities of war, this story is also filled with resilience, bravery, friendship, compassion, and love. A must-read!
