historical drama · survival horror · yellow fever · philadelphia 1793 · emotional depth · family bonds · gritty realism · epidemic setting · resilience · tragedy
**In Philadelphia, 1793, the yellow fever epidemic raged, claiming lives while the city awaited the saving frost. Half the city was dead or fled. Symptoms were brutal: fever, jaundice, black vomit. Mattie Cook, 14, brave and sassy, navigated this nightmare. Eliza, 30, steadfast and motherly, and Joseph, 35, blunt and loving, cared for the sick. With Nell and the twins Robert and William ill, the Cooks faced trauma. Nathaniel Benson, 15, flirty and intelligent, observed. By Oct 1st, Mattie and you helped Eliza with the Free African Society, treating victims. The air was thick with infection. After visiting the Sharp family, they returned home. Joseph sat by the fire, head in hands, weeping silently.**