Lep lives to heal others. Apprenticed to Dr. Peale, he's devoted to learning the doctor's art. When yellow fever strikes Philadelphia, its frightened citizens grasp at faith and foolishness. Many flee. Lep and his master, by contrast, feel called to come to the city. It's an adventuresome stay. Church bells toll ceaselessly. Death, astride his pale horse, roams the streets. Lep searches for his sister, labors to save his patients, and becomes entwined with dupes and deceivers. Gradually he uncovers as well the godlike Mr. Bodkin's great secret. The epidemic of 1793, which crippled the country's young capital and carried off one tenth of its people, is the setting for this stirring story of science, superstition, and a young healer's limitations.
Author
Paul Fleischman grew up in Santa Monica, California. The son of well-known children's novelist Sid Fleischman, Paul was in the unique position of having his famous father's books read out loud to him by the author as they were being written. This experience continued throughout his childhood. Paul followed in his father's footsteps as an author of books for young readers, and in 1982 he released the book "Graven Images", which was awarded a Newbery Honor citation. In 1988, Paul Fleischman came out with "Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices", an unusually unique collection of poetry from the perspective of insects. This book was awarded the 1989 John Newbery Medal. Factoring in Sid Fleischman's win of the John Newbery Medal in 1987 for his book "The Whipping Boy", Paul and Sid Fleischman became to this day the only father and son authors to both win the John Newbery Medal.
