Susan Campbell Bartoletti tells the story of Mary Mallon, the Irish-born cook in America who was found to be a typhoid carrier—a fact she refused to believe—and was held on Brother’s Island in New York City without charge and against her will for years. Bartolleti delves into the personalities of key players in Mallon’s fate, notably epidemiologist George Soper and health department doctor Sara Josephine Baker. She also focuses on the civil rights implications of Mary’s imprisonment. Mary Mallon was a strong, independent woman of the lower classes. Bartoletti conjectures how sexism and classism may have impacted how she was perceived and treated by Soper and Baker (who was a feminist and seemed to ultimately have more respect for Mary), as well as the media, which played a huge role in shaping public perception of Mary. Photographs, a timeline, and ample notes conclude the volume that offers rich possibilities for discussing point of view. (Age 12 and older)

In a riveting biography that reads like a crime novel, Sibert medalist and Newbery Honor winner Susan Campbell Bartoletti uncovers the true story of Mary Mallon, a.k.a. Typhoid Mary, one of the most misunderstood women in American history.

With archival photographs and text, among other primary sources, this riveting biography 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? What happens when a person's reputation has been forever damaged? And who is really responsible for the lasting legacy of Typhoid Mary?

Terrible Typhoid Mary also examines extreme public health measures at the time and public misconceptions around disease. Includes an author's note, timeline, annotated source notes, and bibliography.