Quarantine: A Novel
The Miranda arrives in the bustling port of Newburyport, Massachusetts, in 1796, with half its crew either suffering or dead from a mysterious illness. Dr. Giles Wiggins, who learned his trade on the battlefield, orders the ship to be placed under quarantine, but a few unruly sailors refuse to be confined and slip into town. Within days, many of the town’s residents sicken and die, and Wiggins orders the construction of a pesthouse for the afflicted in an effort to stop the spread of the disease. Then the town’s apothecaries are raided, and the medicine stolen sold on the black market at enormous profit, while the sick go untreated. Wiggins finds himself at odds with his colleagues, with one claiming the disease is divine retribution, while the other asserts that the fever can be treated through bloodletting. With a fascinating cast of characters, including Wiggins’ obnoxious half brother and fearsome mother; a vividly rendered depiction of the era; and a stark look at the primitive state of medicine at the time, Quarantine is an intense read. --Joanne Wilkinson