Many people leave the city, including President Washington and other important politicians. People in Philadelphia are starting to get sick because of the fever. Just as Jeannine is picking a fight by insulting the Cook Coffeehouse while Colette collapses from yellow fever right next to them… However, she reluctantly goes along when Lucille insists that it’ll be good for business if she meets wealthy men like them. Mattie hates Pernilla’s snobby daughters Colette and Jeannine, and doesn’t share Lucille’s desire that she marry an Ogilvie son because they’re snobs who don’t appreciate her love for books or her passion for social justice work at the Cook Coffeehouse. One day, a neighborhood aristocrat invites Mattie and Lucille to tea. A couple of weeks later, many have died from the fever, but Grandfather argues that it’s nothing to be concerned about. Mattie takes over Polly’s duties in the coffeehouse, hearing her beloved Grandfather debate with customers about rumors of a yellow fever outbreak in the city. But then Mother interrupts again to tell Mattie that Polly has died suddenly of a fever.

While she’s working in the garden she daydreams about running businesses someday and meeting Nathaniel Benson, who she likes. Mattie reluctantly gets up and helps out in the coffeehouse with her friend Eliza, who feeds her breakfast before sending her outside to tend to the garden. She’s late for work at the coffeehouse because their serving girl Polly has died from a fever. In August of 1793, 14-year-old Matilda “Mattie” Cook is awakened by her mother, Lucille Cook. In the opening chapters of the novel, Mattie.1-Page Summary of Fever 1793 Overall Summary Cook at the coffeehouse and admires Matthew, the blacksmith. This character is a long-time friend of Mattie Cook - the two grew up together. For the next ten years, the character successfully operated a coffeehouse. This character had a child in 1779 and became widowed in 1783 when his/her spouse died in an accident. This character married Mattie's father when only 17-years-old, probably sometime during the Revolutionary War. In every instance, the character rises to the occasion and takes a proper, if difficult, course of action. During the novel, the character experiences numerous hardships and is faced with several choices. The character is the narrator and the principle protagonist. This character was born in 1779 and is 14-years-old at the time of the events described in the novel.

Fever 1793 lucille cook