The Secret of the Yellow Death: A True Story of Medical Sleuthing

Summary

In the summer of 1899, U.S. forces in Cuba discover the island is rampant with Yellow Fever. So the U.S. government sends a group of four elite Army doctors headed by Dr. Walter Reed to determine what is causing the outbreak. Working against the clock as more lives are claimed, the doctors investigate the theory that mosquitoes might be spreading the disease. During their experiments, two of the doctors contract Yellow Fever, and one actually dies. As the pressure intensifies, Reed obtains additional funding to conduct targeted experiments-and proves a theory with little previous support in the scientific community. In The Secret of the Yellow Death, author Suzanne Jurmain presents a technical subject as a compelling real-life detective story sure to capture young readers' imaginations. Narrator Brian Hutchison's performance masterfully imparts the doctors' hope and determination as they desperately search for a life-saving answer. "Young people interested in medicine or scientific discovery will find this book engrossing, as will history students." -School Library Journal