The author Laurie Halse Anderson introduced character Matilda Cook in her book Fever 1793. Yellow Fever is a disease that overwhelmed the city of Philadelphia, the home of Matilda Cook. No one really knows how it all started, it could have been the rotten coffee at the port, or the fleeing French. Who ever or what whatever it was, it happened and it affected Mattie in a big way. The biggest thing that affected her was, that her grandfather died in an accident with robbers. The second biggest thing that happened with her was that her mom and her friends got sick. Then things got better with Mattie, she met up with her old cook Eliza, her old crush Nathaniel Benson, and Mother Smith to reopen the coffee shop. This step was successful and the …show more content…
But one stood out to me because she had to give her energy to keep her grandfather from dieing. “I saw a figure stand under the tree. I tried to call Grandfather's name, but could make no sound. Why was I carrying these rocks? I stumbled. Where Was Mother? Where was Eliza? The balloon. I’ll be up in a minute, Mother. Just let me sleep.Then, Blackness” (Anderson 95). She gave so much that she fainted in the attempt. Of course, the event of her grandfather’s death led to her having to grow up. But all grown up, she opened the shop with the help of others. “Three days after we opened for business, every chair in the front room was filled, the air thick again with arguments. Tobacco smoke, and the smell of fresh coffee and cakes” (Anderson 228). Of course, the things wouldn't be the same, but she tried and did good job doing so. For example, Mattie made a wish to grow up, but that wish came with a cost. Mattie had to give up both her mom's health and her grandpas life. First of all, the wish made me think that a wish can come in a price. Second of all, this event the book also made me think that growing up is not always easy. But how ever maturity hits you, you have to use what it gave you to go forward in your