Riveting History

In the mid-1800s a dreaded illness swept through the tropical regions of the globe. Malaria was a prevalent and often deadly parasite. It caused fever, chills, headaches, even confusion, seizures, and sometimes death. A cure needed to be found but this quest would lead to an unexpected discovery.

Warm, humid, salty air hovered over the city like a blanket. The unsuspecting small coastal community was bustling with energy and possibility; the town was alive with the sound of creaking ship masts, and vendors, and on Market Street, new shops and businesses were settling in.

Swimming pools were empty. The parks were deserted, and as the hot summer days simmered on, so too did a lingering dread. This fear descended into fall like a shadow remnant after summer had long disappeared. A mysterious illness was sweeping across the globe....

From a poor young girl living in Ireland in the aftermath of the Great Famine, Mary Mallon is in search of a better life. At age fifteen, she escapes to the United States and seeks to begin a new life in a different world.