Ship Fever

Andrea Barrett, born in 1954, is an American novelist, and short story writer. Barrett was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Her book, Ship Fever won the National Book Award in 1996. Barrett typically writes historical fiction, and this is one of her best. An elegant collection of short stories, this is an interesting take on the men and women of the eighteenth through twentieth centuries who were interested in science and scientific exploration. In Ship Fever, the title novella, a Canadian doctor finds himself at the center of one of history’s most tragic epidemics and expects that he will be able to alleviate some of the suffering he encounters. What he does not bargain for is the fact that because of the vast number of immigrants on Grosse Isle, the hospital is overwhelmed and that his best efforts are almost a hindrance. Science remains a sharp focal point in the rest of the titles and Barrett’s own admission to being an obsessive researcher no doubt enhances her elegant writing style and sharp eye for detail.