Typhoid Mary: An Urban Historical

A riveting true crime tale told by one of the most gripping food writers in history, Typhoid Mary is the story of a madcap pursuit through the kitchens of New York City at the turn of the century. By the late nineteenth century, it seemed that New York City had put an end to the outbreaks of typhoid fever that had decimated the city. That is, until 1904, when the disease broke out in one household on Long Island. Authorities suspected the family cook, Mary Mallon, of infecting the home. But before she could be tested, the woman, soon to be known as Typhoid Mary, had disappeared. Over the course of the next three years, Mary spread her pestilence from household to household as she narrowly escaped the law until 1907, when she was traced to a home on Park Avenue and promptly arrested.

Institutionalized at Riverside Hospital for three years, she was released on the promise that she never work as a cook again. So she disappeared again, only to assume countless aliases as she continued blazing a diseased path through New York for many deadly years to come. This is her story. Taking us through the seedy back doors of New York’s kitchens circa 1900, Typhoid Mary uncovers the horrifying conditions that allowed for the deadly spread of typhoid over a decade. Writing with his signature panache about his best subject, the life of a chef, Bourdain serves a true feast for history lovers, true crime fans, and his own devotees alike.