Fever Season

I always love it when books transport me to different times and places - that is why historical fiction has such a pull for me. This week I had a chance to read Eric Zweig's Fever Season. After losing his father during World War I and his mother and sister due to the fever, David finds himself in an orphanage, filled with uncertainty for his future. His one hope is to be able to find his mom's brother; however, he was an orphan himself. After his uncle was adopted, his mom eventually lost contact with him, so it is more difficult for David to try to find him.

Yet, there is hope in David's life. From a young age David's interest in hockey was sparked and he hopes to be able to travel with the team from his hometown in Canada to Seattle in order to search for his uncle.

The book read at times like an expository text explaining the historical context, setting, and hockey, while at other times it was a more traditional narrative. The whole time it kept me wanting to flip to the next page to see what would happen next. Up until the last page, I was anxious to see what Zweig had crafted and which twists there would be in the plot.

The end of the book had some special treats as I discovered that there was more truth to the book than I had realized. Some of the hockey players mentioned were real, and of course if I was more knowledgeable about hockey, I probably would have known that as I was reading. Aside from enjoying the front cover for its aesthetic value, it was also helpful to be able to understand the gear hockey players wore in that time period. It made it easier to picture what the book was describing, as when I hear hockey, I automatically imagine modern day players. Zweig gives some historical background as well as a resource list of Internet sites to find out more information. How great that the book sparks an interest and then gives some suggestions for further exploration of various angles of the book!

For more thoughts on potential classroom applications for the book, see my education blog.

*Copy provided by publisher.