The Pie Seller, The Drunk, and The Lady: Heroes of the 1833 Cholera Epidemic in Lexington, Kentucky

by Terry Foody

In 1833, when Lexington, Kentucky was a new city, a cholera epidemic struck which decimated the citizenry by 500 souls. In the midst of this disaster, three unlikely heroes arose - a former slave, a homeless vagrant, and a society matron. This true fact-based account brings you their fascinating stories and takes you through cholera's grip, as each answers the call for humanity.

Genres: History

154 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Karina Henson · Rating 3 out of 5]

sobbing because maria gatz isn’t buried with her husband

a very interesting telling of a period of lexington history that i didn’t know about! i liked how the primary sources were woven in the imagined text and conversations, which helped this true story come to life while still being grounded in reality. i kept looking up the different buildings and streets mentioned, it’s sobering to think about the rich history that lexington has. also much to think about in regards to public health and infrastructure!

[KathyW · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative and engaging story about the cholera epidemic and the beginnings of the city of Lexington KY, and of services for orphaned children. The structure of the book was a bit choppy and, at times, read more like a newspaper article than a book. However, if you persist in getting past these flaws you’ll learn quite a bit about the cholera epidemic and get a sense of what life was like in a developing town in the early 1800s.

[Carolyn Tassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and informative read. I learned so much about this significant time in Lexington. I want to go visit the grave of King Solomon. Really liked the style of the writer...a good mix of fact and imagined conversations. The three main characters were each a different kind of hero.

[Amy Sither · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating historical/fictional account of Lexington during the Cholera epidemic! It brought some of these well-known members of Lexington to life.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick read and very interesting to learn a bit of history about Lexington. The book is about the 1833 Cholera epidemic which hit the town. The story focuses on three main characters. Much of the book is getting to know each one with only a few chapters devoted to the epidemic. The book ended with an exploration of the lessons learned and details surrounding the identification of the bacteria in later years.