Yellow September - by Shannon Terry Wiley (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

In a heartwarming story of love, loss, and perseverance, debut author Shannon Terry Wiley chronicles the experiences of those in Shreveport, Louisiana, during the September 1873 outbreak of yellow fever, which ultimately killed over a thousand individuals. Weaving together fictional storylines and real history, Wiley paints a vivid picture of the unspeakable tragedy and the people who lived through it.

Through multiple points of view, Yellow September narrates the fortunes of those in the fever-wracked town. Two brothers, George and Eugene, find themselves far from their Midwestern roots while working for the Army Corps of Engineers. Sent to battle a massive logjam blocking the Red River, the pair find themselves grappling with two very different commitments. Meanwhile, Katherine, a farm girl living along the Silver Bayou with her family, who are still grieving the wartime death of her father, faces a difficult choice with consequences that echo throughout her life. Others, like Dr. Dalzell, a pastor and doctor in town, and Eleanor and David, parents fleeing the fever, bring a nuanced perspective to the experiences of those swept up in the outbreak.

With epistolary touches throughout, the novel is a testament to the enduring love of family--those we are born with and those we choose--and tells a profound story of duty, devotion, and community.

Review Quotes

"Yellow September draws you in immediately back to 1870s Shreveport, which is still recovering from the Civil War when it's hit with yet another battle to fight. Some are able to leave town, but those who cannot remain to see their town decimated within weeks. Witnessing this horror through the eyes of diverse perspectives across town allows you to feel just how deeply this affected every single soul in Shreveport. Yellow September is an impeccably researched novel about a community that lived through a devastating trial together and summoned the strength to come back stronger." --Pamela Hill, librarian at Texas A&M University

"Shannon Terry Wiley brings postwar Shreveport, Louisiana, vividly to life in this captivating novel set during the yellow fever epidemic of 1873. At its heart is the unlikely romance between Katherine Rafferty, a fiery Southern farm girl, and George Woodruff, an Iowan with the Army Corps of Engineers tasked with clearing a massive logjam on the nearby Red River. Their love story unfolds as a deadly disease begins tearing through the community--forcing them to make heartbreaking choices that will reverberate throughout their lives. A masterful storyteller, Wiley gives readers a front-row seat to this tragic episode in American history. Her richly drawn characters and gift for historical nuance make the past feel hauntingly present, reminding us that love can bloom in even the darkest of times." --Catherine Devore Johnson, author of The Panacea Project

"When a pandemic strikes, disease and destruction can tear apart families, threaten the fabric of society and undermine the bonds of love. Yellow September transports us back to the Yellow Fever epidemic of 1873. Within these pages, we witness the multigenerational effects of how a devastating disease can threaten to unravel the fabric of society, while the dual institutions of clergy and medicine run headlong into the chaos, sacrificing personal safety for the greater good. In shining a lantern on Louisiana from decades ago, Wiley illuminates a beacon of hope for the benefit of a modern audience healing from the scars of our own recent biological threat and inspires us to focus on the triumph of the human spirit, even as pestilence swirls around us." --Paulraj Samuel MD, MPH