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  • Get Well Soon

  • History's Worst Plagues and the Heroes Who Fought Them
  • Written by: Jennifer Wright
  • Narrated by: Gabra Zackman
  • Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (251 ratings)

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Get Well Soon cover art

Get Well Soon

Written by: Jennifer Wright
Narrated by: Gabra Zackman
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Publisher's Summary

A witty, irreverent tour of history's worst plagues - from the Antonine Plague, to leprosy, to polio - and a celebration of the heroes who fought them.

In 1518, in a small town in Alsace, Frau Troffea began dancing and didn't stop. She danced until she was carried away six days later, and soon 34 more villagers joined her. Then more. In a month more than 400 people had been stricken by the mysterious dancing plague. In late-19th-century England an eccentric gentleman founded the No Nose Club in his gracious townhome - a social club for those who had lost their noses, and other body parts, to the plague of syphilis for which there was then no cure. And in turn-of-the-century New York, an Irish cook caused two lethal outbreaks of typhoid fever, a case that transformed her into the notorious Typhoid Mary.

Throughout time, humans have been terrified and fascinated by the diseases history and circumstance have dropped on them. Some of their responses to those outbreaks are almost too strange to believe in hindsight. Get Well Soon delivers the gruesome, morbid details of some of the worst plagues we've suffered as a species, as well as stories of the heroic figures who selflessly fought to ease the suffering of their fellow man. With her signature mix of in-depth research and storytelling, and not a little dark humor, Jennifer Wright explores history's most gripping and deadly outbreaks, and ultimately looks at the surprising ways they've shaped history and humanity for almost as long as anyone can remember.

©2017 Jennifer Wright (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

What listeners say about Get Well Soon

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interesting!

Very witty and well-written. I learned a lot of interesting things in addition to the big facts I was looking for.

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Fantastic book!

What a fabulous entertaining way to learn about the worst plagues in history. Jennifer Wright is an engaging writer and I definitely recommend this to anyone.

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An eye opener

This book was well written and researched with enough humor to keep it entertaining.
Nicely done!

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Fascinating, Engaging Account

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this account of historical plagues. Very engaging story telling manner from the author and I found the reading style very easy and entertaining to listen to. Though some of the content was cringe-worthy (did you know syphilitics often lost their noses??) it was incredibly informative and entertaining even.

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Enlightening and Fascinating

A very thoroughly researched book. I learned a lot I hadn't known, and the little bits of humour helped with the very serious and dark material. #Audible1

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Fantastic Book

The author conveyed some fascinating facts about plagues of the past in an entertaining yet meaningful way. I found this book very easy to listen to and to be engaged in. A great overview of the plagues with an emphasis on the political and social reactions to the crisis.

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Brilliantly informative and witty work.

How can such bleak subject matter be so much fun? well done Jennifer and Gabra.

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Great book

Enjoyed this book. Well done! Wish there was an update with the covid pandemic that some feel didn’t exist

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Lots of fun facts

As dark as the subject matter is, I found this book very fun as well as enlightening. And weirdly bizarre as we go into dealing with covid.

I totally will recommend those book. Thanks to the author for writing this.

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Excellent!!!

I loved this book, the author is fantastic at telling us the gruesome side of plague history with a twist! Narrator is excellent and has a great voice to accent this book!
Well done!

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