The Great Trouble: A Mystery of London, the Blue Death, and a Boy Called Eel

The Great Trouble: A Mystery of London, the Blue Death, and a Boy Called Eel by Deborah Hopkinson is a historical fiction novel that takes place in 1854 London during a cholera outbreak. The story follows a young orphan named Eel, who has a knack for finding trouble and a secret he must keep hidden. As the deadly disease, known as the Blue Death, sweeps through his neighborhood, Eel finds himself entangled in a mystery when he suspects that the deaths are connected to the local water supply. With the help of the real-life physician Dr. John Snow, Eel embarks on a quest to prove that the water from the Broad Street pump is the source of the outbreak. The novel combines elements of mystery, adventure, and history, as it portrays the struggle of the lower classes and the early days of epidemiology. Eel's journey is one of survival, friendship, and the pursuit of truth, set against the backdrop of a pivotal moment in public health history.