Read this excerpt from Fever 1793.
I hadn't heard about that. They were burying fever victims every day?
"How many have died, Mr. Carris?" I asked.
The first-person narration is meant to help readers understand that
© Mattie trusts Mr. Carris.
O Mattie is unaware of the extent of the problem.
O Mr. Carris is responsible for burying the dead.
O Mr. Carris reads the newspaper.