During the Pandemic with Edward Jenner is a work of fiction, a young-adult novel, also known as historical fiction. While we know a lot of history about the life and work of Edward Jenner through his books, notebooks, publications, and letters, we know nothing about the fictional character, Robert. Robert is a character. He is entirely fictional. But he is authentic. The author researched many topics to build a realistic setting and plausible events around the time Edward Jenner was working on the solution to the global pandemic of smallpox.
On May 8, 1980, the 33rd World Health Assembly of the World Health Organization declared the world free of the disease of smallpox which may be the biggest achievement in international public health. A goal written about by Dr. Jenner was realized 200 years later.
Fast forward to the years 2020 and 2021. We are living in a worldwide pandemic of COVID-19 caused by a coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2 which has killed 3 million people worldwide at the time of this novel. Vaccines were manufactured and distributed in record time. However, there are dissenting individuals who question the safety and necessity of being vaccinated. The reader will find parallels between the virus we are dealing with today and the virus the character Robert and the Doctor Edward Jenner were dealing with during the 1700s.
About the Author
Dr. ten Brink is a science educator of 49 years. Her novel, During the Pandemic with Edward Jenner, may have originated as a thought in her fi rst year to teach. Th at year, she drew portraits of famous scientists on 20 x 30-inch posterboard to decorate her classroom. Edward Jenner was one of Dr. ten Brink’s heroes even then and was represented on one of her posters.
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