Quotes from Jim Murphy

Philadelphia was then the largest city in North America, with nearly 51,000 inhabitants

Washington was then president of the United States, and Philadelphia was the temporary capital of the young nation and the center of its federal government.

No one knew that a killer was already moving through their streets with them, an invisible stalker that would go house to house until it had touched everyone, rich or poor, in some terrible way.

August 23, 1793. (THE LIBRARY COMPANY OF PHILADELPHIA)

Historians now estimate that as many as 20,000 people abandoned the city during the fever.

We will never know exactly how many women disguised themselves as men and fought in the Civil War. At the close of the hostilities, it was estimated that approximately 400 women had managed to enlist, but this number is almost certainly too low.

I write narrative nonfiction, creating lively scenes through action and the use of quotes from firsthand accounts, all based on rigorous research. If I say a character leaned against a fence on a windy day, than I have at least two sources to back up these details.

I've written fiction... but the nonfiction has always received the most attention.

History often reads as a hard and grim experience. But people are remarkably resilient and funny, even when the going is very hard.

A move to a different town or school gives us new places to explore, new people to meet; a lost pet means we have to organize a careful search; baby-sitting requires looking out for dangers a young child can't foresee; a car crash or fire demands that we get help immediately.

When you spend a year or two researching a subject, and you're still fascinated by it, that's a good indicator that what you're doing will appeal to others, as well.