The Fervor

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The acclaimed author of literary horror delves into the psychological and supernatural horrors of Japanese American internment camps during World War II. In 1944, as the war rages, Meiko Briggs and her daughter, Aiko, yearn to return home after being forcibly taken from Seattle to an internment camp in Idaho following Meiko's husband’s enlistment as an air force pilot. Despite being American-born, Aiko and her mother are deemed threats due to their Japanese heritage. As they cling to remnants of their former life, a mysterious disease spreads among the internees, escalating from a minor cold to violent fits and even death. When a disconcerting team of doctors arrives, more menacing than the illness itself, Meiko and Aiko join forces with a newspaper reporter and a widowed missionary to uncover the truth. They soon realize that a sinister force, inspired by Japanese yokai and the jorogumo spider demon, threatens their already precarious existence. This narrative not only explores the supernatural but also examines the dangers of demonization and contagion. Katsu crafts a chilling tale that reflects on the complexities of humanity and who gets to be considered human during times of crisis.