The Illness Lesson Summary
Clare Beams

The Illness Lesson Overview

The Illness Lesson is a novel by Clare Beams. The story is set in the year 1871 and follows a young woman named Caroline. Caroline lives on a farm with her father, Samuel, a famous intellectual. Samuel opens a school for girls, hoping to provide them with an education commensurate to that offered boys, but as soon as the students arrive, they begin to exhibit symptoms of a mysterious illness. When a doctor arrives to administer a controversial treatment, Caroline finds herself in a significant moral quandary. The novel considers themes such as independence, gender, misogyny, male authority, and loyalty.