Lizzie attends a girls' school with a bunch of snooty classmates, and she has no idea how (or why) to befriend them. She'd much rather be out on medical visits with her doctor father, learning everything she can about medicine so she, too, can be a doctor someday. It's a particularly difficult goal for a girl in 1900, but Lizzie's medical knowledge is about to come in handy, as there are signs that the bubonic plague has hit San Francisco. However, the newspapers deny that there's anything wrong. The police deny any kind of outbreak, in spite of the quarantine around Chinatown. Even Lizzie's father tells her that it can't possibly be the plague. But when the plague hits close to home, there's no longer any denying its existence. 
 Lizzie is smart and driven, in ways that make her an outcast in her 1900 society. Her shift from being friendless to having besties happens rather suddenly, though she doesn't do anything much out of the ordinary to connect with her peers. Not-so-subtle lessons on racism and classism are sprinkled thoughout, as Lizzie realizes how little she knows about the Chinese cook in her house, though he's been like family to her for her whole life. Overall, a good story about a relatively unknown historical event.