Chapter 1
We are introduced to the main character,
The
Ratcatcher’s
Daughter
Chapter
Summaries
Chapter 5
Issy finally experiences her first
sighting of a dead body. After the
family wants a photo with their
departed baby( as their loved ones call
them) she is confused and shocked at
the time, but slowly comes to realise
that it’s not so bad after all. Mr Lewis
explains that the family has no photos
to remember their baby boy, so this
picture will be very special to them.
Issy is finally getting used to her new
job and understanding how her new
job works.
Chapter 10
Doctor John pays them a visit not long
after the Lewis’s do and inform them
about what has been happening
around town. New vaccines are being
shipped from Paris, though no one
seems to fancy the idea of the serums
at the moment, and many people who
have caught the plague have usually
come from the docks. Some doctors
even believe that what has been
spreading isn’t even the plague! Doctor
John informs them about protocols by
the board of health stating that after 2
weeks if they haven’t shown signs of
symptoms they must be released and
soon after they are! The Howards,
Stanley’s and McKelvie’s are finally
Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4
Issy is taken to meet her new employers Da is excited as the Board of Health is Issy accepts the invitation to come spend
Issy. We find out that she is finishing up at the Lewis’s. They own an undertaking paying good money to anyone who can the day with her sister Kate, to see what
school because she has to get a job to help
support her family. She is disappointed as
establishment and Issy is extremely
anxious that she will have to see dead
kill rats. The Howards have concerned
that rats are living in Albert’s room which
having a job is like. Whilst sweeping the
outside decks, she overhears the doctors
she wants to stay at school to continue her people. Once she meets them, she is underneath the house, so they ask Da discussing a disease spread by rat’s fleas
education and is envious of her friend Trudy
as she is allowed to stay and train to be a
realises they are really nice, although she
finds the mourning jewellery Julia was
to bring his dogs over. Issy reluctantly
accompanies her dad so that the younger
coming to the area. Issy is curious to
know more so she interrupts their
teacher. We are also introduced to Issy’s
family and some of her neighbours. Issy’s
making out of human hair a bit weird. dogs can watch the older ones work.
They catch many rats which makes Da
conversation and promotes her father’s
business in rat catching to the doctor’s as
sister Kate works for a doctor and his family. proud. Kate suggests that Issy join her at
work one day so she can see what she
a great person to help clean up their rats.
At first, she is pleased, but soon finds the
does so that she doesn’t feel so worries doctors concerned about the sickness
about starting her new job. spreading to her father. And with her
grandmother only concerned about
mimasas, will Issy be able to prevent the
sickness spreading to her family?
Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9
After another long day at work, Issy After a doctor visits the next day, Albert is The McKelvie’s, Howards and Stanley’s The Howards confirm Albert has died and
discovers many new things including the sent to a Plague Hospital. The next all arrive at the Plague Hospital. The are all fuming as he didn’t get a proper
Necropolis Railway. Issy finds that there was morning, he wakes up even more ill. The matron demands they have antiseptic funeral like they had wanted and was sent
a separate railway just for people visiting doctors immediately send him to a baths to wipe of any germs and off to be buried in a remote island called
cemeteries in London. Issy found this hospital. Unfortunately for Issy’s family, immediately are their clothes being Gibson Island. After two weeks of waiting,
fascinating and wishes there was something the Howards, and the Stanley’s, the health cleaned as well. In the meantime, they all Issy and her family discover they have
similar here in Toowong and that she could officer insists all families living near the are wearing too-large hospital clothes, two visitors in one day!- Mr Lewis and
visit it sometime. Soon after, after a nice Howards must be isolated as a sickness is and everyone seems to be grumpy. The Ben, and Doctor John. Ben and Mr Lewis
meal of corned beef( since she and her da spreading across town. The families are Howards are not allowed to see Albert, as are kind and promise to bring clothes for
are working now) they get interrupted by a furious to leave their own homes and his sickness may be contagious but are them- which the McKelvie’s are hoping
concerned and disturbed Ms Howard. They demands that they stay. Eventually, they kept on frequent update. However, not they will since their old clothes now have
soon find out that Albert is extremely ill and give up and are sent to the Plague long after, Albert dies and everyone is holes and have either shrunk or stretched
must see a doctor. What has happened to Hospital where Albert currently is. What silent and bow their heads a lot, which after being washed. Issy shows some
Albert? will happen next? makes Issy presume he has died. signs of affection towards Ben after she
liked the way he touched her shoulder.
They’ll just have to wait some more if
they hopefully ever get released.
Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14
After catching their first glimpse of their Da has recently come home, being Da and Slippery Joe’s business has been After experiencing a horrifying scene at
street, all three families are stunned. offered a job by the government for rat going very well. They already have two the North Quay, Issy has some suspicions
Belongings are thrown out the street, and catching. However, to their shock, Da huge jobs- one at a factory on Queen that the rich pay people to have departed
half their street has been closed off. The only turned down the job, but they desperately Street and the other at the Chinese ones buried in cemeteries, not at Gibson
way back to their house it to break the fence. need the money. Da explains that he Houses, because people believe the Island like all reported cases should be
So they did. However, to their dismay, they bumped into Slippery Joe, and he said Chinese are the people who have first buried. However, she isn’t sure, so Issy
found their house cleaned and dismantled as that he could make better money if he spread the plague, and also the Islanders. decides to do some detective work at the
if a cyclone had raged through their home was a solo business. So, they all head to The family have been doing well, buying Undertaking Establishment after
and was left like that. Fabrics, curtains, town, to think of what they want to buy. new clothes, but Mam isn’t too convinced suspicious activity has been taking place,
anything rats could hide in, were cut up and However, after looking at the daily yet and is still a bit angry at Da for turning which Issy has noticed ever since she
thrown out, so all that remained were their noticeboard, which say how sick people down the council’s offer. Issy goes to came back. Issy finds three coffins in Mr
beds and other wooden items. The are doing, they run into Doctor John. work for the first time and is very Lewis’ office filled with quicklime( the
‘cleansing gangs’ as they called them, had Kate is surprisingly hesitant to ask some surprised about how much it has changed. powder used to stop infections spreading)
disinfected all three houses, looking for any questions about ads in the paper, which People are coming to the place a lot more and her suspicions are confirmed when
signs of rats and the disease. Now, the state they can help build resistance for Memento Mori, and they have seven she sees a body with burst buboes. She is
McKelvie’s are left with nothing but wire against the plague. After Issy pushes her funerals a day, a lot more than usual. dismayed at the fact rich people can bend
beds. Now, Da, Kate, and Issy all have to go to do it, she asks, and after Doctor John Even Ben and Mr Lewis are acting….off. rules and influence the community in
free! But a lot has changed since
they’ve been at the town.
Chapter 15
Issy goes home sick and runs into Mr
Henderson and Trudy and is startled
by Trudy’s sudden behaviour. Trudy
explains that her family is paranoid
about getting the flu and that she has
to stay away from Issy more often. Mr
Henderson offers extra lessons to Issy
for a scholarship to a high school, but
all Issy can think about it the new
Trudy. Plus, she knows she will never
be able to go to High School. Issy goes
to Kate for advice on the whole Lewis’
situation and is shocked by Kate’s
advice. She says not to report it
because then they’ll be jobless and get
themselves into a bigger mess.
back to work, in order to buy the essentials, answers, Kate is extremely annoyed. Issy
they need to survive. However, as they soon thinks she isn’t making much sense.
learn, the town is afraid of catching the However, she soon puts two and two
plague from them, so the McKelvie’s can together, and has a feeling Kate ‘likes’
only rely on themselves, and perhaps, Doctor John. Will she ever admit her
Slippery Joe. affection for him?
Chapter 16 Chapter 17
Da comes home feeling terrible. Everyone is Da had stayed in bed for a whole week.
worried he had gotten the plague as the next Issy still was doing her job as a ratcatcher, Doctor Slade has died. She explains that
day he seems even worse, with a high fever. and more savings creeped into her
They immediately ask Doctor Slade to check account. She met Canny Sam, and he said autopsy, but Doctor John didn’t realise
with Da, and he reassures them that it is just there was a council job to clean a drain,
Influenza. However, Doctor Slade says Da however, Issy found she had to clean a
must stay in bed for two weeks… and Da is dirty sewing which was spewing with rats. Doctor Slade, but it was too late.
definitely upset that he can’t go to work. Issy She was soaked when she got out, but a
know has to take up the role as girl lady let her come inside for a bath. She
ratcatcher and isn’t pleased. Her first job and screamed at the council man saying how
Steven and So isn’t a pleasant one. desperate he was he let a poor girl like
Issy rat catch for him. At the end of the
day, Mr Henderson’s offer for a
scholarship seems promising, with all the catch the plague from dead bodies, after
money she’s making. In the end, she
meets Mr Henderson and expresses her
interest for the scholarship. Mr
Henderson is very pleased. However,
when she gets home, she is greeted with a
sad looking Kate is instantly worried. Kate
reveals that, Doctor Slade is dead!
While working at North Quay, Issy makes illegal ways.
a startling discovery. A family who’s only
son had died from the plague, was
dismissed from being sent to Gibson
Island after the family protested, and now
the family can have him buried in a
proper cemetery! Issy thought it was
unfair rich people could bend the rules.
She also had a gut feeling the Lewis’ and
the Slade’s, could be in up to their necks
on situations similar to the one she had
just witnessed.
Chapter 18 Chapter 19
Kate delivers frightening news that Kate is very sick and Da, Mam, and Issy all
take it in times to bathe Kate in icy water and
he had caught the plague from an check for swellings. Everyone is very worried
for Kate making sure that she gets the best
care. In the morning Kate gets worse. She sits
until it was too late. He had even got the
up and starts speaking to Albert and
new serum from France to help cure
hallucinating. Issy rushes to the aid and runs
all the way to Doctor John’s house. Doctor
Everyone is in tears and shocked by his John rushes to Kate with the serum, and
sudden death. However, Kate decides to talking to her the whole time, he inserts the
go to work that day, and prepares flowers serum and waits for it to work. It finally works
for the family. Everything is fine; however, and Kate awakes. Issy finds out that she has
the Howards aren’t so fortunate. Issy goes got the scholarship! Issy is overjoyed and
to the Lewis’ to warn them that you can dreams about becoming a high school
student. She visits the Lewis’ and asks if she
she found them burying dead bodies in can come and work for them after she
finishes high school, to have a look at what
quicklime. Kate also seems to have fallen
owning a business is like. She dreams of
ill, but they pray it is only influenza if they
opening her own funeral business one day. 
are lucky enough.