Abusive husbands. Desperate women. Poisonous solutions.
At the turn of the 20th century, the women of Nagyrév, Hungary, were in trouble. Their stories were hauntingly similar: husbands who drank, who beat them, who made their lives unbearable.
The village midwife - their confidante - offered an answer: arsenic. Soon, women began slipping poison into their husbands' brandy, porridge, and stews. Over the next twenty years, the quiet village became the epicentre of one of the deadliest series of poisonings in modern history.
In The Women Are Not Fine, journalist Hope Reese pieces together archival newspapers, court documents, police records and more to uncover the truth behind this extraordinary case. Her findings serve as a stark warning: when women are pushed to the brink, the consequences can reverberate through history.
What did I think?
The Women Are Not Fine is the true story of a number of women from a small village in Hungary who fought back in the deadliest way. I had never heard of this famous case, a case I'm sure the patriarchy don't want us to know about in case we get ideas, so it was a complete eye-opener for me.
Hope Reese gathers all of the evidence in one concise and informative account of what really happened. It is very well written and easy to follow, despite a lot of the names being very similar, as each woman's story is the same: in fear for their lives, they must either kill or be killed.
Whilst the abusive husbands are naturally painted in a bad light, there are heartbreaking reasons for their actions and unfortunately history never seems to learn from this. It's interesting that the village midwife is at the heart of the scandal and if it was an earlier period of history she would have been branded as a witch. Whether she was a witch or a saviour, the relief for the abused women was short-lived as the consequences of their actions catch up with them.
I loved poring over the documents and photographs that are included in the book; it really brings the true story to life and reminds us that these were real women and these poisonings actually happened. I'm so pleased that Hope Reese has written the book as it's a story that shouldn't be forgotten and I only wish that we could learn from our mistakes when it comes to mental health and domestic abuse.
Fascinating, informative and poignant, The Women Are Not Fine is a moving and thought-provoking account of the Angel Makers of Nagyrév. Are they criminals or victims? Read the book and decide for yourself.
I received a gifted paperback from the author and publisher and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
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