Join us for an illuminating evening with Hope Reese, author of The Women Are Not Fine, as she takes us through the dark and complex history of the women of Nagyrév, Hungary - who, in the early 20th century, turned to mass poisoning as a painful act of rebellion. Drawing on court records, police archives, and untold testimonies, Reese builds a layered portrait of desperation, survival, and the silences that hide within communities.
This event will be a deep-dive discussion and Q&A:
- Reese will lead us through her research journey, narrative choices, and the difficult moral questions that arise.
- We’ll engage with the intersections of gender, violence, community, and how history remembers or forgets.
- Audience members are invited to ask questions, reflect, and discuss with Reese and the host.
Whether you’re fascinated by true crime, feminist history, archival storytelling, or unsettling tales of agency and constraint - this event promises to challenge, provoke, and stay with you long after.
About the Book
The Women Are Not Fine: The Dark History of a Poisonous Sisterhood by Hope Reese
In the remote village of Nagyrév, midwife Zsuzsanna Fazekas became confidante to suffering women — helping birth, offering sanctuary, listening. Over decades, these women faced abusive husbands, societal neglect, and cultural erasure. When they felt utterly unheard, a tragic solution emerged: arsenic, sometimes mixed from flypaper, slipped into stews, porridges, brandy.
What followed was one of the deadliest poisoning epidemics in modern history. The women were never seen as radical, only monstrous.
Reese’s work draws us into the margins - showing how desperation, secrecy, and collective survival shaped lives once hidden from view
This event is perfect for...
- Lovers of historical nonfiction / true crime / feminist histories
- Readers wanting to explore how violence, community, and power intersect
- Students, academics, journalists interested in archives, storytelling, gender
- Anyone drawn to stories that challenge received narratives and force us to rethink what’s left unspoken
