THE WOMEN ARE NOT FINE

BY HOPE REESE

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A Book Discussion Study Guide

  1. What was your first reaction to the story?

  2. Did your opinion of the women change as the book progressed?

  3. Was there a character or detail you found yourself sympathizing with?

  4. Has this book prompted you to read more on the subject or explore similar stories?

  5. How did the book portray the women of Nagyrév — as victims, perpetrators, survivors, something in between?

  6. How did the idea of “crimes of passion” and gendered legal standards shape your interpretation of the women’s actions?

  7. The book mentions modern studies linking domestic violence shelter access to fewer female-perpetrated murders. How might history have changed if resources had been available?

  8. How did the intersection of gender, poverty, and rural isolation influence the women’s choices — and what echoes of this still exist?

  9. How did gossip, secrecy, and groupthink allow this pattern of deaths to continue? Can solidarity be dangerous?

  10. How did the author work around gaps in the historical record to tell the women’s stories? What else would you like to know that couldn’t be found?

  11. How did Reese’s position as an American living in Hungary influence how the story was told?

  12. Reese explored this core question in the book. What did you take away as the answer?

  13. Across history, women’s acts of violence have often been treated differently — either sensationalized, minimized, or misunderstood. What broader questions does this book raise about the conditions under which women commit violence? What still hasn’t changed?