[Liz Vos]

This thread is the best place for conversation with Patti!
Did you have any special takeaways from this presentation? Or do you have any questions for her?
Don’t forget to check out our link to The Hungarian Store to purchase the book.

• This topic was modified 3 months ago by Liz Vos.

Topic

[Marianna]

What a story! I guess I have never thought as much about the home life back in Hungary for my grandparents families. I do know that when my grandfather died after my grandmother, by about 8 years, my mother made sure not to put them side by side as she said they never “got along too well”. I did hear loud and colorful Hungarian language bantered between the two of them, and as a child, could ascertain that they weren’t words of love being said between the two.
I am going to buy the book and as well, want to but each of my daughters a copy for Christmas as they love murder mysteries!
The interaction between Patty and her sister was fun and the intros to the different aspects of conversation with them was very well done!

[Patti McCracken]

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• This reply was modified 2 months, 4 weeks ago by Patti McCracken.

[Patti McCracken]

Hi Cathy,
There were various reasons for cause of death in the register — often it was “apoplexy,” which at the time could mean a number of things: stroke, heart attack, aneurysm — and depending on how the arsenic was dispensed, the victim could die a slow death (hard to even think about) and in that case, the midwife could set the precedent for illness. For example, a high enough dose of arsenic to cause physical symptoms, but not enough to kill, at least initially. In such situations, she could say “Mr. Kovacs has been complaining of stomach pains”, and even call the doctor out, who then agrees there is some stomach ailment that needs treatment. The doctor thereby gives her an unsuspecting alibi, or confirmation that Kovacs was sick. It’s the perfect plan — until it isn’t.
As regards religious life: It is a Calvinist village. When the crimes came to light in 1929-30, many in the press laid a lot of blame on the pastor at the time, who was hastily replaced.
To get a good sense of village life in that region of Hungary, I encourage you to put your hands on a copy of Proper Peasants, an incredible monograph of Abony done some 70 years ago. Important to keep in mind that though the world went on, change was and is slow to come in these remote European villages.

[Cathy Ur]

Very interesting. I will seek out the book to read. My four grandparents are from small Hungarian villages. After doing quite a bit of family genealogy, I am now at the point of looking at the lifestyle and challenges my relatives must have faced. What sort of reason for these deaths was recorded in the death registries? How far back did this practice go? And did the religion of the household seem to make any difference in accepting this practice?

[Patti McCracken]

Author here — Thanks to everyone for chiming in! I’ve been on the road the last couple of days, and this is the first chance I’ve had to check in. I’m happy to answer any questions you have about the book, The Angel Makers in general, my time in Hungary, and so forth. I’m here, so bring it on!

[Michelle Gnesda]

I cannot wait to read this book. This kind of thing seemed to continue in the Hungarian settlements in the US. I mean the midwife, herbalist and local women. Men were the rulers and women were abused, as well as children. In some families. they were so large, the older children raised the younger. My mother spoke of the local “witch doctor” in South Fork , Pa. My grandmother had gone with her son as he was so ill. The ” witch doctor” told them to look inside the pillow he slept on and they would find a a partially finished feather wreath with red thread. If it had been completed, that was when he would die. They were to take it out and burn it. This is because a “curse ” was put on him. Grandma went home and checked the pillow, did find the almost completed wreath – took it out and burned it and he recovered. My mother swore this to be true as she remembered seeing him recover very quickly.

[Michelle Gnesda]

I cannot wait to read this book. This kind of thing seemed to continue in the Hungarian settlements in the US. I mean the midwife, herbalist,local women. Men were the rulers and women were abused, as well as children. In some families. they were so large, the older children raised the younger. My mother spoke of the local “witch doctor” in South Fork , Pa. My grandmother had gone with her son as he was so ill. The ” witch doctor” told them to look inside the pillow he slept on and they would find a a partially finished feather wreath with red thread. If it had been completed, that was when he would die. They were to take it out and burn it. This is because a “curse ” was put on him. Grandma went home and checked the pillow, did find the almost completed wreath – took it out and burned it and he recovered. My mother swore this to be true as she remembered seeing him recover very quickly.

[Chaz Szabo]

omg! I had no idea anything like this was going on. Wow and thanks for sharing your research and this presentation. It’ll be a great movie.

[Vicki Loesch]

Just listened to this presentation. Now I need the book. Very interesting.

[Elizabeth Frauenhoffer]

looking forward to this presentation. I read the book last year!

[Author]

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