In the Age of Angel Makers
Chapter 12
Zsuzsanna Fazekas was interrupted from reading a letter delivered that morning by a frantic knock. She was irritated; the letter from her former mentor detailed a promising new method of birthing known as twilight sleep, but the knock was persistent. She stood, grumbling a bit as she straightened her skirt and wiped her hands on a rag. The knock grew louder. She marched over to the door and swung it open harder than she intended.
A short, rounded pregnant woman stumbled back from the door. “Oh!”
Zsuzsanna recognized her from town and tried to school her fierce scowl into a professional smile. “Hello, Ildiko. I apologize for my abruptness; please, come in.”
Zsuzsanna swept the tiny woman inside and guided her deftly over to the chairs arranged in the back parlor Zsuzsanna had converted into an examination room. She was eager to conclude the visit. She had examined Ildiko only a few days prior and found nothing concerning. She would reassure the woman - pregnant women’s nerves often frayed as the time of delivery drew nearer - and then return to her study of the letter.
She sat down across from the woman. “Now, how can I be of assistance,” her voice trailed off as Zsuzsanna finally looked at the woman’s face.
A mottled bruise covered Ildiko's cheekbone and her bottom lip was split and cracked with dried blood. Her eyes were hollow as she clutched at her stomach with shaking hands.
Zsuzsanna drew in a sharp breath. “What is this?” she hissed.
The woman barely reacted to her anger. “It-it was my husband.”
“What did he do?” Zsuzsanna’s fury rose, heating her blood into a boil.
“He became angry during a conversation and struck me. I don’t think he meant to hit so hard, but I was flung back and landed on-,” the woman’s voice broke and Zsuzsanna saw red. “-on my stomach.” Ildiko drew in a shuddering gasp. “I was hoping you could check to see if my baby is still alive.”
The soft ticking from the parlor’s clock and the distant whistle of the wind faded. Zsuzsanna was aware only of the sound of the woman’s sobs and the feel of her own hands, clenching and unclenching into tight fists. She laid them flat on her knees to still them. “Has he hit you before?”
Ildiko hesitated. Zsuzsanna stared at her until the woman relented. “Yes,” she whispered.
Zsuzsanna stood, trying not to let rage puncture through her veneer of control. She could feel the woman’s fear seeping through the house, hiding in the shadows cast in the corners of the room. It heightened Zsuzsanna’s anger until her body shook from trying to shield it from the terrified young woman.
“Get on the table.”
Ildiko stumbled to obey, the skin around her bruise as white as the snow thawing outside in the winter sun. Zsuzsanna examined her gently, but as thoroughly as she dared. Her breath came in short staccatos as she carefully checked for signs of life in the abused woman’s stomach. Ildiko barely moved, keeping her eyes fixed on the ceiling as she waited with bated breath for Zsuzsanna’s verdict.
“I feel a heartbeat,” Zsuzsanna breathed out a sigh of relief, her sharp rage dissipating into a duller anger.
Ildiko let out a harsh sob, a shaky hand reaching up to cover her mouth. “Oh, thank God.” She cradled her stomach with her other arm.
Zsuzsanna frowned. “God had nothing to do with this.”
Ildiko looked up at Zsuzsanna’s words. “What do you mean?”
Zsuzsanna’s fists clenched once again. “Where was God when your husband beat you?” Ildiko’s eyes grew. “He was not there to save you when that man threatened your life and the life of your child!” Zsuzsanna was breathing hard. “He abandoned you when you needed someone to save you most.”
The woman sat up on the table and quickly buttoned her dress. She looked vulnerable. “What you speak of is blasphemy,” she said, her voice barely reaching Zsuzsanna’s ears.
Zsuzsanna bent at the waist to lower her face to the woman’s height. “God will not save you.”
Ildiko wilted under her intense stare. “What are you saying?”
“You must save yourself. All women must.”
Ildiko's face wrinkled with confusion. “Save ourselves?”
“Dismissal, neglect, abuse. Women have been subjected to the worst men have to offer for centuries. Did God save any of them? Did He save you?" Zsuzsanna shook her head. "He has forsaken them in a time of incredible need. I have seen countless bruises like your own that speak of His neglect.”
Ildiko’s eyes sharpened. No more than a fraction, but Zsuzsanna caught the movement. “And how do you propose women save themselves?”
Zsuzsanna tilted her head. “There are ways to end the suffering. I have seen it done before.”
“How? How is such a thing possible?” Ildiko swayed forward towards Zsuzsanna as if reaching for her words.
Zsuzsanna paused. This one had potential but was not ready. Not quite. “There are ways, but none that come easily.” Zsuzsanna herded her towards the front door. “For now, try your best to avoid your husband’s hand and protect your child. It should be only a month or two now before she arrives.”
Ildiko still looked shaken but did not argue. “I will do my best.”
Zsuzsanna gave her a grim nod. “Do your best and more. Be careful.”
Zsuzsanna watched the woman walk away with a light waddle. She was stubborn, but protective. A combination like that could prove useful in such a woman. Zsuzsanna smiled fiercely. She would help the women of Nagyrev save themselves. No matter the cost.
End of Excerpt
"In the Age of Angel Makers"
Word Count: 80,400 words
Genre: Historical Fiction
Age Range: Young Adult, Adult Fiction
Target Audience: This novel is ideal for fans of "Circe" by Madeline Miller, "The Only Woman in the Room" by Heather Terrell, and other stories that highlight female experiences in historical contexts often dominated by men.
Author Bio: My name is Emily and I am a 25 year old UCLA alum who graduated with a degree in Molecular Biology and English Literature. I will be attending medical school in the fall and have been writing short stories and novels since I was young. One of my short stories was selected as a finalist in the Writer's Digest Short Story Contest in 2020. I love reading and writing about strong female characters and have always been fascinated by the untold stories of historical women from around the world.
Synopsis:
Evelina Toth rises with the dawning sun full of dread and spotted with bruises. Her mornings have repeated themselves in this manner since the start of her childless marriage five years prior. Until the day the able-bodied men of Nagyrev, Hungary are drafted into the war efforts and Evelina, along with her childhood friend Ildiko and hundreds of other Hungarian women, is left alone.
Her newfound freedom is sweetened by the stationing of Western European prisoners of war in Nagyrev, one of whom opens her eyes to the world beyond the small village in which she has spent her entire life. But the tentative joy that begins to rise within her is shattered when her husband returns, furious to discover his wife's budding independence. Evelina finds herself desperate to seek relief - even if it comes in the form of unforgivable evil.
Based on real events from the World War I era, "In the Age of Angel Makers" is a story of the overwhelmingly powerful influence of a desperate desire for freedom and love.