Lynda Drews will be visiting Oconto through an event put on by Farnsworth Public Library.
Her visit will take place at 6 p.m. Oct. 19 at Oconto City Hall, 1210 Main St., Oconto.
Drews will share about the research behind her historical true crime books, “Disposable Wives” and “The Maid and the Socialite.”
“The Maid and the Socialite,” released in 2023, takes place in Lynda’s hometown in an era where women were treated as less than equal to the city’s powerful men. Two women in Green Bay had their lives and reputations ruined at the turn of the 20th century when celebrated surgeon John R. Minahan claimed they had the shameful disease of syphilis at a time when there was no way to prove one way or another. The Midwest Book Review states that this true story is told with “the drama of fiction and the compelling research of fact.”
The Belgian Heritage Center says “Disposable Wives,” Drews’ latest novel, is “A gripping account of crime in Wisconsin’s Belgian settlement. This well-researched work provides a rich portrait of the life, laws, and traditions of the era, and the challenges of seeking justice in a new land.” This book is set after the Civil War in the Belgian pioneer settlement near Green Bay, focusing on farmer J.P. Soquet who is believed to have murdered three of his wives. Pauline Villiesse, the sister of Soquet’s third wife, and Xavier Martin, a Belgian translator, work to get justice for the murdered women.
Drews has also written three other books, “Run at Destruction,” “Circle of Innocence” and “Desperate Parallels.”
For information, contact the library at 920-834-7730.
