This is one of the best books I've ever read. It's hard to do it justice in a review. It hit home on all that the Vietnam war did to US culture. Frankie McGrath chooses to go to Vietnam as an Army nurse, but she isn't ready for what she is about to experience. Besides the fact that women were treated poorly--in fact, their service is entirely ignored by most US citizens, she enters a world of death, oppressive heat, monsoon rain, and generally poor conditions. Despite all the odds, she becomes an incredible nurse. But when she returns home to California, she is faced with a country that has turned against her those who served in the war and trauma beyond what she could ever imagine.

“The Women” is not just Frankie’s story; it is an ode to the countless women who, like her, ventured into the heart of darkness, armed with little more than their courage and a steadfast commitment to healing. Hannah’s portrayal of war’s chaos, the bonds forged and broken in the crucible of conflict, and the arduous journey of reintegration into a society that seems to have moved on without them is both heart-wrenching and enlightening.

What sets this novel apart is Hannah’s ability to capture the essence of an era—the music, the mood, the whirlwind of social change—and distill it through the experiences of her characters. Frankie’s return home to a divided America, her struggle to reconcile the person she has become with the nation she thought she knew, is a powerful commentary on the cost of war and the resilience of the human spirit.

This is actually more like 4.5 stars, because I could not put it down. This book took over my life and it consumed me. It’s a story we all need to hear and understand. It’s told beautifully and taught so much about veterans that served in Vietnam.

As far as the story is concerned: the first half was 5 stars easy. There were a few plot holes for me that I just couldn’t let go. Frankie volunteers with the POW group but never looks up Rye’s name? Come on. And don’t get me started on the ending. I’m not sure why it’s bothering me, but brining Jamie back felt lazy. Like she never checked up on him? Insert eyeroll.

This is hands down THE BEST Kristin Hannah book I’ve read to date! I am not ok. This book was a wild ride and Frankie is now a part of my soul. I learned so much from this book and now all I can think about is the women who served our country and the struggles they endured upon returning home. My heart!

What a phenomenal story. It was beautifully written and plucked those heartstrings just like Kristin Hannah’s previous work. Another masterful piece of historical fiction.

This book was incredibly affecting and well-researched - one of my favorites by Kristin Hannah. I loved that she shone the spotlight on a group that we haven’t heard about much in Vietnam War content.

Kristin Hannah is absolutely one of my favorite authors! I have read all her books and this definitely falls into my top 5 of her books. I found the story so moving and was invested from the very beginning. I love how she applies research without hitting you over the head with it. I would highly recommend this book! It was wonderfully written and just is such an incredible story.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for this advance copy. Kristin Hannah is a favorite author and I have read her books for years. When I first picked up this book, it didn’t sit well with me. I found the main character ridiculously naive and it just wasn’t the right time for me to experience the amount of trauma and gore that is the first 40% of this book. When Sharon McMahon picked this as her book club selection, I decided to give it another try and I’m really glad I did. It’s clear Hannah did exhaustive research on the women who served in Vietnam. What I found even more fascinating was in the second half of the book, where she focuses on Frankie’s return home and the many challenges facing veterans (& women) of that time. It was probably too long in places and had some silly plot points (every man Frankie meets falls madly in love with her) but the overall message of the book definitely makes it worth the read. An important look at the history of the 1960s and definitely a favorite from Hannah.

I love Kristin Hanna’s books. This one was right up there with my favourites. Highly recommended. .

Learning more about the Vietnam war was interesting, so many brave people who didn’t receive respect or much needed heathcare following their service because it was a war we should’ve never been in. Some of the medical unit scenes were too graphic for me.
What I didn’t enjoy was this felt like 3 different books and it seemed to go on and on, there were so many side plots that I felt took away from the real story. Every man Frankie met fell madly in love with her and several even came back from the dead, it got to be too cliche - I wasn’t sure if I was reading a historical fiction novel or a harlequin romance.
Julia Whelan narrated this book wonderfully.

I didn't know what to expect when I started this book. It was a page turner. Every chapter is gut wrenching. I was too young to remember the Vietnam War.

I read this very quickly. Great characters. Fantastic plot. This is my first Kristen Hannah book. I will be reading more.

📚📚 BOOK REVIEW🌟 🌟 💫

Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

“The women had a story to tell, even if the world wasn’t quite yet ready to hear it, and their story began with three simple words. We were there.”

Thank you St. Martin's Press, Netgalley and Kristin Hannah for a copy of “The Women” in exchange for a fair review.
A poignant tale of the young girl’s growth to a women, with the backdrop of the ill fated Vietnam War- The Women was one of the most anticipated reads of 2024 and Kristin Hannah flourishes with her skillful storytelling.

“She’d joined the war to find her brother and found herself instead. In war, she’d found out who she really was and who she wanted to be.”

When 20 year old Frances McGrath decides to enlist herself in the Army Nurse Corps to make her father and brother proud- little does she realize the perils of war she had signed up for- be it the invisible monsters flooding the battlefield or the divisiveness of her country to the act itself.

“Life over here is short and regret lasts forever. Maybe happy now, happy for a moment, is all we get. Happy forever seems like a shit load to ask in a world on fire.”

The first half of the book flashes by at breakneck speed with the author giving her readers a bird’s eye view of the terrain and hardships through Frankie- what impressed me the most is the aloofness of the author from any political beliefs and rather focusing on the viewpoints of all affected. Be it the friendship she develops with Barb and Ethel as she learns her trade amidst the bloodshed and protecting soldiers hurt fatally in combats or the heartbreaking tryst with romance- the first half will leave you thirsty for more.

“War was full of goodbyes, and most of them never really happened; you were always too early or too late.”

What follows though is a transformation as the author takes us through a darker phase in Frankie’s life upon return- a battle with her inner demons, the survival against PTSD, lack of support and recognition amidst a country battling with communism. The 2nd half was a tough read but never does the author slip in her command on narrative. This one is EPIC in every possible way and Frankie, as a war hero will be a memorable character for the rest of 2024.

“We were forgotten, all of us Vietnam vets, but especially the women most of all.”

I know this take is going to be ~controversial~:I did not love Kristin Hannah’s latest novel, THE WOMEN.

Before you throw tomatoes at me, hear me out. I largely enjoyed my reading experience with this one, but it was predictable, and elements were verging on Lifetime movie territory. Let’s unpack.

THE WOMEN follows Frankie McGrath, a nurse who decides to enlist as an Army nurse during Vietnam. While she is at first out of her element, she saves soldiers and creates lifelong friendships. Little does she know that the real battle begins when she comes home and learns that Americans are not in favor of the war, which has begun to wreak havoc on her mental health.

Prior to reading this, I had seen nothing but glowing, 5 ⭐️ reviews about this book. I know Kristin Hannah has a strong legion of fans, but I’ve always been so-so on her books. While I find most of her work enjoyable, it always errs on the side of melodramatic soap opera for me, with the emotional touchpoint of her work feeling implausible due to the sheer volume of moments written to make you cry.

THE WOMEN suffers from this. SO many bad things happen to Frankie. While I’m not saying that bad things don’t happen to ordinary people all the time, the way they were crammed into this book felt like too much. When it’s one traumatic event after another, it gives the reader emotional whiplash. This was also SO predictable, to the point where I could guess almost every plot point before it happened. From a technical standpoint, I found a lot of this to be cheesy — the “Women can be heroes” line was eye roll-inducing — not because it’s not true (!) but because no one actually talks like that.

This review isn’t designed for me to bash this book. I landed on a perfectly respectable 3.75 ⭐️, and really enjoyed both the level of Vietnam detail and the focus on women during the war. The discussions of PTSD were an important inclusion. I wish this book had pared down on some of the over-the-top drama in order to allow these themes to flourish.

Kristin Hannah's The Women may be her best work yet! I read this book in 2 days as I simply could not stop reading. Housework can wait!

Do you have any must read authors? Authors that you must immediately read their new releases? Kristin Hannah has become that kind of author for me after I read The Nightingale around ten years ago for my Rogue book club.

The Women is an intense story of a nurse, Frankie, who served on the frontlines of the Vietnam War only to return home to a changed America that does not welcome home its veterans. How can Frankie find peace and a way forward in her civilian life?

• The Women was an intense and immersive story that made me feel like I was experiencing the changes that the Vietnam war brought to America in the 1960’s and 1970’s. I loved in the author’s note at the end of the book Hannah lists her extensive research list and also explains that she had real Vietnam War nurses and veterans review the rough draft of the novel to critique it and provide real world details. That really shines through in this book.

• I really liked that the book didn't end with Frankie’s return from Vietnam, but went through her struggles, PTSD, and treatment after the war.

• I enjoyed learning about the nurses that served during the Vietnam War. I had never really thought before of how they had experienced the trauma of the war and that they were not recognized as veterans when they returned home.

• This book NEEDS to be a movie. I have read that the movie rights have already been sold. I hope it actually does become a movie. I am still waiting for The Nightingale to become a movie.

• This book made me cry. Kristin Hannah is good at making me feel the emotions of a story.

• While I loved the historical fiction aspects of the story, the romance story fell flat for me. I don’t want to ruin the story, but I loved it all until the very end. SPOILER ALERT: I could believe one dead great love being alive miraculously, but two was too much for me. SPOILER END. As with The Great Alone, sometimes Hannah has problems ending a great book with a believable ending.

• I find it interesting that while most people really love Kristin Hannah, there are some that really don’t like her books and hate her for being a popular, best-selling author. If you didn’t enjoy her other novels, you will probably not enjoy The Women.

What has been your favorite book of 2024 for far? While I did not enjoy the ending, The Women was my favorite book of 2024 so far. I learned a lot about the Vietnam War and the men and women who served. It was an intense story.

Book Source: Review copy from NetGalley. Thank-you! Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book left me speechless. I’m still not sure I have the words to give this book justice. There are not enough books out there about Vietnam, so I jumped at the chance to read this. And considering Kristin Hannah is a must read for me anyway, I couldn’t get a copy of this one fast enough. Kristin can do no wrong in my eyes.

Frankie signs up to go to Vietnam as a nurse, because she feels like that’s the only way to gain any respect from her father. She had no idea what she’s getting herself into. She forms everlasting friendships with her fellow nurses. There’s graphic detail about battlefield hospitals and what they see and do. She sees people she loves die, she can’t save many of the soldiers she sees.

When Frankie returns home she experiences a whole different kind of trauma. It amazed me to read about what Frankie went through. I know that a lot of veterans don’t get the treatment and help that they need, even today, but it really showed me that it was an issue even back then.

I had the opportunity to read this book with multiple book clubs and it was amazing to talk to people about it. Some who lived during the time period, and hearing stories about people’s family members from that time, I even remember my father’s experiences during that time.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my ARC of this book.

Rarely does a book impact me to the extent that this one did.

The Women follows the story of a young woman in the US during the Vietnam war. In hope of making her family proud, she enlists in the Army Nurse Corps to serve and is shortly shipped out. We are given a glimpse into her life in Vietnam and then how she copes with coming back to the US.

This novel could easily be classified as an epic. The reader is quickly swept up in the story and is cheering with the main character and heartbroken with her. I easily cried multiple times while reading this book.

Parts written by another author may have felt trite or commonplace, but Hannah writes with such grace and mastery that it all made sense. This nearly 500 page book flew by.

I am so grateful to have picked up this book and been able to share Frankie's story, if only for a moment.

QUICK TAKE: If you like Kristin Hannah books, you'll like THE WOMEN. I liked it…fine. I’m not a big historical fiction reader, so maybe don’t trust my opinion here, but there’s enough to lean into here with Hannah’s story about a wartime nurse and her rough reentry into society after coming home from Vietnam in the 1970s. The book burns through a LOT of story, and MC Frankie basically goes through every possible trauma one could experience (miscarriages, alcoholism, neglectful parents, cheating boyfriend, etc). I will say, having not read a lot of books about the Vietnam War, I thought Hannah did a nice job educating readers on a dark time in US history while managing to keep the story fast-paced and entertaining.

I’ve been putting off this review because I always find it hardest to review books I loved & man oh man did I love this one, y’all. 🥹

Anyone who has read a book by Kristin Hannah knows how wonderful of a storyteller she is & I think this may be her best work yet. The character development, plot, setting, imagery - it’s just all so incredibly well done.

Although historical fiction is easily my favorite genre, I tend to gravitate towards WWII HF, solely because I’ve always found it most interesting & complex. For that reason, I put this one off & dismissed it (Vietnam? No thanks!) until FOMO got the best of me (thanks bookstagram!) and I finally gave it the shot it deserved. I’m so so glad I did & I’ve been recommending it to anyone & everyone I know.

I found the Vietnam content way more engaging & interesting than I expected & felt transported to the front lines thanks to Hannah’s detailed descriptions. Frankie was such an easy character to cheer for & man did she face some adversity. I really felt for her multiple times in the book. KH also nailed writing a few unlikeable characters (IYKYK). I think weaving love stories into historicism novels can often be a little difficult to do, but Hannah features plenty of romantic drama without taking away from anything else. I also really loved the representation of Frankie, Barb & Ethel as badass nurses & especially loved their friendship.

When I finished this book in early February, I expected it to easily be my fav of the year. While I’ve since read two others I loved just as much, it’s up there. Please please pick this one up if you have the chance, but please know there are trigger warnings galore.

I won't lie I went into THE WOMEN, very excited but I was a little disappointed. Kristin Hannah did a great job at telling a story about a group of women history seemed to forget: the women helping in the Vietnam war.... the women who were also there for the bombings, the death and destruction... the women who also had to deal with PTSD and the consequences of the war, but without the shining glory of being called a hero.

THE WOMEN explored Frankie, a war nurse who truly finds her true self while serving in Vietnam, but when she returns home, has quite a hard time assimilating back into the world she left. Her parents do not understand her anymore, but still expect her to be the obedient daughter and do exactly what good daughters do: go to dinner, dress up and get married. Frankie seeks help but doors are closed: women aren't veterans, women aren't heros and to many, women weren't even "in" Vietnam. Hannah's exploration of this isolating world is important and fascinating. A truly wonderful piece of literature for those that connected to it.

I personally found the text a little slower paced than Hannah's usual stories and I wasn't quite as captivated. All in all, its my problem and not the books as many found this to be a thrilling piece of literature & I still cannot wait to read what Hannah writes next.