This book gripped me from chapter 1. I loved it. Absolutely loved it. I could feel the soundtrack, the anger, the excitement, the love, and the devastation. I wish I could immediately read it all over again.

The Women is an exceptional historical saga that left me deeply affected. As a long-time fan of Hannah's work, I’ve found each of her novels grimmer than the last, and The Women is no exception. It brilliantly but painfully portrays the life of Frances "Frankie" McGrath, a young nurse who serves in the Vietnam War.

Hannah’s historical detail about the war, protests, music, and cultural tidbits transport readers back to the turbulent 1960s and 70s. The vivid settings and descriptions of the horrors of war are so powerful that you can almost feel the oppressive heat and humidity of Vietnam and hear the screams of those waiting in triage. The living conditions of the nurses were horrendous, and Hannah spares no detail in showcasing their daily struggles.

Frankie's journey is heart-wrenching. Her emotional suffering and the love story that unfolds made me tear up. Hannah masterfully illustrates the intense pain and trauma experienced by those who served, both on the front lines and upon returning home. I’ve read about how Vietnam soldiers were mistreated when they returned home, but I’ve never read about what happened to the women who served. This book fills that gap, shining a light on their often overlooked sacrifices.

Kristin Hannah has become an absolute master of historical fiction, and The Women may be my favorite of her books. It is a must-read for anyone interested in a beautifully crafted, well-researched, and deeply moving story about the unsung heroines of the Vietnam War. Five stars.

** * Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. The opinions are my own.

A great book, very well written and a great story told. I would never choose a book about a woman in the Vietnam War, unless by Kristin Hannah, and as expected, she told the story in such a way I never wanted it to end.

I love Kristen Hannah sooooo much!! As a nurse, I loved a story about the impact nurses can have. I thought it was so good and I already cant wait for her next book.

More Kristin Hannah love for yet another exceptional read that brought out all the emotions! Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for an advance review copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Women is the story of 21-year-old Frankie McGrath-- a combat nurse in Vietnam 1967 to 1969. The author does a fantastic job showcasing the horrors of war from the viewpoint of the medical personnel, in particular the nurses, who worked tirelessly to save as many military members and civilians as possible.

The first half of the book details Frankie's experiences during her two tours. The rest of the book focuses on the hardships and mental health issues she dealt with upon her return. Again the author shines a spotlight on a part of history often overlooked.

While I understand that war trauma can be ongoing, it seemed that the author threw almost too much at Frankie with so much tragedy it began to feel repetitive and unbelievable. Overall this is a story of sacrifice, perseverance, friendship and patriotism. If you enjoy audiobooks this was well narrated. Also, don't skip the author's note as it provides more context for the story.

Thank you to the publisher for my e-copy of this book.

What a harrowing story! I vaguely learned about the Vietnam War in history, and I knew how poorly the soldiers were treated upon their return. And, of course, we know now how awful Agent Orange was and the PTSD that the vets endure. But putting faces, names, and details to it all: wow. I didn't think Kristin Hannah could repeat the majesty of The Four Winds, but she has!

Gripping story that is hard to lay down, and will stay with me long after I've finished this book. Yet - there were moments in the book that felt a little bit predictable/overly expositionatory. Yet, I would still very much recommend this to anyone who is interested in historic novels, and who enjoys getting sucked into emotional drama and learning aboutthe different ways people cope.

Kristi Hannah is greatly gifted at making me cry and this book was no exception. I grew up watching MASH (thanks to re-runs and my dad being in charge of the remote) and despite the show being so popular this is the first novel I’ve read about Vietnam (or even heard of for that matter). Despite the fairy tale ending, I did enjoy it immensely (seeing as how I read it in one day).

Hard subject but this one gave someone who wasn’t as familiar with the Vietnam war. Loved Frankie and friends and also enjoyed the education on PTSD.

I loved this, cover to cover. Although I think the first half is the best, featuring Frankie's time in Vietnam along with her experiences there as a combat nurse. The second half dealt with her return home and the years immediately after. I know this is fiction, but it's also based on history and truth, the result of a lot of research by the author. And I'm appalled that I had no idea about most of what happened in this book. I studied Vietnam in my history class with one of the best history teachers ever, and I still didn't know most of what Ms. Hannah included in this book. I'm astounded.

This book reminds me a lot of The Four Winds, which I LOVED. It very nearly feels like two separate stories instead of one. The first half is largely historical with some romance thrown in: the places Frankie saw in Vietnam, what it was like for the soldiers and medics during times of intense combat and also in brief pockets of peaceful times. What they wore, what they ate and drank, what the setting looked and felt and smelled like. We see Frankie acclimate to this stressful circumstance and place, and we see her form relationships during these times. She really thrives while serving in Vietnam. She's an incredible combat nurse.

In short: the first half is mostly the actions going on around Frankie; the second half deals with Frankie's actions once she returns home to America.

I could not put the book down. When I wasn't reading with my eyes, I was listening to Julia Whelan's brilliant audio narration. I've heard several people say this was one of the saddest books they've ever read before, and OF COURSE wartime is sad. But I think there are some extra sadnesses involved with the Vietnam war. As for my own personal reading experiences, I was profoundly moved reading this story, but I didn't feel the bone-crushing, heartwrenching, tears-dripping-off-my-chin devastation that I did when I've read some of Ms. Hannah's other books (looking at you, The Four Winds!). This is not a bad thing at all.

It takes a very long time, but Frankie is able to pick herself up and turn her actions and behaviors into something very positive and healing for herself and other servicewomen. In this way, the book ends on a very positive note. But, oh boy, it's a lot of heartache and heart times for Frankie up until this point. After she arrives home from serving two years in Vietnam, she is yelled at. People spit on her and call her a "baby killer" and they refuse to acknowledge her service. Even her parents are ashamed of her service and cannot speak of it nor put her photo on the "Heroes Wall" in their home. Frankie has a difficult time finding help for her PTSD, even from the VA. Because people just didn't believe there were any women serving over there.

I love that I could really tell Ms. Hannah felt passionate about the story she was telling. It really comes thru in the story, and it drove me to do my own research about most of the events and places she has dotted throughout the book. I learned a lot and I sort of wish I had read it in a group so I could have talked about it with other people while I was reading.

Kristin Hannah is always a must buy in my house! This book did not disappoint. It is a moving and heartbreaking story. We often think of Vietnam Vets as just men, but their were women who served and also cared the trauma of war home. Must read! Great historical fiction.

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This might be my favorite Kristin Hannah book so far. I haven’t read them all, but have read enough to catapult this book to the top of my ranking. I was completely engrossed in this story, captivated by the writing because I felt like I was inside the book.

Even though this story falls within the historical fiction genre, it is obvious that Hannah did her research as so many storylines are true. 

For how heavy and sad it is, I wasn’t overly shocked on how many topics Hannah hit on. And they weren’t just thrown in to fill the space, they very much had a purpose which tied everything together. Between the horrors of war, PTSD, women living in a mans world, love, death, and so much more, I think it’ll be hard for me to convince readers just how well done everything was.

I went on an emotional rollercoaster and loved every step of the way.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ALC!

Content warnings: War, death, violence, miscarriage, addiction, Alcoholism, infidelity

I LOVED this book. Easily one of my top 5 for the year. I wish I could give it more than 5 stars. I've just started reading Kristin Hannah and this book made me want to go to the library and check out all of her books. This book was heartbreaking and realistic and hopeful and emotional and so so important. I really did not know much about the Vietnam war and especially how veterans were treated. I think it's so important to learn how that treatment impacted mental health and the entire country. This book was so well done and I'm definitely recommending it to all of my friends. On to the next Kristin Hannah book! I received a free copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Kristin Hannah is hands down one of my favorite authors. The Women was a little bit harder for me to get into apart from her others. The first part where she is in country reads pretty slow but it is important to understand what she went through for when she gets back to the states. The book is devastating and I can't believe she had to go through so much. The writing is once again beautiful. The is not a subject I have read on much at all so it was nice to have a historical fiction on something other than WW2. Once again, I can't wait for her next one.

This is my first Kristin Hannah but will not be my last. This book was absolutely wonderful. I devoured this and loved everything about this book even if a lot of it was infuriating because no one would help Frankie.

I was hesitant to read this one after the ultra depressing Four Winds, but I am so glad I did! What an emotional ride! I truly enjoyed the insight into the Vietnam War, specifically the role women had. There were some plot points which didn't work for me, but overall I loved the new perspective I gained with this story.

Kristin Hannah's finest work yet. This is a story that needs to be told and this becomes so much more than just a history lesson. The characters feel real and the problems they face are, unfortunately, part of American history. In the past I've found characters like Frankie to be annoying or insufferable but Hannah made every choice and every mistake understandable. Even if I didn't like the choice, as a reader, and even if I would never do it myself, in real life, I understood what lead Frankie to that point. She was a fully fleshed out human.

The book didn't go where I thought it would and frankly I'm thankful for that because it was a pleasant surprise. While this was far from the darkest book I ever read, it is worth mentioning this book is about trauma.

Overall this is my second favorite Kristin Hannah book with The Nightingale still holding the top spot, but this is a close second.

Oh Kristin Hannah. Oh Bookstagram. You're gonna hate me for this one. After being bowled over by THE GREAT ALONE, THE NIGHTINGALE, and THE FOUR WINDS I honestly couldn't believe that THE WOMEN was written by the same author. Basically, I felt like her writing in this novel did a completely 180 and I found it grating, amateurish, and pretty annoying.

I had a hard time getting lost in the story because everything was predictable and insanely depressing. (Seriously, nothing good happens the MC of this book and after a while it gets almost comical). Also, two people come back "from the dead" in this book. Two! I gasped at the first one but literally rolled my eyes at the second. What a weird plot device to lazily hang your hat on.

While I appreciated an interesting take on PTSD after military service, especially for a woman, everything else felt surface level and the plot was frustrating. I just couldn't with this book, I'm so sorry!