What an incredible book about women in war. I really love how Kristin Hannah is able to take my mind and make me just lose myself in her books. Frankie was such an inspirational woman who over came so many obstacles and conflicts as she transformed from a teenager to a military woman at such a young age. To watch her journey as she aged was incredible and as a woman I really could feel for her and everything she went through.
My grandfather was a POW for 18 months and he never talked about what happened during that time. Whether you were held prisoner, fighting on the front lines or a nurse like Frankie was, I have no doubt they all saw the most traumatic and horrific things. PTSD is such a unique experience for everyone and Kristin Hannah did such a perfect job showing this and working Frankie through that time in her life. This was such a well written and well researched book! 5’s ⭐️ from me. ❤️📚

SYNOPSIS:
- Frances “Frankie” McGrath is a twenty-year-old nursing student. She has grown up in a conservative, proper household on Coronado Island. Her older brother, Fin, is in the Navy, and the book opens with him preparing to leave to serve in the Vietnam War. At Fin’s going away party, someone tells Frankie, “women can be heroes, too.” This new concept sets off dominos in her mind, and it causes her to enlist in the Army Nurse Corps.
- Frankie hasn’t come into her own yet professionally or emotionally, and she has a lot of growing up to do in Vietnam. Luckily, she has amazing roommates, Barb & Ethel.
- The book follows Frankie’s life in Vietnam & also her life when she returns.

MY THOUGHTS
- I enjoyed the women’s stories and perspectives. I never have heard about the nurses in Vietnam War, and this was educational.
- I really liked the amazing bonds & female friendships. It was refreshing to read about capable, badass women.
- The toxic family dynamics were interesting, as well as the society’s expectations on women in the time period.
- Very well-written & well-researched. A bit repetitive in some parts.
- The depiction of PTSD was well-done.
- The letters written between Frankie & her family and friends were great, and I loved the incorporation of those into the story.
- Book starts out slow, but it picks up & it is hard to put down.
- I was disappointed by:
- the dehumanization of Vietnamese people. We were never offered their perspective. Given the length of the book, I think it would have been easy to incorporate a character. I found the time in Vietnam to be the most slow moving chapters, and I think part of the reason is we were missing representation & perspective from a large portion of folks. It almost came off “white savior” in some ways, as we only know Frankie’s perspective.
- the final ending twist was one twist too many for me, and felt like a repeat of what had already happened with a different character.
- I didn’t like seeing Frankie’s character reduced to her love interests on so many occasions.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4.5 rounded up to 5. Enjoyed the perspective of the women who were nurses in Vietnam. Interesting family dynamics + well-written female friendships.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. It will be published on February 6, 2024.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC! This story was one with so many complex layers and development. It focuses on a young nurse from a well-to-do family that feels the call to serve in Vietnam initially because her brother is there. She is told the women can be heroes, and she takes it upon herself to join the ranks of nurses. You see her being an unsure, green recruit who really comes into her own and forms amazing friendships and learns valuable skills. I admit I do not know much about the Vietnam war, so I really devoured this story and enjoyed seeing her journey. It even follows her into her after war civilian life and struggles. The only reason I felt like it would lose one star was because some of the various love interest situations didn’t seem realistic-there were almost too many layers to some of the stories. It wasn’t a deal-breaker for me, though, as I really did enjoy the book. I think it tells about a period in history that not many people (including me) know about. Overall, excellent story and storytelling and highly recommend it.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the advance copy of this book.

I looooooved reading a book centered around “women can be heroes.” This book is so important to the often-forgotten stories of women veterans.

Part 1 of this book is phenomenal - all the stars. The medical trauma of the Vietnam War was shocking and heartbreaking, and I just keep thinking about it all.

Part 2 showing the effects of the War on the US and veterans got a little unhinged with what I’d say are too many twists to one character, but I still really enjoyed it. Kristin did a fantastic job detailing the desperation of the women veterans and showing the coping mechanisms they used as they were shunned from VAs and told “there were no women in Vietnam.” To experience such tragedy and have so many people dismiss your experience would be absolutely devastating.

This book was very eye-opening to the reality of the Vietnam War, and I’m so glad Kristin chose to tell the story of the women heroes and honestly just insanity & absurdity of the War. She's so good at evoking strong emotion from her readers and I'll be thinking about this book for a long time.

It's 1965 and twenty-year-old Frances "Frankie" McGrath is eager to join the war effort. Her brother's already in Vietnam. She joins the Army as a nurse to get out there out as quickly as she can.

She's ill-prepared for the horrors of war but has to learn quickly.

This is the first book I've read of Kristin Hannah's, I've a few book friends who rave about her books so I had high expectations.

I read some historical fiction and some women's fiction so I thought I'd be right at home.

Sorry to say, I found it rather slow, especially the second half. I've seen plenty of Vietnam films and not much of the detail surprised me.

I've seen plenty of reviews calling this a book of the year, so I'll happily admit it wasn't really one for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press

Fabulous! Perhaps my favorite Hannah book. A very young girl leaves the safety and security of her country club family to become an Army nurse in Vietnam for two tours. I learned so much about the time period and Hannah has a talent for creating characters that are real - you care about them. I was on vacation and found I wanted to get back to our hotel so I could find out what was happening next to Frankie. This is a historical fiction book about class, politics, war, family, careers, heroes and more. My only regret is that I kept hoping Katie would find her happy ending and Hannah creates real stories not fairy tales and I do appreciate that.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this Arc! Kristin Hannah does no wrong! Her stories are always deep and meaningful. This was a great story and I really enjoyed.

Title: The Women
Author: Kristin Hannah
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Women’s Fiction , Historical Fiction
Pub Date: February 6, 2024
My Rating: 4.5 rounded up
Pages: 480


In this Historical Fiction novel Kristin Hannah takes us back to the sixties. After JFK was assassinated as the result of communism; our country's primary focus became controlling communism. Troops were sent to Vietnam.

Story starts at a party on Coronado Island, Ca when Finley McGrath’s parents have invited family and friends to celebrate a bon voyage to her brother Finley who recently graduated from the Naval Academy and would be heading to Vietnam as an officer.
Frances ‘Frankie’ McGrath is a twenty-year-old nursing student and the expectations for her are that she would to be a nurse then marry and have children. (I am very familiar with the sixties as a woman’s choices were to be a nurse, teacher or a secretary. It was actually my mother who laughed when my father said I was going to be a lawyer.)

Frankie was sad about her brother leaving and ducked out of the party and stopped in her father’s office and viewed her family’s “hero’s walk" a photo display of the men in the family who served our nation. .Her great grandfather McGrath in his soldier’s uniform. There were also framed medals for valor, and injury as well as a triangle-folded framed American flag. There were also wedding pictures with men usually in uniform.. Frankie wanted to be included and wondered - why can't a woman be a hero as well? This question hit her like an earthquake and encouraged her to joins the Army Nurse Corps.

I seldom read war stories but did read "Unbroken" by author, Laura Hillerbrand which was the true story of Louis Zamperini an Olympic Athlete who served in WWII.
He was captured and beaten by his captures repeatedly as they knew he was an Olympic athletic. The story was difficult to read but he did return from the war and lived to be 97!

However the Vietnam War was different as the men and women who were there serving and giving up their lives for our country were NOT treated as heroes but patriotic young people caught in a war that wasn’t theirs to fight and many people resented that.

As I read Frankie’s experiences there was no doubt her story is very emotional. I am old enough that I do remember the Vietnam War.
I also remember the 70s TV sitcom M*A*S*H so I did know women were in Vietnam.
In Ms. Hannah’s Acknowledgement she tells us that according to the Vietnam Women’s Memorial Foundation over 10,000 American military women were stationed in Vietnam during the war. Also over 265,000 military as well as civilian women from around the world served during the Vietnam era


. This is my eighteenth novel ~ I became a fan back in 2008 when I read "Firefly Lane".
I knew then that Kristin Hannah was a great story teller.
Although Historical Fiction her characters are so real.

You will love Frankie. Her story is emotional –perhaps you will cry and/or you will not sleep well tonight!”

I always enjoy reading the “Author’s Notes’ as well as the ‘Acknowledgements’.
Ms. Hannah tells us that this story 1997 and had an extensive list of the research materials she use.
She also tells us about Colonel Robert John Welch who was shot down in Vietnam and never came home.
She wore his POW bracelet for many years and thought of this family.
In writing this story she had a chance to say – Thank you for your service, Colonel Welch.

Want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ for this awesome early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for February 6, 2024.

Another outstanding book from my favorite author. This story of the women who served as nurses in Vietnam brings the war to life. Hannah vividly writes about its ugliness and brutality and I was completely immersed. Much historical fiction is written about WWII, an era I did not live through. I was a child and preteen during the Vietnam era and it taught me so much, especially about the treatment and experiences of those veterans who returned home. It was a dark time in this country’s history but I was too young to understand. Now I do.

Kristin Hannah is one of the most talented authors around, and this latest story of a young, naive woman who joins the army as a nurse during the Vietnam War does not disappoint. The story is engaging, and offers a glimpse into the less-known history of women in the war.

What a terrific book. I love Kristin Hannah's work, and in my mind this is her best yet. It's the story of the American women who were nurses in Vietnam during the war, the trauma they endured and the difficulties overcoming that trauma -- but that understates the narrative that drives it and makes it a page-turner. "The Women" reminds me a bit of "Demon Copperhead" in that it recounts empathetically a person's addiction and self-destructive behaviors, while explaining how trauma led to that behavior. I loved this book!

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑾𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏 review 🇻🇳
By: Kristin Hannah
Pub date: February 6, 2024

Summary: Vietnam, 1965. An intimate portrait of a woman coming of age in a dangerous time and an epic tale of a nation divided by war and broken by politics, of a generation both fueled by dreams and lost on the battlefield.

As a former Army wife, I felt this book in my heart and soul. I come from a military family and have the utmost respect for our service men and women with both of my grandfathers serving in the Army, one in the Korean War and the other in WW2. My dad a Marine who almost went to Vietnam and described the horrors he would see come through from the war as he lay in a hospital bed with a broken ankle, and my husband in the Army serving in Afghanistan just a few years ago.

They were just kids, just boys, over in Vietnam 🥺 all of the fatalities from the war too - the soldiers, the healthcare workers, the civilians, the women and children 💔 all the lives lost. Just unimaginably heart wrenching. I don’t know why I torture myself with her writing but I do. This was excellent and well-researched and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I loved the medical aspect of this book. I’m only a few classes away from my Master’s degree and always dreamed of becoming a PA. As a former surgical tech on the neuro operating room team, I appreciated those medical details so much ❤️‍🩹

This was gut wrenching and had me emotionally distraught. Her writing captivates me and the layers are so well done. A book that can evoke these feelings for me gets all the stars. She is one of my top 5 auto-buy authors.

This book reminded me of the quote by Mahatma Gandhi, “the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 - 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐲 ❤️‍🩹

Thank you so much @netgalley for my very first advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review!

Another impressive story by Kristin Hannah. This was just such soul-stirring and emotional read. Again. I love that she brings significant things that happened in our history and reminds us that women were there. Women were a part of it and they were doing their part. Just another absolutely stunning read. When this book releases, please pick it up! You will not regret it.

I am not typically a historical fiction fan but this book changed me. Hannah can write, she has proved that time and time again which is no different with this book. A war story that was so captivating but the most important aspect was part two of the book. PTSD is rarely touched on and Hannah faces it front on. I loved how she uncovered the truth of women’s help in the Vietnam War.

I loved this boo, it told a story that has been neglected to be told about the women who made a difference in many soldiers lives. Tragic, thought provoking and reflective. Many women in history are overlooked foe their male counterparts achievements.

Easily my favorite Kristan Hannah book to date - and a favorite read from the year. Hannah brings to light the contributions of women during the Vietnam War, but more so allows their story to be felt by the broader community. As the daughter of a Vietnam Vet, this story spoke deeply to my heart - giving realistic glimpses into life during the war and upon returning home. The struggles are real and the beauty in the story telling is exquisite while remaining true to those that returned home - especially the Women. Thank you immensely for this early read to the publishers and NetGalley. And, thank you to Kristin Hannah for this beautiful read.

Review: OMG!! What an absolutely AMAZING read!! I have never read anything about Vietnam and this book really put some things in perspective for me. I now want to learn more about the war and the years that this went on. What an amazing story this was! After reading the Authors Note, I didn’t realize that Hannah came up with this idea back in 1997, but didn’t think she could do the story justice being a new writer. It took her decades to write this story, and it shows! This is by far my favorite book by Hannah this far!! I was so engrossed in the story and found myself not wanting to stop reading at times. She ripped pieces of my heart out with every page and everything that Frankie went through. But I loved learning about her struggles and how she was able to grow and become the woman she was at the end! I’m so happy that I was approved to read this book early by @stmartinspress and @netgalley !! I will definitely be getting my own copy when it comes out in February! I would recommend reading this book as soon as it hits shelves. It is going to be a bestseller for sure! Don’t believe what you hear. Women did serve in the war in Vietnam, 10,000 American women. Over 200,000 women all together. Even if they didn’t see combat, they saw A LOT and deserve to be recognized for their service. Thank you Kristin Hannah for giving them a voice!!

. Kristin can basically do no wrong. Even if I think I won’t like a book she writes, I do. Even if I cry through 50% of the book (hello, Night Road), I love her.

So this takes place during the Vietnam war. Frankie wants more than to just be a wife and mom. She’s a nurse and decides to use her skills overseas. We see how women are treated before the war, during the war, and after the war. One thing remains: the women are seen as less than.

I trust Kristin did her research so I felt like I got a little history lesson throughout. She also includes songs that are playing that allows the reader to put a time period to the songs.

I definitely enjoyed this one. I wanted more and more of Frankie!

This Kristin Hannah book was everything I expected and more. What an amazing story this was to learn about women who served in Vietnam, but what a shame it was how they were treated when they returned. I think this book spoke so much to the horrors all veterans face when they are at war, and how they are treated after serving their country. It is crazy to me how many people told Frankie over and over again that women didn't serve in Vietnam, and no one was really able to help her until the end. I can only imagine the bonds you build with fellow service men and women. This book was a quick read, and I had a hard time stopping when I had to! I hope everyone reads this book to learn about how strong so many women were during the Vietnam war, and how much they helped all of the people who served.

Thank you to Net Galley for my ARC!

Kristin Hannah really is a special author. She takes a part of history and makes you feel shocked and embarrassed for not knowing more about it.
I'll be honest, it took me some time to get into this book, when normally I am obsessed straight away. After a while, I was hooked just as much as her other books, absorbing the power and drama of each page.
Some scenes have really stuck with me, and probably will continue to. Hannah has really brought the Vietnam war to life in this book, and the book is highly recommended.