I never thought I would love a book just as much as my all time favorite book, "The Nightingale", but Kristin Hannah has done it again. "The Women" was an amazing historical fiction story that I think about daily even after I have finished reading it. I love that Kristin writes about strong women in all her books but this one will always have a special place in my heart.

This one was a slow start for me - I wasn't sure about it at first but then, wow, what a memorable, engaging story. It doesn't turn out the way you might expect! Plus, growing up in the late 70s and 80s, it was fun to notice the nostalgic pop culture references throughout, and I learned so much about what was happening in the world while I was too young to remember or understand the importance of what was going on.

Sometimes I forget how 'epic' Kristin Hannah's books can feel. I read a lot a lot of nonfiction so a longer, developed storyline can feel slow when you're generally used to 200-pagers. But, I like to break it up with fiction so I was delighted to get approved by Netgalley for this ARC and even happier that it was worth it; a memorable read.

Frankie McGrath lives on Coronado Island and the Viet Man War is going on. Her father keeps photos of those in the family who have served in war and her brother signs up to go. At her brother’s going away party his best friend Finley tells her women can be heroes as well as men. Frankie is not interested in marrying right now so she becomes a nurse and goes to Viet Nam herself. Barb and Ethel served with Frankie, showing her the ropes and encouraging her through dreadful surgeries. They also knew how to find ways to give her some relief from the war. I think this book is extremely important. There are books on men and the Viet Nam War but women and hospitals are not featured in a historical fiction book. So many people did not believe she was in Viet Nam and when she needed help returning home there was no support. The fun the troops had between harrowing experiences at the hospital were welcomed and showed the need for breaks from war. Frankie’s love interests were endearing. I liked how the book focused on war efforts at home while there was little help from most people. Great characters and wonderful book!

With all due respect to the Author, Kristin Hannah, who is an accomplished and caring writer and has written many compelling women’s fiction books, “The Women” left me cold and bewildered.

The war in Vietnam certainly caused discord and confusion in America and it was a divisive time. A story that guides us through the 1960’s, and it’s culture changes, is needed. Not a soap opera about one woman who loves, and loses three men, and falls apart.

I salute the men and women who fought, those who volunteered and those who were drafted. I’m glad that many positive civil right issues were brought to the forefront.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance review copy. This is my honest review.

What can I say Kristin Hannah has done it again. I love how she rips your heart out stomps on it and then puts it back together in a beautiful way. I love her writing style its poetically thought out. While you bawling your eyes out still craving more. The women was an amazing tell about Vietnam nurses who back then were a forgot piece of the war. They deserve just as much honor and respect as those on the battlefield. This book highlights their heroism and struggles.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 "The Women" by Kristin Hannah is an absolute masterpiece that left me utterly captivated and emotionally moved. Set against the backdrop of the tumultuous 1960s, this novel brilliantly encapsulates an era of change, turmoil, and transformation in America.

At its core, "The Women" is a deeply intimate portrait of Frances "Frankie" McGrath, a young nursing student who finds herself at the crossroads of personal and societal change. When she makes the life-altering decision to join the Army Nurse Corps during the Vietnam War, her journey of self-discovery unfolds in breathtaking fashion.

Kristin Hannah's storytelling prowess shines brilliantly in this novel. Her ability to transport readers into the heart of Frankie's experiences, both on the battlefield and back home in a divided America, is nothing short of remarkable. You'll feel the chaos and destruction of war, the trauma of coming home to a changed nation, and the emotional weight of Frankie's choices.

What sets "The Women" apart is its profound exploration of heroism and sacrifice from a female perspective. It beautifully underscores the often-forgotten contributions of women who put themselves in harm's way to serve their country. Frankie emerges as a memorable and inspiring heroine, her idealism and courage serving as a beacon of hope in a generation marked by turmoil.

Hannah's prose is both searingly insightful and lyrically beautiful. She delves deep into the emotional and moral complexities of Frankie's journey, creating a narrative that is as thought-provoking as it is emotionally resonant.

In "The Women," Kristin Hannah has crafted a work of literary art that immerses readers in a pivotal time in American history and pays homage to the unsung heroines who shaped it. It's a profoundly moving and richly drawn story that I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone seeking a transformative and emotionally resonant reading experience. 📚❤️🇺🇸 #BookReview #TheWomen #KristinHannah #MustRead

Oh wow. WOW! This is a book I'll definitely read again and recommend to everyone I know, a story long in the making (the author mentions that the idea came to her in 1997.) The Women pulls back another layer of the gruesome reality of the Vietnam War, the effect on nurses... in this case, army nurses who had a front-and-center view of the guts of horror.
I've done a lot of research on Vietnam over the past few years for two fiction books I've written that feature Vietnam Veterans. Yet, I had no clue about what the army nurses endured, especially the lack of support they received when they came back from war (not that the men were welcomed back either... that's another black mark in our history.)
I loved the characters and often felt I was right there in the thick of it all with them. It affected me so much and hit home on so many levels (my dad was a pilot in the Vietnam War) and I know a POW Vietnam Veteran (who is in the book I'm working on now). This story is not only a must-read, it is one that is long overdue to be told. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. I'm preordering it so I can reread it!

You can’t critique an author that warrants no criticism! The amount of time and thought she puts into her novels shines and I always enjoy her beautiful stories!

Absolutely phenomenal. No notes. You will become so attached to these characters and their stories that you’ll forget they’re fictional. This is the first book that’s grabbed me by the shirt collar and kept me hanging off of every word in a very long time.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC for this soon to be published book by a favorite author. I appreciate the research and the writing style. I got drawn in very quickly and liked the attention the author gave to women serving in a very contentious war. Frances (Frankie) McGrath was barely out of nursing school when she enlisted in the Vietnam War. We read about the unspeakable events in her two years of service and then about the difficulties she experiences upon her return. Had there been less melodrama in the last half of the book, my rating would be higher! Holy cow, everything that could go wrong for Frankie did go wrong and she certainly did not learn from her mistakes! The ending was satisfying leaving this reader to imagine various conclusions.

I love Kristina Hannah, The Great Alone and Night Road are two of my favorite books ever. I was so thrilled to be able to read and review her new book. Hannah's writing is always so engaging and easy to read. It flows so well and I found myself turning the pages quickly, which is exactly what I needed. I really enjoyed learning more about the Vietnam War and America's culture at that time. I found myself really into the character's story and wanted to know how things turned out for her. I will say this book is very sad (similar to most of hers) and feels like bad thing after bad thing happens. Although many of them are realistic tragedies due to the war, I felt like there was one plot point that left me a little exhausted as a reader.

I definitely think this book is worth the read!

The newest book by Hannah doesn’t come out until February 2024, but there wasn’t enough self control for me to wait that long and I have been thinking about Frankie and this story since finishing it at the very beginning of the month.

It is absolutely no surprise that Kristin Hannah has done it again. I haven’t read many books that centered around The Vietnam War. These stories and the situations that these service men & women experience during the war, after returning home, and the trauma surrounding everything are beyond heartbreaking.

Here’s some things that I especially loved about this book -

From the very beginning the pacing is action packed and you are fully immersed into Frankie’s world as she begins to learn about what is really going on in Vietnam.
The female friendships are absolutely everything. They are the reason for this book. PERIOD.
This is TOUGH subject matter, but it was written with such care and grace.
This one might seem strange (especially if you’ve already read this), BUT the family healing and growth that can be seen. There were sections that weren’t easy to read, but I can only imagine how something like war could put a strain on those relationships.
Lastly, I want to point out the two reasons that I ended up knocking off a little bit from my rating.

First, there are MANY serious topics surrounding war discussed and it was almost like we were trying to cover too much ground.

Secondly, the men. I know that the male relationships are really only a foot note in this story (as they should be), but even with me knowing that I still struggled with certain aspects of the relationships we see.

Overall though, it’s a masterpiece. It made me feel every emotion.

4.5 ⭐️

i love Kristin Hannah books, and this one was great. a story about the nurses in Vietnam. great read.

As far as I know, this was the first book I've read that centered around the Vietnam War, and it was extremely enlightening. Kristin Hannah did a beautiful job highlighting the horror and rawness of war and the seemingly impossible recovery process afterwards. And the fact that the focus was solely on the women of that war, a group forever overlooked, was amazing.

3.5-4 stars.... Kristin Hannah is the queen of historical fiction. While this wasn’t my favorite of hers, I appreciate this book so so so much. She does a wonderful job tackling such a complex topic, for example, subject matter including mental health/PTSD/addiction and the Vietnam War in general. This book also had some awesome female characters (hence, the title, The Women), and I loved the friendships between Frankie and her fellow combat nurses, Barb and Ethel. I am so thankful to have received an advanced readers copy of this book; I definitely recommend for fans of historical fiction and KH.

This book was heavy and intense throughout, but revealed a history and story I hadn't previously learned much about. I don't think I walked away with it being my favorite Kristin Hannah novel - the characters just didn't pull me in the way others have in the past - but there's no doubt that she knows how to tell a story and tell a hard truth. Plenty of content warnings abound, so I recommend doing a little research before diving in if you have anything you typically avoid. Otherwise, buckle up for an intense and eye-opening story about the plight of being a woman serving in and then recovering from the Vietnam War.

Hannah writes an immersive, meaningful tale of the struggles the female nurses faced in Vietnam. Frankie is a beloved character who endures loss after loss and finally reaches a heartwrenching breaking point. I appreciated this flawed, damaged character and the strength and resilient she found to heal herself. An enightening, thoughtful read.

The Women by Kristin Hannah – Well she did it again. Ms Hannah’s story of the women nurses in VietNam is another blockbuster of a novel. This is one I will not soon, if ever, forget. A story of the women nurses in the field hospitals – what they endured – and did for their country – and helped the hurt and wounded – 19 year old Frankie (Frances) joined the Army as a nurse when her brother had joined the Navy – to be close to him and to help out in her own way. But little did she know what she was up against while there – the horror of all those boys dying and losing their limbs - they were children themselves. Then when the lucky ones returned home they were chastised for going there and the women were ignored because no one thought there were any women there. A read that you will not soon forget – I totally encourage you to pick this up and read it. You will not regret it.
I want to thank NetGalley and St Marrtin’s Press for allowing me to read this great novel.

An easy 5 stars; this is sure to be one of the best books of 2024. Kristin Hannah has a gift for writing compelling, compulsively readable stories which make accessible the personal experiences of people living through epic historical events.

The Women follows Frances "Frankie" McGrath, a young nurse who grew up with her brother Finley and their wealthy parents on the idyllic Coronado Island in Southern California. Finley, a recent Naval Academy graduate, is sent to Vietnam and Frankie, wanting to join her brother and it make it onto her father's "wall of heroes", impulsively decides to join the Army as a combat nurse.

Upon her arrival in Vietnam, Frankie quickly discovers how naïve and unprepared she is. Luckily her bunkmates, Barb and Ethel, who also become her best friends, take her under their wing. As Frankie's nursing skill and experience grow, so does her sense of self.

After serving two tours of duty as a combat nurse in Vietnam, Frankie returns home to find out that the war has become deeply unpopular. She is spat on, called a baby-killer, and finds that her parents have lied about what she has been doing for the past two years. Worse, she begins to experience PTSD symptoms and has difficulty moving on from the trauma and losses that she experienced and is rebuffed when she tries to seek help, told that there weren't women who served in Vietnam.

Frankie's evolution from naïve young women to brave combat nurse to broken veteran to resilient survivor is a remarkable and emotional journey which examines the complexities of the pride of serving your nation, the horror of war, the pain of loss, and the heartbreak of survivorship.

The Women is a beautiful and important story, an ode to women who have served and the Vietnam veterans who were forgotten and mistreated by their country.

The Women deserves so many more stars than a mere 5. I read this book in one sitting, and while I have read and loved all of Kristin Hannah's books, this is by far her best. Having 2 uncles serving in Viet Nam that I would have known more about what happened there - but no one ever talked about it, they all avoided talking about it. I do remember my Grandparents making sure to watch Walter Cronkite every evening. Being born in 1959, I didn't really know what was going on. This book made a lot of things clear for me and hopefully will do the same for many others.

The writing was so real, it came alive on the pages. I felt what Frances, Ethel and Barb felt, when they cried, I cried along with them, when they sang, I sang along with them. Women can be and are hero's, too. There's nothing out there like this - if you only read one book this year - make it this one.