Wow. I sit here with tears in my eyes trying to write this review 😭

I absolutely adored The Nightingale, and can confidently say the same about The Women.

This is an empowering, devastating, eye-opening, important novel. It follows Frankie McGrath, a young and naive 21 year old, that decides to enlist to be a nurse in the Vietnam war. It follows her war experiences and what life is like for her when she comes home.

Anyone that reads Kristin Hannah knows that she puts immense amounts of effort into her research before writing a novel. I felt equal amounts of honour and heartbreak to have the opportunity to read about vet’s experiences with combat and PTSD. The emphasis on women’s role in the war and how little recognition and post war support they received was angering.

I can’t recommend this novel enough. It comes out in February and it will be well worth the wait.

Thank you NetGalley for the pleasure of reading this and giving an honest review.

Frankie naively signs up to be a nurse in Vietnam, following her brother who signed up for a tour of duty. This decision changes her life (duh!). Hannah does a great job of showing through Frankie what it is like before, during, and after. Especially for the women, who WERE there.

I love a book that makes me feel and well, this one made me feel EVERYTHING. It's a coming of age novel set in the 1960s and it is the absolutely perfect mix of heartbreak, anger, strength, hope and resilience. This book had been racing through the pages and almost throwing my kindle across the room at certain points... (IYKYK)
 
Author Kristin Hannah hardly ever lets me down, but this book hit me harder than any book I have read in a really long time. Yes, it is a story of war but its focus is on the nurses who served in the Vietnam war and how it affected their lives...forever. The main character, Frankie, is completely unforgettable, and the nuanced look at life "after" was such an important reminder of why support for Veterans must be lifelong. 
 
Summarizing my feelings about this book has been a little lost for words but let's just say, this is one I won't forget and one you MUST add to your #2024Reading list. #TheWomen will be hitting bookstore shelves everywhere on February 76th, 2024. 
 
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for my gifted copy.

My only critique is that i wanted a few more chapters. The story was gripping and had me unable to put the book down from the very beginning.

The time period surrounding the Vietnam War was extremely volatile in America and Kristin Hannah does an excellent job of capturing the pride that comes from serving your country and shame when you come home without a heroes welcome. In all of my study of the time period, I had not spent much time focusing on the women who served and how much harder it was for them because of the stigma they carried. What a heart wrenching story, but one that ends with hope, honor and a country coming together finally to honor the sacrifice. May we never forget these stories!

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the Advanced Readers Copy. I can’t wait to recommend this to everyone I know when it publishes.

Oh my gosh….what a story! I’m not a big historical fiction reader and I know little about the Vietnam War, but it’s by Kristin Hannah….of course, I’m gonna read it! And it’s wonderful! I learned so much about the war and about the women who served. Mostly, I just loved the characters and the story. And, yes, I was crying at the end. A must read…moving, thought provoking, and just good.

The Women by Kristin Hannah is the most hearts wrenching novel I have read in some time. Having been a woman of military age married to a man of military age in the service during the Vietnam War years, the book resonates with me However, realizing what women that enlisted, served, and returned home to face was devastating. The descriptions of the war are mind-boggling and the effects on the veterans are enormous to realize. Even though fiction, the novel rings so true. Thank you Kristin for writing an exceptional emotional book.

Kristin Hannah knocks it out of the park again. This was my first historical fiction surrounding the Vietnam war and man, it wrecked my heart. She never ceases to make me feel every emotion across the spectrum. I felt every single one. The writing just transports you to another place and leaves you craving more. Frankie was nothing short of inspirational and I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to read this.

I’m a big Kristin Hannah fan, but I’m let down by The Women and am bummed to be writing this review.

While I did enjoy the read, I have given Hannah’s other books a 5 star rating and I was anticipating this would turn out the same. Sadly, it didn’t.

I really liked reading about the Vietnam war, as I haven’t read a Histfic about it, so I’m happy to have received exposure to some education about this subject, and specifically the role the women played in the war.

The book tried to pack A LOT into under 500 pages, and missed the mark. I liked the end message, but many plot choices along the way were questionable and had me audibly saying “WHY” and “Oh sure, of course. Saw that coming!”.

My sincere thank you to Kristin Hannah, NetGalley, and St. Martin’s Press for this advanced reader copy. I was THRILLED, to be chosen to receive a copy.

Review will be posted on Goodreads, StoryGraph and Instagram at @readwiththewinters.

I was immediately captivated by Kristin Hannah's new book, The Women. I normally stay away from books that are set during wartime, but even though this book had the gritty backdrop of the Vietnam War I was captivated. I have read a few books by Hannah, and just listened to her on the podcast "Books Beach & Beyond" (Elin Hilderbrand's new pod, check it out!) and loved her story. Thanks to NetGalley for an advance reader's copy of The Women!

I feel very fortunate to receive an ARC of this book through Net Galley.

Kristin Hannah never fails me. She writes characters who are flawed, but I want to root for them anyways. Frankie definitely fit the bill here.

I was born in the 1986. My knowledge of Vietnam consists of what I saw in Forrest Gump and This is Us. I have never given it much headspace before reading this. But, Frankie’s story, a young Vietnam nurse who faces immense struggles during and after her time in the war, captivated me from the beginning. It was a beautiful story about mental health, sexism, racism and personal growth.

This book was not fast paced and felt a little drawn out to me at times, but it was all worth it in the end. I can’t recommend this one enough. I will be telling every person I know to read it when it comes out.

This book is phenomenal!!! I could not put it down. Hannah has surpassed her writing in this book focusing on women nurses in Vietnam and what they endured when they came home. I've read many true accounts about Vietnam, but this one, even though it's historical fiction, is in a class of it's own. The reader will experience Frankie’s story pre-Vietnam, in-country and post Vietnam. Truly a masterpiece!! Thank you for the advanced copy. I’m telling all my friends to look for this book in February.

liked The Women. The research was well done and the characters believable. I just think that the book would have been better if the whole "Rye" section was left out. Frankie's obsession with him got really annoying to me.

Wow, wow, wow! Kristin Hannah has done a truly miraculous thing with THE WOMEN. She's created a story that is raw, heartbreaking, gut-wrenching, captivating, but at the same time beautiful, fulfilling, and educational. THE WOMEN follows Frankie McGrath, a young woman from California, who enlists as an Army combat nurse during the Vietnam War. As a child of the 80s, I'd heard stories of how American didn't support the war effort, but I was not at all prepared for how this book shed light on the treatment of veterans and troops during this time. My heart ached for these men and women who gave everything for their country, only to be treated like criminals upon their return. This is a beautiful story of family, redemption and forgiveness. One my top 3 favorite books of all time, easily....

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I have been looking forward to reading this book ever since I saw it mentioned on the author's Facebook feed. I love Kristin Hannah and I literally squealed when I got approved to be an early reader for her. That said, this book was everything I hoped and imagined it would be. I wish I could give more than 5 stars! This is one of those books that make you question every other 5 star rating you've ever given because those books are nowhere near as amazing as this one. I knew after about 4 chapters in, that I was going to be wishing I could read this again for the first time. I tried to make it last and savored every single word.
This story is about Frankie, who decides to be a combat nurse in Vietnam during the war because she wants to be a hero in her father's eyes. The details of the environment and the war itself had me feeling like I was right there "in the shit" with all of the combat nurses, doctors, and injured soldiers.
The descriptions of how those same nurses and soldiers were treated when they came home had me feeling angry and hurt for them. Kristin Hannah has such a beautiful way with words that the story not only plays through my head with all the vivid details of a movie, but I also feel all the things each character is feeling.
The love, loss, heartache, and healing in The Women makes this story an important one that I think everyone should read (even if you don't think you want to read a story about the Vietnam war). It's definitely in my top 3 books I've read in my entire life.

Kristin Hannah is one of my favorite authors so this pains me to write. I did not love this one. I found the pacing to be way off and thought way too much was going on in the book.

I don't know if I can find the words to describe how inspiring and heartbreaking this book is. I couldn't believe where Frankie's story took me. I learned so much about the Vietnam War, particularly about women's roles, and I couldn't believe how veterans, particularly women veterans, were received when they came home. This book is all about Frankie's journey in both worlds, and how both affected how she viewed herself and her life.

While I didn't agree with some of Frankie's choices, I could definitely see why she made them. She is a deeply flawed character who went through SO MUCH, but she's also a woman just trying to do good in the world, even if the world hates her. She has stunning growth through this book, and I cried for her.

Most of all, I love how this book made me think and reimagine history. I'm painfully not well-versed in the Vietnam War and its aftereffects, but this book went deep into the nitty gritty of it. It's emotional (what Kristin Hannah book isn't), and I can tell this book will leave a lasting effect on me. My only critiques are that it is a bit slow in the middle and I very much disagreed with one of Frankie's choices, so much so that it almost ruined her character for me. But overall, I really liked this book, and I think it's a mandatory read for every American.

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 4
Plot/Movement: 4
Character Development: 5
Overall: 4

Thank you, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley, for the arc!
Release Date: February 6, 2024

Trigger/Content Warnings: detailed war violence, gore, and death (including children); medical procedures and surgeries described in detail; several fade to black scenes; pregnancy and miscarriage; cheating/an affair; drug and alcohol abuse; suicide attempts; car crash; near drowning; misogony

This book….THIS BOOK! I don’t even have the words. I could not put it down, it sucked me in immediately. Frankie’s story was inspiring and devastating, as the stories of all the women who experienced that war, or any other, are, I am sure. The trauma, the inequality, the at times condescension and superiority from others, and yet still the hope for change - these are all so incredibly relevant today despite how much has changed since Vietnam. I cannot recommend this story enough.

The Women by Kristin Hannah is a book that I can't quit thinking about, a week after I finished it.

It centers on Frankie, a young woman whose brother is in the Navy and is sent to Vietnam, and fresh out of nursing school, she follows to help how she can in the war.

Once in the Army Nurse Corp., with the help of her bunkmates, she is immediately immersed in the realities of medical service in a war zone. Amidst the horrors that she has to see, she creates life long friendships, serves her patients in all that she can do and after two tours, returns home.

Once home, she doesn't get the heroic welcome she anticipated - no one acknowledges what she went through and that women actually were there or made a difference.

Ms. Hannah brings the horror of real life after Vietnam through PTSD, hatred of Americans for anyone who was there and the way our Vets struggled to return to "normal". Her way with words drew me in and made me realize that female friendships really are the best thing ever.

I can't wait for this to release, so I can suggest for my book club.

This book was given to me as an ARC by NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The Women is both absolutely beautiful and completely heartbreaking. It's been a long time since a book has captivated me this strongly emotionally (especially on the tears front), and this did it. This is about the women of the Vietnam War. Specifically, it focuses on women who served as nurses who are often forgotten in considering service and impact of this war. Their story is honest and raw and so well-told. This war was before I was alive, and most of what I've read/seen is through the eyes of men, so this was a powerful story as it was told through this lens. Frankie is an incredibly compelling main character, especially with the stories of her service and her relationships. I have loved Kristin Hannah's historical fiction, and this to me is her absolute best. I cannot say enough how incredible this book is. Thanks to NetGalley for the early look at this February 2024 release. Add this to your lists now, and let me know once you've read as I would love to process this journey with others.

Wow. I needed sometime after finishing this book to gather my thoughts. Kristin Hannah has done again. This book is utterly amazing and I don’t have anything negative to say about it. The way Kristin Hannah writes is like no other author I’ve read before. She made me feel so compassionately about these characters the entire time reading this book. I was not born until the early 90’s so what I have learned about the war in Vietnam was unfortunately very little in school. The Women has shed so much light on the brutal conditions and hardships of all the women who were there even though “there were no women in Vietnam”. She was able to demonstrate the grief and journeys many individuals had faced during this time through the characters in the book. I was impressed with how she was able to incorporate Frankie’s parents and the loved ones who may not have experienced the war directly but the aftermath (nightmares, addiction etc) as well as the perspective of them waiting for their loved ones to come home. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this from a woman’s perspective and am embarrassed to say I had absolutely no idea what these women went through when they came home after risking their lives fighting for their country. Not only was the story and writing captivating but the honest and brutal accuracy of history was overwhelming. The way she was able to take the reader on this heart wrenching journey of grief and coming of age was something I’ve never experienced before and am so happy I did, Thank you Kristin Hannah for writing something so raw and allowing us readers to take this journey with you. I am overwhelmed and so thankful I was able to read this ARC. Thanks to NetGalley snd St Martin’s Press.