This is one of the best books I’ve read. I loved the dive into Vietnam history. I’ve never read anything on that time period and was shocked at the treatment of woman. I will recommend this book to everyone I see! It was AMAZING. Well done.

As a avid reader of nearly all of Kristin Hannah’s books, Wow! “The Women” left me speechless. It has left an imprint on my heart. This is by far one of the best books I’ve read in my life. Even when I was not reading, I felt myself often thinking of the book. So much realism. I would without a doubt recommend this book to anyone. It is a story that everyone should read. Vivid details painting a picture of what life was like in the 1960’s.

As we embarked on a journey of Frankie’s life, it was a story of heartbreak, strength, bravery, resilience and heroism.

If anything is for sure, “Women can be heros, too.”

I am sad this book is over. I am truly lucky for the chance to read and review.

The Women gives us a look into the Vietnam war and the reality that women were not included as service members.

We follow Frankie as she volunteers as a nurse to serve over in Vietnam. She gets dropped off at her hospital and is immediately thrust into working from the moment she arrives. Frankie becomes life-long friends with her hooch mates, Barb and Ethel, she becomes a fast learner in her nursing skills, and she is one of the many women who served in Vietnam.

Frankie returns home with no fan-fare and to her parents who are still devastated she left in the first place. Battling re-entry into the real world is a years long struggle for her. She hits rock bottom, and finally the people around her recognize her struggle and she gets the help she needs with her PTSD, alcoholism, and drug use.

The Women brings the reader on a rollercoaster of emotions, both for Frankie and for all those who served in the Vietnam war. Have your tissues handy! This book is a work of art in terms of the research and time the author put in to recreating this time in history. I will be thinking of this story for a long time.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced digital copy of this wonderful book in exchange for my thoughts.

Pure excellence - I’ve never read very much about the Vietnam War so this was both very interesting and educational to me. It’s a story if Frankie a very young nurse that volunteers in the Army to be able to go help out in the war just like her brother did. It was very interesting to see how the returning were treated in their very own country.

Infinite thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Kristin Hannah for the ARC of this highly anticipated novel.

As we already know, Kristin Hannah and her ability to tell a story is astronomical. This novel is no exception. The author evidently devoted a significant amount of time and effort with research to ensure that the story encapsulates the realities of those who served. Most prominently, she did an excellent job highlighting the realities of that time, including women’s rights (or lack of), activism, music, love, addictions and trauma. I am most certain that this book would have any reader enthralled. I would absolutely recommend this book!!

Fantastic! The book had lots of factual information about the war in Vietnam but also followed the life of one character. I love Kristin Hannah and devour every book she writes. I was completely immersed in this book. It was hard to put down! Phenomenal!

Writing so beautiful I felt like I was in a time and place I never knew. Frankie McGrath is such an amazing character. Her journey through loss, war, heartbreak, grief and healing was a spectacular story to follow.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, what a powerful book. I'm a big Kristin Hannah fan and love the way she writes strong women going through hard times. Frankie is one of her strongest characters ever. This is the first book I've read from a woman's perspective about Vietnam and I learned so much. I also cried and laughed. This is a fabulous book about a tragic and difficult era in US history. This is the perfect book group read.

I love reading about historical events through fictional stories that make those events more relatable. The Women by Kristin Hannah was a great way to learn more about the Vietnam War, especially through a rarely viewed lens - a woman's. The main character, 20 year old Frankie, goes to nursing school, works for a few months in the States, then decides to sign up as an Army nurse so she can serve in Vietnam. Wow! Being a retired nurse myself (I currently stay home to homeschool my kids), this choice was so inspiring! I loved reading about all the medical experiences, and felt I could really relate to the way Frankie felt and some of the choices she made.
This story was about so many things:
- war and the many physical, emotional, spiritual, and psychological effects it has on all the people involved, no matter their role;
- more specifically, the Vietnam War. How Americans felt about it at the time, the misinformation given by the U.S. government and news media, how the veterans were treated once they were back in the States and for years and years afterwards. So wrong and so sad.
- friendship. How women can support each other and hold each other up during the worst of times, often without even having to say what's wrong or ask for help;
- romance. Finding love, defining what love is, figuring out how to hold on to love once you have it, deciding if you should hold on to it or let it go;
- women! All women have a story, and I really enjoyed reading about the women in this novel. Women in general are doers, we just get things done! It seems to be like that throughout history as well. Life gets hard, women dig down deep and take care of business!

This was 5 stars for me, my favorite Kristin Hannah book so far!

Publish Date: February 6, 2024

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital galley of this book.

I’ve loved each of the novels I’ve read by Kristin Hannah, but The Women is the most captivating for me. It weaves together the lives of its characters in a way that tugs at the heartstrings. The story is so well researched and beautifully written, exploring themes of war, friendship, women and resilience. Having grown up in the 60’s and 70’s I vividly recall the daily count of lost soldiers in Vietnam and the unpopularity of the war. The returning soldiers dealt not only with PTSD but with zero support politically and socially. I learned so much about the realities of combat and of the women who so bravely enlisted to make a difference. There just hasn’t been enough written about these women and I applaud Hannah for giving them a voice. "The Women" is definitely worth adding to your reading list.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

I always get sucked into Hannah's books! She does such a good job of writing such powerful characters. This book was incredible!! So much awareness to veterans in general, but a wonderful tribute to the nurses during the Vietnam War.
I truly loved this book! However, I felt like some things were rushed, like her struggles, and her happiness.
Thank you thank you netgalley for the advanced copy of this gem!
#thewomen

The Women by Kristin Hannah
I have read and loved most of Kristin Hannah’s novels and this new novel doesn’t disappoint either. The novel takes place in the 1960’s during the Vietnam war, civil unrest and murders of now historical figures The main protagonist Frankie, grew up on Coronado Island , protected from anything bad and was raised to be a good girl, get married and produce children and grandchildren to her high society parents. After Frankie’s brother goes and dies in Vietnam, she feels, she has to do something to make a difference. She volunteers to be an army nurse in Vietnam, where she is exposed and treats the most horrific injuries. The author describes these injuries and what the soldiers endured in all their horrific details. In spite of all that, Frankie signs up for another year of duty. When, after her service, she returns home, she is shocked to find out the negative reaction to her Vietnam service, from the airport taxi driver to her own parents. Her parents, who considered her brother a hero, actually lied to their friends about her whereabouts the last two years, telling everyone she was abroad to study. The second part of the book deals with Frankie’s life “after Nam” , how she has nightmares and how she feels about being called “baby killer” and how she and the other females who served in Vietnam are completely ignored. I felt with Frankie during a painful journey, I wish she seeked and received help sooner. This novel will be another on the best seller list, definitely 5 stars.
I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley, opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of The Women by Kristin Hannah. It was an honor to read this amazing book. I have read very few books that have taken place during this era, and especially during and after the Vietnam War. To me, reading this book was a learning experience while also being extremely emotional. There are a few triggers to consider such as graphic war scenes and infant loss. Overall, this was a five star read...I'm sure I will be thinking of it for days after.

I was beyond excited to be approved to read The Women before publication (thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press!). Kristin Hannah has been one of my most favorite authors for many years. I love her descriptive and well researched writing, her well developed characters and layered emotional storylines. She has a unique way of instantly transporting you to the time and place of her stories. This novel tells the relatively unknown story of the amazing and strong people who served in Vietnam, focusing on the women. Admittedly, this is a time period in history that I didn’t previously know much about. But like usual, I learned more through historical fiction than I ever did in history classes at school.

This story follows Frankie, a 21 year old nurse, who is living a traditional sheltered life in the 1960s. When her brother leaves for Vietnam, she decides to follow him to serve as a nurse, even though everyone around her disapproves. The story is very intense as she enters a war zone and encounters so much death and destruction there, while also forming beautiful friendships and finding herself. Frankie undergoes a huge transformation as she goes through the most difficult and heart wrenching times both overseas and once she returns back home. Many parts of the story were uncomfortable to read and made me angry, because it sheds light on what Vietnam veterans experienced, especially when they came home to a very divided country that did not treat them like heroes.

I love Kristin Hannah’s writing so much. Reading her books feels like coming home, even when the subject matter is dark. I was torn between wanting to read fast to see what happened and wanting to slow down to make it last. This book definitely left a lasting impression on me, and I was really happy with how she tied up the loose ends. Another 5/5 star rating for Kristin ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. I've read a few books by Kristin Hannah already, and I loved every single one of them; however, "The Women" is a masterpiece. This story covers so many topics; war, love, friendships, parents/ children relationships, politics etc. I cried the entire book. I believe it will be one of the best books for 2023, and the best for historical fiction. Kristin's writing style have always been beautiful and this book is not an exception. If you want to read a beautiful (sometimes heartbreaking) story I would 100% recommend you to read this book. Five stars for me.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this title. This book was outstanding. I’ve been a long time fan of Kristin Hannah. This may be one of my favorites. The characters are complex and so easy to relate to. The story gripped me right from the start and I was disappointed when it was over. I had truly grown to care for the characters. And it was a bonus to learn a little about the history of these amazing women who served during Vietnam and the struggles they faced.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for sharing the ARC of Kristin Hannah’s upcoming novel. Like other books of hers that I’ve read, I enjoyed it and appreciated her ability to put you in the historical place she’s writing about. And certainly her topic here of nurses during the Vietnam War is a subject that’s worthy of more books. However,I found this book veered too far into melodrama I felt. After a bit, I was almost convinced I was reading a Danielle Steel novel with all the things that happen to the main character. I think Kristin Hannah fans will definitely enjoy it though.

"There are no women I'm Vietnam." This is the phrase Frankie hears again and again, even though she was there...is there. A combat nurse who will carry those memories with her forever.

Kristin Hannah can write a story. That is undisputed. Was this my favorite of hers? No. (that honor still goes to The Great Alone.) However I did learn a lot, even as I predicted a few twists and turns along the way. An eye opening account of a war that we Americans still prefer to look away from and a powerful story to honor the women who make sure so many of our men came home.

Many thanks to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the ARC. The Women will be available for purchase on Feb 6, 2024!

4.5⭐️

The 60’s was an era of massive change for women, hot on the end of WW2 women realised they were capable of doing the same jobs as men, better birth control gave women more choices and freedom. Women in the 1960’s were trailblazers for modern women.

In 1965 at the time of the Vietnam war Frances “Frankie” born into money and privilege impetuously follows her brother to war in the army nurse corps.

It was a politically unpopular war, and the veterans garnered little support on their return from serving their Country, it was tough reading about the struggle back in the world.

As always the author puts you through an emotional wringer, and it’s not long before you feel its effects. It’s harrowing, at times a soul destroying read. All that loss, pain and suffering. It broke me.

I found it a book of two halves, the first half of the book with the Vietnam experience much more riveting, the following section didn’t grab me in the same way, although it’s a very important aspect of the war, that still impacted on me. It ends really strongly and emotionally, I was in tears.

Quote from the book “She joined the ANC to find her brother, and found herself instead”

Kristin Hannah has another impressive book in her repertoire. I’m sure fans of her books will love it.
It’s one I’d recommend for people who live character driven stories and or recent history.

This may replace The NIghtingale as my favorite Hannah novel.  The Women takes us to the Vietnam War which is a new backdrop since most novels seem to focus on WWII (so I appreciated a new backdrop).  Frankie McGrath, a young wealthy nursing student, enlists for Vietnam to follow her brother and fulfil her family's code of service (which, until now, had only been for men).
While in Vietnam Frankie learns, sees and smells more than she ever realized existed in the world outside her sheltered life.  She falls in love, grieves, learns more nursing (and medicine) than she ever would have at home and forges friendships deeper than she had ever had before.
The novel then covers the re-entry of vets from Vietnam which was often painful and not always smooth.  America was not always kind to the vets since the war wasn't popular at home and the women who served were all but ignored.  Hannah really played with the theme of women being valued in one place and time (as Frankie had performed medical procedures in Vietnam) and then completely devalued once society didn't need her anymore (once she was a regular nurse again at home).  This theme comes up over and over again in wartime female characters - once the war is over after women have risked their lives or had a taste of freedom being working women (like Rosie the Riveter) - they are expected to go back to how it was, being wives and mothers.
I loved this book, like LOVED this book.  I inhaled it.  I think Hannah does a great job of keeping the medical stuff not too gory but appropriately so.  The friendships were written beautifully.  Hannah's stories have a comforting predictability (and I don't say that badly) - she makes what you want to happen in the story happen, but in her way and not exactly how you think.  This is a top 10 read for me and I think everyone will be reading this when it comes out in February (and I'm so sorry people will have to wait until then to read it).  Grab it when it comes out!!

This is a 4.75 star read for me (which I will raise to 5 star for purposes here)

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the advanced copy of this book