Kristin Hannah's writing is absorbing. Whenever I read her books, I feel like I'm living the experiences with the characters. I appreciate Hannah's consistent focus on women adn untold stories of women. My introduction to Hannah was The Great Alone, which many readers called bleak and, at times, downright depressing. However, I found it gripping and emotional. I then read The Nightingale and The Four Winds, which I loved.

When I saw the premise for The Women, I was intrigued. My uncle is a Vietnam veteran and he often talks about his experience coming back from the War and the struggles associated with serving in a war the American people didn't support. My mom wore a POW bracelet for years and received a letter and photo from her veteran who returned safely home at the war's end. This novel focuses on the women, the women no one talked about or even acknowledged for decades, who served.

This novel covers a lot of ground and moves at lightning speed -- at times, I was surprised by just how much was packed into this novel. after years of hearing her parents commend military service, Frances “Frankie” McGrath decides to enlist in the Army. The reception to a woman serving, however, is not positive. With minimal training and a lot of naivete, Frankie goes to Vietnam as a nurse. Soon, she realizes just how unprepared she is. What follows is the gripping tale of the young men and women who went to fight a war that few Americans knew the horrors of and the difficulty of re-entering society after finishing the tours of duty.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this novel because of how contentious Vietnam was and continues to be. That being said, Hannah, ever the expert storyteller, balances a coming-of-age story against a complicated and political backdrop. Hannah comments on the struggles vets faced, the dishonesty of the government, and the sexism around military service while making the reader root for Frankie and believe her character development.

I really loved this one.

This book was AMAZING. I expect a winner from Kristen Hannah, but this book exceeded every expectation. It was eye-opening to see how women were treated during and post war. It is also set in San Diego, which made it really fun to read about places I know. I was very attached to Frankies story and relationships. I could not put this book down. The twists were so good that I had to just keep reading. I would recommend this book to anyone. 10 out of 5 stars for me.

Incredibly well written story of one women who has gone to war, but it shines a light on all women who put themselves in harm’s way and whose sacrifice and commitment to their country has too often been forgotten. A novel about deep friendships and bold patriotism, The Women is a richly drawn story with a memorable heroine whose idealism and courage under fire will come to define an era.

How do you read one of Ms. Hannah’s books without crying? You just can’t!
Also, you will get nothing else done reading this and it’s totally worth it.

I am SO honored to have received an advanced reader’s copy of this book by one of my favorite authors! This was a powerful, emotional, gripping read that will stick for awhile.

I don’t know that I have enough words to properly express how impactful this book was. If there’s an emotion — I felt it! The way Kristin Hannah told the story of the women who were veterans of the “forgotten war” was absolutely done in the most perfect way. Not only was I fully immersed in the story and the characters, but I felt like I learned a lot about that time in history. I truly believe everyone needs to read this book!

Well researched and engaging, this was sometimes difficult due to the subject matter. Frankie is a great protagonist, so great that even if she messes up, the reader is invested in her path to recovery. I felt like the ending was a bit rushed, but maybe that was a result of loving the story so much. I would recommend. It's not often that you get a well researched and thoughtful novel on women in the Vietnam War. Kristin Hannah did the subject justice.

I lost my kindle and couldn't redownload it. Sorry!
I lost my kindle and couldn't redownload it. Sorry!
I lost my kindle and couldn't redownload it. Sorry!
I lost my kindle and couldn't redownload it. Sorry!
I lost my kindle and couldn't redownload it. Sorry!

Kristin Hannah does not disappoint in this historical novel hilighting the contributions of the women who served as nurses in Vietnam. I learned so much about the experiences of all veterans of war. So powerful!

This novel hits like a ton of bricks! The Women tells the daunting story of the forgotten women of the Vietnam War. Hannah’s writing is beautifully sad, just heart-wrenching. Get ready to cry! I will be recommending this book to everyone!

Thank you to @netgalley, @stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio for the advanced listening and reading copies!

I'm a critical care nurse. What Frankie endured in Vietnam during the war is probably no where near what I deal with on a daily basis at work, but I still couldn’t help but find similarities. The hopelessness when a critically ill patient arrives and we realize there’s not much else we can do and yet we still try. Despite Frankie being a fictional character, I know she is an icon in portraying the thousands of real war time nurses and I thank Kristin for putting a voice and story to these women.

Kristin Hannah did such an amazing job in her research but also in creating a wholesome story. We follow Frankie before the war, during the war, and afterwards. The amount of loss she endured with not only her patients but in herself, was unimaginable. When Frankie returns from war, we find she is a different person. Plagued by PTSD, she is now forced to deal with a new normal. Kristin Hannah broaches these topics with such a respect, I couldn’t help but feel like I learned something valuable when I was done.

I overall liked this one and it made me very angry for the MC, there was so much unfairness. Fans of the author will probably really love this one and enjoy the somewhat alternative perspective on the Vietnam War. While Hannah takes great care writing hard topics, I really hope this encourages everyone to pick up more books about the impacts of the Vietnam War by Vietnamese authors for an even broader perspective.

Thank you so much to St.Martin's Press for the ARC of this one.

The Women by Kristin Hannah follows twenty-one-year-old Frances “Frankie” Grace McGrath, a sheltered young woman from an affluent family, who enlisted as a nurse during the Vietnam War. The narrative follows Frankie through the years of the war and the decades that follow.

There is a lot to like about this novel. The author writes with compassion and the narrative flows well. The fact that the author wanted to tell the story of the women who served in the Vietnam War, giving those whose contributions have been ignored a voice, renders this novel remarkable in its scope and intention. I loved how the author describes the camaraderie between friends and colleagues, their support for one another, the resilience, compassion and bravery of the women who served and the sacrifices they made. I also liked how the author incorporated the public outcry and protests back home - the mixed feelings about the war and those who served and the politics of the time - into the narrative. The author’s unflinching depiction of PTSD and how so many people could not find the help they needed to cope with the trauma they carried back home was heartbreaking as were the descriptions of the horrors of war (some of which were more than a little difficult to read) was realistic and thought-provoking and despite the story being set in years of the Vietnam War and its aftermath, the issues that she has raised are both crucial and relevant even in today’s world.

Unfortunately, there are a few issues that prevent me from giving this novel a higher rating. I was invested in Frankie’s journey and was eager to see how she evolved from a privileged young woman whose sheltered upbringing could not have prepared her for what she would have to endure. The weak character development, the focus on her love life, and the stereotypical and a tad disrespectful representation of the men (with whom she gets involved) who serve their country did not make for pleasant reading and detracted from the overall experience. The ending was poignant, but again, the author’s choice to provide a “happy” (melodramatic) ending lessened the overall impact.

Both Ethel and Barb were well thought out characters ( in fact, I found them more interesting than Frankie). Though we do get to know their stories in segments interspersed throughout the novel and from Frankie’s interactions with them, the author missed the opportunity to enrich the narrative by focusing on one woman’s perspective and relegating the others to supporting characters, which, in my humble opinion, defeats the purpose of this novel. All three women each with their convictions and motivations deserved to have their voices woven into the narrative – the perspectives from all three of these women, each from diverse backgrounds, and each embarking on their respective journeys with their own set of challenges would have provided much-needed depth to the narrative.

Given the strong historical context and the premise of the novel, I’d expected to enjoy this novel more than I actually did. Overall, while l did not dislike The Women, I can’t help feeling a tad disappointed with certain aspects of the story. However, many have enjoyed this novel more and I would request you to read those reviews before deciding on whether to read this one.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is a heavy hitting, heart strings pulling book! A historical fiction novel about the women of the Vietnam War, it takes you behind the scenes of their experience and trauma when returning home. A love story comes full circle making the experience one worth living and certainly worth reading! While it is a big book which I was first quite intimidated by, I found myself not able to put it down at times! I couldn't recommend this book more; read it!!

This was my first Kristin Hannah book and WOW - I get the hype. All of the stars. I could not put this down and finished this in under 24 hours.

The Woman follows Frankie, a young privileged woman who signs up to be a nurse during the Vietnam War. Once she gets there, things are not at all what she expected, and it soon becomes clear that what’s truly happening in Vietnam isn’t being shared back home. We follow Frankie as she grows as a both a person and a nurse during her two years in Vietnam, and what happens when she comes back home. She may have made it out, but the trauma of what she experienced stays with her for the rest of her life. My heart broke for Frankie as she faced the many losses she endured, and how she struggled to find help when she needed it most.

I don’t remember learning much about the Vietnam War in school (can’t imagine why they’d gloss over that…), so this was very informative and eye opening for me. You can tell Hannah did her research and I appreciated the author’s note at the end about just how much time she spent on the novel. I can’t wait to read more from her in the future.

Thank you to SMP and NetGalley for a review copy.

Part historical, part fiction, this book brings to life a period I was unfamiliar with in regards to society's view of women in the Vietnam War. Deals with PTSD in a compassionate, thoughtful way from many different viewpoints. Vividly portrays war and it's affect on different personalities and how they deal with it. Weaves in modern love themes and heartbreak and happiness. I wanted to see where the book would end and how each part of the story would tie up.

The Women by Kristin Hannah is absolutely a wonderful read. This is a book that I have already recommended to many of my friends and they too loved it. This story takes you through so many feelings and emotions and has so much in it - the horror of war, falling in love, family ties and family drama, friendships, mental health, agony and despair, the comfort of loved ones, etc. This is a story that you keep thinking about long after finishing the last page and closing the cover. I also feel that I understand a little bit more of what was happening in the world when I was a small child without a care in the world. Bravo to the author on an incredible story and the research done to bring it to the pages of this book.
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to review this book .

Hannah has written another great historical story. This is a story I will recommend as the nursing women who went to Vietnam should always be remembered. Frankie’s sacrifice both overseas and upon returning home was heartbreaking but she persevered admirably as did her women friends. Be prepared to cry, be angry, and cheer for these women.

A hard story to read yet so grateful for the reminder. The friendships formed during the war were sometimes all that would help them survive. The courage Frankie and the nurses displayed was heroic. The way they were treated when they returned home was horrific. It was eye opening to see how they were treated not only by strangers but their own families. Thank you Kristin Hannah, NetGalley, and for all of our Armed Forces.

Oh my, this book is everything a book should be. It is the type of writing that a reader craves, pulling you in and not letting you go. I hated when I had to put my bookmark in and pause my reading. I read this whenever I could, finishing it in a few days time. It's the type of book that will stay with you long after you read the last page.

The story was beautifully written, centered around Frances (Frankie) who signed up to be an Army nurse in Vietnam afer being told by one of her brother's Navy friends that women can be heroes too. The book follows her journey to Vietnam and what her life becomes after Vietnam. The people she meets, the loss she experiences, the things she has to deal with while there, the treatment she receives after coming home. All of it is filled with emotion and written so well that you feel like you're there, in that time period, with her. You fall for the men she meets along the way, you want to be friends with Ethel and Barb because the three women seem to have an inner strength that can be admired for generations to come. You find yourself crying and praying, wanting all of them to be able to survive the war they find themselves in.

I usually am not drawn to historical fiction, but if Kristin Hannah is the one writing it, I will always read it. She is masterful at her craft.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.