This book is an absolute must read. I can't recommend it highly enough. So powerful and thought provoking. Frankie McGrath comes from a wealthy, conservation family in California. She is a nursing student. Her brother doing his duty, is serving in Vietnam. Frankie decides to join the Army Nurse Corps to follow in his . She makes deep friendships while serving, but. is overwhelmed by the chaos, fighting and destruction. Upon returning home she sees just how divided the country is and how it wants to forget the Vietnam vets. The book shine a light on all the women that bravely served.

This book was perfection and I didn't want it to end! I've always been interested in reading more about the Vietnam War and not many historical fiction books ever take place during this time period.

It was such a tragic yet somehow hopefully story and I felt extremely connected to the characters, I very often love Kristin Hannah's novels and this may be my new favorite!

This has been an extremely difficult book for me to get through. Ms Hannah sure knows how to pull at the heart strings. I will say that I have read many of her books and have loved them. The Women has been difficult for me. Is it the topic of Vietnam? Is it the women that we meet serving in Vietnam? Is it the incredible loss that we experience in this book? All of that and so much more...

My husband served in Vietnam. He was one of those 'boys' that Frankie may have met. He is only, just now beginning his PTSD journey. It is all so difficult and I can only say how sorry I am to all our soldiers, both men and women (boys and girls) that have served and are now serving. My heart is breaking.

Many thanks to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for this advanced readers copy. This book released February 6, 2024.

THE WOMEN by Kristin Hannah is primarily set in Vietnam, focusing on the experiences of the too-often overlooked medical work of women during the Vietnam war. If soldiers were generally maligned for their service, women were unknown/unforgotten, although they, too, were surrounded by trauma and attacks and suffered afterwards.

Frankie enlists somewhat naively to serve as a nurse and is somewhat surprised when her parents are not proud of her but uphold her brother's military service. This expansive book covers the complexity of love and loss in wartime and the experience of veterans who chose to actively protest the war upon their return.

This historical fiction can shine a lens on a poorly remembered time and offer context and nuance.

(I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.)

This is a tough book. It was tough to read. It was tough to rate.

I will start of by saying that Hannah certainly knows how to research a topic and bring it to life. I felt like I was in Vietnam right alongside Frankie. It was hard to read through her experience there as well as her experience as a Vietnam Vet. There were some really poignant scenes that I will remember for years to come. Hannah’s writing was just as exceptional as ever. I love the way she her descriptions transport me. The ending left me satisfied in a way I didn’t think was possible.

I think the reason I couldn’t give this book 5 stars is for the fact that other books of Hannah’s have touched me more. I was openly sobbing through a few of her other works such as The Nightingale and The Four Winds. While I did tear up a time or two during this story, it just didn’t have the same emotional punch those books did. I also felt at times that there was quite a bit of info dumping or telling instead of showing going on, especially towards the end.

Hannah still remains a favorite author of mine.

What an amazing book. As a nurse I love my profession and what we do.
I loved reading about those who served in the Vietnam War. Loved Frankie and her friends.
It was brilliantly written.

Heartbreaking and enthralling at the same time.. many of the twists were predictable but I loved it anyway.

I loved this book and stayed with me long after it was over. This story is about the forgotten hero’s of the Vietnam War and their heroism and challenges.

I am a fan of Kristin Hannah, but this one is such an incredible story. As a reader, I was frustrated things weren’t going better for Frankie, but I know how realistic her return was and how hard it was to find support (especially as a female vet) & live an “ordinary” life again. The story Kristin crafted was heartbreaking yet hard to put down, equal parts horrifying and endearing. Sadly, a true reflection of the time.
Once this was released, I recommended it to my book club and it was loved by all,

Gritty, heartbreaking look at the Viet Nam war…particularly the part that nurses played. Realistic glimpse of the horrors endured and the unwelcoming “welcome home” received by the veterans. Every conceivable tragedy/obstacle was included here, which made for gut-clenching drama…which sometimes teetered over to the side of soap opera-ish melodrama (specifically the romance arcs). Despite that, this was a compelling story, on a very worthy topic.

What an amazing book! Once I started reading/listening to it I could not stop and I finished it in 2 days. I fell in love with Frankie and her friends and my heart ached for all that she went through. There are not enough books that depict what those who served in the Vietnam War went through. This is definitely a 5 star read for me and it is officially now my favorite book by Kristin Hannah!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: 06 February 2024.

such an impactful novel about the nurses of Vietnam and how they had to make their own voices stand out when returning home. full of love and heartbreak, it shows that finding your own path can be harder than it seems. Frankie proves that it's okay to not always be okay and asking others for help can make you stronger.

Thank you, NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Kristin Hannah for this eARC!

Raw, real, and remarkable- this one will stay with me always.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin Press for the ARC of The Women by Kristin Hannah.

Wow!! Just wow! This book was so interesting and well done. I’m not often a fan of historical fiction, but when done well I can really get behind them and this one was. You really become invested in learning about the experiences that Frankie is facing and all the parts of war she thrown into. And then she comes home. Plus layer in the friendships and relationships that occur. Not to mention the psychological impacts of what the veterans face. Did I say wow?!? This book is so well done and interesting. I’m not a die hard Kristin Hannah fan, but I’ve enjoyed her books. I’d been a bit in the fence about this one knowing it had to do with Vietnam War, but I’ve never been so glad to read a book as this one. Having had family who served in Vietnam, it left me wishing I had more time with them to ask them questions and talk to them more about it.

Full, solid 5⭐️!!! Definitely worth the read.

I just found my best book of 2024. The Women by Kristin Hannah, is an amazing story and a powerful book. Historical Fiction has never been my favorite genre, but lately, I have read it more and more. Something about this story just drew me in. I grew up in the 1970s and my father was a Vietnam Veteran, I can just hear the music from that time. Like Frankie, I think my father wanted to forget about the war, so he never talked about it. I cannot imagine the level of research Kristin Hannah did for this book, it shows in the the level of detail in Frankie’s story and the factual accounts of the war. I just cannot fathom someone spitting on a military veteran after they just returned from war or denying that women were serving in the Vietnam War. Frankie’s story was so emotional and so real, her continued experience of loss was so heartbreaking. Since I live in Southern California and have been to Coronado Island, it was easy to visualize the beautiful area where Frankie grew up. I have to admit that I was initially intimidated by the size of the book (480pgs /15 hrs audio), but it was something that I just could not put down. The Women was so evenly paced, the story just flowed, and there were quite a few plot twists that I did not see coming. Even though I had an e-book version of The Women, I could not miss out on an opportunity to listen to the phenomenal Julia Whelan narrate this novel. Thank you Julia for bringing this book to life and making it feel like I watched Frankie’s story. This is a book that will stay with me for a long time.

The Women by Kristin Hannah is about nursing student Frankie McGrath, who joins the Army Nurse Corps during the Vietnam War. What she sees and endures while she's there completely changes her life. She and the other nurses end up becoming lifelong friends. When she returns home, her parents don't understand what she went through. Americans don't believe what she went through because she's a woman. She struggles so much in so many different ways, and the only way she gets through it all is with the help of the other nurses that were there with her in Vietnam. This is such an eye-opening story that openly speaks of the horrors of the Vietnam War and the after effects, but it's also hopeful at the same time. I loved this book so much, and I definitely recommend it. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

First book finished on Spring Break - heartbreaking, especially surrounded by carefree 18 year olds on vacation. This is about the young nurses who served in Vietnam under horrifying circumstances, and returned to the US deeply changed and disregarded, even more so than the young soldiers they served with. Not only did these barely adults deal with death and misery in Vietnam, but they returned to a country divided and hostile over the continuing war.

I liked the characters- except Rye- and loved how sisterhood and community got Frankie through. This was not my favorite KH though… found it a bit predictable and trite, especially given the intense subject matter. And, did anyone else notice the many many references to Frankie’s showers?

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the advance copy of this book! All opinions are my own.

As Frankie McGrath, a nursing student, is looking to find her place in the world she decides to follow her brothers footsteps and join the war efforts in Vietnam. We’re quickly taken on her journey through being a combat nurse in the center of a devastating war zone….This book was incredible!!! I mean, Kristin Hannah never disappoints……especially when it comes to historical fiction. We eventually follow Frankie home as she adjusts back to life in the US, and dealing with some of the challenges vets faced during and after the war. Hannah paints such a clear story that you can picture everything as it’s happening, so you can really immerse yourself in the storyline and the history. She really took on a challenge with writing this book and sharing the combat nurses stories of heroism and incredible sacrifice that was especially made during this wartime. I love that Kristin Hannah can always incorporate a heart wrenching story and give us constant surprises to keep us hooked the whole way through! Once again, I’ll be waiting anxiously for her next novel!

Another hit! Couldn’t put down!

*thank you to the publishers and netgalley, who provided a free copy in exchange for my honest review

Another amazing book from Kristin Hannah! Her writing is unlike anyone else’s. It’s so detailed. I didn’t know much about this topic, but she made it so easy to take it all in. 5 stars!