In this emotional historical fiction, Hannah has transported readers to the frontlines of the Vietnam War. After Frankie makes a rash decision to enlist as a war nurse to make her family proud, she finds herself completely unprepared for what awaits her in Vietnam.

Hannah gives us a searing tale of life as a nurse during and after the war, as Frankie learns how to nurse, bonds with her fellow medical staff, and even falls in love during wartime.

The book's second half explores what it was like to return home to a country divided over whether the war should even be fought. It was shocking to see how people treated returning vets, and how they refused to acknowledge that women were in ‘nam.

Hannah’s portrayal of PTSD had me gasping and feeling deeply for the characters within the story - particularly Frankie. This fast-paced story had my heart thumping throughout. It did get quite heavy at times and I had to have a lighter book on hand for breaks. Once again, Hannah has delivered a five-star book. #gifted by Macmillan Audio / Macmillan/ Netgalley

You can pretty much always rely on Kristin Hannah for an engaging, multifaceted look at a point of time in history. This book is set during the Vietnam War, and centers around young, idealistic nurse, Frankie, who volunteers for service in Vietnam to care for wounded soldiers and make her father proud. The reality of the war becomes clear immediately upon arrival, and upends everything she thought she knew about the world and her place in it. After her tour of duty, she returns home a changed person, to a changed country, neither for the better, and finds that she’s still at war with herself.
Enjoyed this a lot.
Thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for this #arc of #thewomen by #kristinhannah in exchange for an honest review.

I had to warm up to Frankie who I found a bit naive, unlikeable, irritating and very, very privileged. The first part is a really heavy hitter with all the horrors of war and their descriptions, and it didn’t really pick up for me until about the 42% mark, but then I was hooked, with the second part of the novel flying by quickly. I also loved the frequently mentioned “music soundtrack”, and how well the time periods of the 60’s & 70’s were captured. Some of the events in the second part did perhaps feel a bit cliche or predictable, but overall this was a worthwhile and immersive read that I would recommend to readers who like historical fiction or war stories.

4.5 stars rounded up for a book that breaks your heart.. It is a book of historical fiction, starting in 1966 and ending in 1982. This book tells the story of Frances "Frankie" McGrath, a Catholic school graduate who becomes a nurse. She idolizes her older brother, Finley. He is a Naval Academy graduate and assigned to Vietnam. She joins the Army to be with her brother. He is killed before she gets to Vietnam.
She undergoes a baptism of fire, working to save lives while the base is being attacked with rockets and mortars. She falls in love and has her heart broken. Her idealism is damaged. But her courage is inspiring.
One quote: "Her pockets bulged with cigarettes and lighters.(She always kept them on hand to give to her boys. That was how she thought of the casualties now: As her boys). In her breast pocket she had a small flashlight and bandage scissors. A length of stretchy tubing hung simply from one epaulet, just in case she needed to draw blood on the fly. A Kelly clamp hung from one belt loop."
I read this book in one day.. My wife says 5 stars.
For anyone interested, there is a monument to these nurses in Washington, DC.
Thanks to St.Martin's Press for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.
#KristinHannah #NetGalley

Kristin Hannah’s latest novel ‘The Women’ exposes a hidden part of the Vietnam War: that of the 11,000 female nurses who worked in combat zones.

Following Frankie McGrath from her dysfunctional home in the U.S. directly into the heart of the Vietnam War, I honestly didn’t learn much new information. The war scenes were brutal and graphic and impossibly painful to read. The arrival back to a vitriolic American public was disappointing to live through, just as expected. The misogyny around every corner was never surprising but always a let down.

But Hannah weaves the thread of female friendship and support through the entire tale, and for me, that - and Frankie’s utter resilience- is what carries this novel from interesting into wholly memorable.

When discussing her latest novel ‘The Women’ in a TODAY.com article, Kristin Hannah said, “What I’ve learned is what I should have known, and what I should have been taught: Women are incredibly resilient, courageous and daring.” THIS is at the heart of a war novel written by a woman, about women, and for women.

Thank you to Kristin Hannah, NetGalley, and the publisher for this arc.

Julia Whelan delivers an impeccable performance on Hannah's new historical fiction novel, offering an earnest portrayal of the lives of nurses who served in the Vietnam War but seemingly were forgotten.

This novel celebrates nurses and their service during the Vietnam War, a detail that few Americans think about, showcasing the sacrifices made and the disbelief in their journey when returning home. It delivers on the book's goals while encompassing a signature soapier spin perfect for fans of her earlier work on Firefly Lane.

There were many elements of surprise that made me glad that I read this. I had yet to learn that nurses could not take advantage of the VA benefits when returning home from their service. I appreciated the accurate portrayal of PTSD on returning and the haunting nature of caring for patients in this environment. I found it enlightening how women were demoted to the roles of candy stripers upon their return home despite their expertise in serving on the frontlines.

Shifting POVS from these nurses or adding a Vietnamese perspective would have enhanced this story in many ways for the reader.

I loved every second of this book! I have been a lover of Kristin Hannah's novels for many years and I believe this is my favorite.

This is a story about Frankie. A nurse who enlisted in the army to help in the Vietnam War. The best and the worst time of her life.

Many thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Almost a 5 star read for me. Missed for me with one plot point that felt like a soap opera. Other than that this book was amazing particularly the first half where the book immerses you into the evacuation hospitals of Vietnam. What an incredible sacrifice our men and women made to fight an unpopular war. Vietnam ended about the same time I was born yet I know very little. I am grateful to have read this to give me a glimpse of a war I know nothing about. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book

Another amazing book from Kristin Hannah. I loved everything about this. I learned so much, there was a lot I didn’t know about Vietnam, especially to do with america - whether from my own ignorance or perhaps because we tend to learn about history from our own country’s point of view, at least at school. I read another historical fiction book recently – about a different war – and the research was well done and the quality of the writing was there, but the plot wasn’t strong and I didn’t love any of the characters. I’m not meaning to bad talk that book, but it just made this one stand out even more to me – Kristin Hannah blends everything so well, you learn, you love, you laugh, you cry. Heavy and sad, with a mix of lightness and happiness. Narration was perfectly done as always. Highly recommend.

Kristin Hannah does it again with another strong female character story, this time set in the late 60's and the Vietnam War. This author does an amazing job creating characters that we root for and cry for. Her character, Frankie, faces so much adversity in such a short time and it is heartbreaking but she is surrounded by her friends. I felt there was so much growth of the charcters throughout the story.

My thanks to Net Galley , the author and publisher for a free digital of “The Women.”copy of I have come to expect great things when I open a book by this author. “ The Women” was no exception- in fact it is an exceptionally good novel. A well - written novel with characters whose portraits on the page come to life on the page and a story that involves the reader in the life of those characters- all of that is present in “ The Women”.
Those women are of USArmy Nurse Corps serving in the Vietnam War. All are volunteers, like 2LT Frances McGrath , formerly of ritzy Coronado CA who enlists after her beloved brother is KIA when his chopper is shot down. In country at Pleiku hospital she grows up fast as she is thrown into a level of Hell that Dante could not imagine. Her fellow nurses help, but Frankie, as she is called, grows into her job. Like the men in the surgical wards, Frankie will have scars forever. Without giving much away, Frankie’s war does not end when she flies home .These women were heroes in VN, but at home forgotten and hardly acknowledged.
MS Hannah does not spare the much; her word pictures of the ORs depict the blood, the torn, burned and shattered bodies and the hollow- eyed staff after twelve hours working in gore. Forget “ Mash”- there are not many laughs. The few moments of R&R help a bit - until the next wave of wounded comes in.
I am an old guy who was too old for that war, but this book opened my eyes despite all my reading of history I have done. No cold history text has told Frankie Mc Garth’s or the other nurses’ story so well and so movingly. Hell, there were times in the book when I had to take a break less my emotions overwhelm me.
Now that is the thing only a great novel can do.
Read “ The Women” . Be warned it is not an easy nor comfy read . Just a great novel.

This one was a doozy. There is so much that goes on in Frankie’s life throughout this story and she is often naive to it all. There were so many heart pounding moments- some unfolding completely out of her control and others because of idiotic decisions this gullible girl was making.

The majority of her story takes place during the Vietnam War and processing not only what Frankie is experiencing as an Army nurse but the lives of other nurses, soldiers, and families back home really put a depth to this novel that I had not expected.

I had previously read about PTSD and how completely stunned many war veterans have become by this disease upon- returning home- and I think coupling that understanding with this narrative was pretty impactful for me.

I have thought lots about my own family at war in Vietnam, while reading. My grandfather was shot in the leg in a helicopter- my uncle, a pilot, shot down behind enemy lines…and I think it just brought all of this to life- the characters and their experiences became more real.

Of course they were all traumatized in their own ways- and it makes me love Frankie for all she endured as a woman in the military during a time in history where women were not seen as heroes.

Kristen Hannah will always be a favorite with historical fiction- they are painful stories but so impactful. It’s history- and unfortunately our history is hard. People have endured much- and for Frankie it’s quite a lot- prepare yourself- but def read.

Thank you @NetGalley for the arc!!

I could not put this novel down. The range of emotions I felt while reading, I don’t even know how to put them all into words. Grief, relief, disgust, betrayal… Hannah does an amazing job providing enough details for you to really feel Frankie’s emotions right along side her. The vivid detail allowed me to visualize the scene, Frankie’s hooch, the camps, the injuries and surgeries, everything.

The first half had me absolutely enthralled. The details, I’m telling you, just chills. Literally, not figuratively. I had chills whilst reading, that’s how engrossed I was. The second half, I wanted to cry, scream, throw things. I will admit, it did become slightly predictable BUT I was still slack jawed when the things I expected to happen happened. There was still a shock factor.

The only thing I wish was different was Hannah’s emphasis on romantic relationships for Frankie. I know that they were vital at times to her story, the relationships helped shaped her and help us understand her, but at other times it just felt like too much? I didn’t understand the purpose of the last few pages, not the event but the thing that happened at the event (IYKYK, trying to avoid spoilers.) I just really felt that it could have been left out as it didn’t really contribute and then the story ended. Or if not left out then expanded upon, I just felt like I needed more. Which is ironic because I just said it was too much.

It takes a lot for me to enjoy historical fiction but somehow, KH pulls me right in!! I absolutely loved this dedication to women who have served. The writing is so immersive and I felt so engaged with the whole cast of characters. I appreciate how KH doesn’t shy away from hard topics and handles them with such grace. I can’t wait to read more by her!!

I’ve been a fan of Ms. Hannah’s books for year but The Women is her best yet. So well written and researched.

Wow. I ran out of time to read this book in print (online) but couldn't stand not finishing it, so I downloaded the audio to do so. Hannah gives readers the best of what historical fiction can do: bring forth a history that has been hidden and tell it so powerfully that it forever expands the accepted narrative of that time. I'm grateful to Hannah for the gift of this book.

I grew up in the immediate post-Vietnam War era, and the subject of the war was still so sensitive that my generation missed learning about it in school. High school history class literally stopped shortly after World War II. And no one would have learned about the woman in the war, much less paid attention to women's experience after the war.

I recognized so much of the world that Hannah depicts -- the research was excellent in that respect -- but she showed me much about that time, my own times, that had been veiled to me.

The writing was beautiful but didn't call attention to itself. This is straightforward, mesmerizing storytelling, the kind that brought us all into this books business in the first place. I tend to read what's termed literary fiction, and I love language that just knocks me out, like an incredible wild riff on a guitar by a master. Then there are the books, like this one, that simply envelope you with place, characters, and plot, and there you are, in another world. SUCH a pleasure and gift.

I was so thrilled to have been approved for an advanced copy of The Women by Kristin Hannah. I have a varied history with Hannah's writing but this one is easily going to end up in my top five of the year and is pushing on the door of my top 10 ever reads!

Heartbreaking, inspiring, and brutal all at once, I found myself so angry at the experiences that Frankie had to endure at the hands of not only her love interests but of her family and the government that she pledged to serve. Even in the throws of war, the human spirit and heart endure. I found myself grateful for the women who have been on my side over the years while going through my own personal issues.
Female friendship is SO strong and this book highlights that SO beautifully.

Reading this book sent me down a rabbit hole of research about women in the military and how little things have changed over the years. My father served in Vietnam, so discovering the experiences in these pages was like discovering new things about my father's history. First five star read of 2024. Thank you for the opportunity to share this beautiful piece of literature.

This novel was a gut wrenching perspective on the coming-of-age journey during a tumultuous time in our nation's history. When Frankie McGrath nobly but naively follows her brother to Vietnam, with aspirations of serving as a combat nurse, you are immediately immersed into the stark realities of war. From the deplorable conditions, to the innocent lives lost, Kristin Hannah masterfully depicts the valiant efforts of medical staff striving to heal the wounds of battle.

I love Kristin Hannah's books and I never thought I'd see one as epic as The Nightingale, but this one is right up there. Her character development is amazing and had me very invested in their lives. I tore through pages in record time. I had always heard about the pitiful way Vietnam Veterans were treated upon their return to the states, but being a woman veteran added another layer of societal dismissal. They were outcasts, forgotten with time, and I am so glad that their stories and their struggles were brought to light in this book. I loved it and will recommend it for years to come.

The Women portrays the heartbreaking experiences of women throughout and after the Vietnam War. The story follows Frankie McGrath as she signs up to join the Army Nurse Corps, following her brother into the war. She lands in the thick of fighting, but that is only the beginning of her story and the ramifications the war has on her and the women around her. This story was heartbreaking, but incredible. It opened my eyes to sacrifice and commitment an entire generation gave that went almost unseen.

This book lived up to all the hype. It is engrossing and truly a wonderful story. We have heard of so many stories about women in WWII, but this POV of women and Vietnam is new and I suspect many will follow this lead.