Fans of historical fiction are no stranger to Kristin Hannah. I first fell in love with her writing with “The Nightingale” and when “The Women” was announced, there was no doubt I needed to read it.

In her recent novels, Hannah focuses on a historic event and/or time period which is how she shines. “The Women” tells the story of Frances “Frankie” McGrath, an Army nurse who serves in Vietnam.

Frankie grew up on an island in California to a family with a proud military background. When she attends her brother Finley’s going away party before he ships out to Vietnam, she has a pivotal conversation with Finley’s friend Rye who reminds her that women can be heroes too.

She decides to enlist to be with her brother and to hopefully earn a spot on the “heroes wall” in her father’s office. Frankie knew she wanted to help people and trained to be a nurse.

When she arrives in Vietnam, Frankie learns quickly that she’s in over her head, especially when she experiences her first mass casualty.

Her roommates, Barb and Ethel, quickly take her under their wing and she develops thicker skin and saves the lives of hundreds of soldiers.

The first half of the book that covers Frankie’s time in Vietnam was the most compelling. It is clear that Hannah spent ample time researching veteran experiences, culture, geography and military terms in order to tell the story as accurately as possible, even though the characters are made up.

Hannah wasn’t afraid to show the ugly sides of war. She touches on napalm attacks, men who lose appendages and civilians who suffered terrible deaths.

When her service is up, she is afraid to go back to “normal” life and leave behind her time in Vietnam where she made a difference.

About midway through, Frankie comes home to an unforgiving world, a culture of people who not only hate the war, but call Vietnam veterans “baby killers” and refuse to believe there were women serving there. Even her parents are ashamed of her service and lied about where she was in order to protect their reputation.

Frankie suffers with post traumatic stress disorder, depression and addiction, among many other struggles.

About three-fourths of the way through, I got irritated with the drama involving the men in her life. It started reading like the plot of a Lifetime movie.

Luckily, this period was short-lived and it was just a minor plot that didn’t add or take away from the overall theme.

Hannah takes readers through Frankie’s journey of healing and again, isn’t afraid to touch on the harsh topics like suicide.

Despite the small patch of irritation, the book was well-researched, beautifully written and compelling while still maintaining an important message: That women can be and are heroes too.

I encourage anyone to pick up “The Women” and similar books as they are a way to learn about the past while still immersing themselves in a compelling story.

When I read what this book was about, I was not excited about it. Similarly, I was not excited about the plot of The Great Alone or The Four Winds but if those books have taught me anything, it's that I will love anything Kristin Hannah writes. The way she brings a world to life and makes the women so layered and complex is truly something to marvel at. I just couldn't get enough of Frances.

As per usual, Kristin Hannah absolutely destroys all of our emotions in every way. This book was simply unbelievable. It is powerful, raw, terrifying, sad and a little heartwarming just to keep us going. I ugly cried way too many times while reading this book.

The Women follows a Vietnam Veteran who served as a nurse, then returned home to find absolutely no support for female veterans. That’s really all you need to know about this book, and I highly suggest you read it soon.

If you have a chance to listen to this book on audio, definitely check it out as the amazing Julia Whelan is the narrator. I read most of it, but listened at parts just to get the Whelan experience.

I'm the first to admit that The Women isn't my normal read. I've tried Kristin Hannah in the past and qualified it as too forced emotionally. But when everyone started talking about this book and how it impacted them, I decided to give it a try. This book is a triumph. It sheds light on a portion of the historical web that is the Vietnam War, along with forcing the impact that women had on the war and how they were overlooked onto center stage. I love following the story of a normal woman who is faced with adversity, becomes strong and impactful in the face of the hell of war, but falls victim to the demons that haunt her when she returns to the deceptive calm of peacetime. This book is remarkable and will help women around the world see themselves in the struggles that veterans face. Frankie is love and warmth and strength and frailty and just so unerringly human. The writing is wonderful, the pace is even and strong, and the voice is unflinchingly honest.

really enjoyed this story as I always do when it comes to KH. I didn't love some of the decisions made by the main character. I also felt the first half was a tiny bit disconnected from the second half but I get it. Overall a very emotional story

If you love human interest stories and historical fiction, this book is for you. Another historical novel written by Kristen Hannah and she does not disappoint.

Frankie (Francis) decides to enlist in the Army during the Vietnam War after her brother Finley is killed in action. Ms. Hannah writes about the world that Frankie sees and how she deals with her life after being sent back home. We see how her family as well as the public react to Vietnam vets and the "hidden" vets like the nurses that saw action during the war.

A great novel written by a great author who knows how to incorporate history and human interest.

I've really enjoyed every book I've read by Kristin Hannah and this was no exception. I love how she is able to just suck you back in history and make you understand character's motives and feel for them even if you would make a difference decision if you were in their shoes. I really related to the main character of this book because she is so stubborn and wants nothing more than to prove people wrong about her, she was told "only women get to serve in the military in this family" and basically said "screw you, I can do anything I put my mind to" which was very honorable. Kristin Hannah does an incredible job making the mental illnesses portrayed in her novels super real. This book takes place during the Vietnam War and obviously, people who see the combat like this are going to be experiencing symptoms of PTSD (which was still so new when this book is set), and the author did an incredible job showing how debilitating this disorder can be while also realistically how it could affect someone. Overall, I had a really good time and it's only not a 5 star because it didn't make me cry like some of her other books.

Women can be heroes too. Kristin Hannah strikes again with her women forward, main character vibes. This story is important for veterans, for women that are veterans, and for women in general. She illustrated how women are responsible for so many aspects of life in society; being a mother, making a man happy while having a job, and conducting oneself as a constructive person in society. One choice can throw of the plans you have for what society determines a successful life, and women are expected to navigate it with grace.

The main character, Frankie, went through more tragedies than anyone should in a lifetime. Which made the story hard to believe for me, though I know in reality it is some peoples reality. Hannah does a good job at portraying how PTSD might look from inside someones brain, and the daily challenges they have with their inner self. Another gripe I have with the story line is how quickly Frankie fell in love with Jamie and Rye, although the contrast in their love stories painted a good picture. It also wasn't super believable with Rye AND Jamie coming back to life, why didn't Finley get to come home? I am an OR Nurse so I did connect to that aspect of Frankie's story, though I have not done a life saving procedure in a war setting or without a licensed surgeon.

As always, Kristin Hannah comes back to the concept that a woman is strong in herself and her girlfriends/sisters without a man by her side. This I LOVE! This book may not be my most favorite she has written, but it is a still a powerful message to women. You can be a "hero' too.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book thanks to Kristin Hannah, St. Martin's Press, and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Kristin Hannah is one of my favorite historical fiction authors! I have never read one of her books that I didn’t like and this one is truly one of my favorites. The Women is such a fantastic book, so well written and it is obvious how much research had gone into telling this story.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction or even those who don’t. In my opinion it is truly a must read - there was so much that I was so unaware of during this time period in our history. While things are slowly changing, it was such a tragic time for us as humans, as American’s and especially us as women. Frankie is such a strong, amazing FMC. Though she had a lot of crappy things happen to her throughout her life, she really did make the best of it all. She was such an inspiration to so many and it was nice to see that she was able to get a happy ending.

I truly went on an emotional roller coaster with this one. Make sure to have a box of tissues near while reading this gem! I was so mad at so many of the men in this book. Not to mention the junk support system that these heroic women had to endure. I absolutely hated that they were not seen as being part of this war or valuable enough to seek the help they needed when they got home. It is such a tragedy.

I was excited to see that this book will be made into a movie. I hope it is as fantastic as this book to educate more people of the inequalities & mistreatment of the women who worked in hospitals, ER’s, operating rooms, etc during the war.

CW: Graphic war scenes, cheating, violence, mental health trauma/PTSD, drug & alcohol abuse.

Thank you to @NetGalley, @stmartinspress & @kristinhannahauthor for the gifted copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I wish there was an option for a 10 star rating because this book would get it hands down. The Women was an absolutely phenomenal book and I felt so many emotions this entire book.

Frankie’s journey throughout this book was just heartbreaking and I wanted to be there for her and hug her.

Kristin Hannah is such an amazing writer. The way she can evoke so many emotions with just words is amazing.

The Women is probably going to be one of my favourite books for 2024. The book begins in 1965, when the US began sending active military troops to Vietnam. I spent a lot of time googling the war, the timeline and results during and after reading this book and I learned so much. The heart of this story was the role of nurses in Vietnam and what happened to them after the war. Frances “Frankie” McGrath is a newly graduated nurse, and is not pleased with the jobs she is given at the hospital she is working at. How will she ever become a better nurse, if she doesn't get the chance to do different jobs. Her brother has recently enlisted and gone to Vietnam, so when she is looking for something more challenging, she enlists as a nurse. The story follows her as she learns her role, works, falls in love, deals with all the dangers, comes home and deals with the PTSD and treatment by others.

Frankie is a wonderful character. Kristin Hannah wrote such well developed, yet flawed and real characters. I love Frankie's reasoning for going into the situations she did, "Women can be heroes too.". The descriptive writing of the horrors of the field hospitals, the death, the mutilation etc. was difficult to read, but it gave me such a view of what the women in Vietnam would have been dealing with. What heroes they were. When she returns to the US, she tries to fit in, but once again, she is put back in that little box and not given the opportunity to work at a job that she would have been excellent at. Dealing with her mental health, she tries to get help, but the attitude, even at the VA hospitals was women didn't see combat, therefore they didn't need services. Not only were the soldiers vets, but the women who were in the field hospitals, who were also putting themselves at risk. This is a book I recommend to anyone who wants to see what it was like for the women who voluntarily went to Vietnam to work in the hospitals, at the front and behind, and how they finally healed and moved on with their lives despite the odds. Kristin Hannah does an amazing job with this story and the research that went into it. Once I started listening to it, I couldn't stop and I highly recommend you have a large amount of time available once she start this one. I was mesmerized by this one.

Amazing perspective and illustration of women in wars. I loved every second. The friendships were authentic, the sketchy situations rang true, and coming full circle was the best kind of ending there could have been.

I absolutely love Kirstin Hannah. She is a wonderful storyteller who makes the reader care deeply for the characters. In The Women, Kristin brings the reader to the front lines of Vietnam. We feel what Frankie feels as she grows while in Vietnam. From the first day she arrives over there and thinks what the heck did I get myself into, to the trauma she brings home with her. Kristin shows us that it wasn't just the men who struggled when they got home. She also showed who anyone who fought in the Vietnam ware were horribly treated when they got home. They never felt like heroes. The Women is about courage, friendship, love, heartache and so much more. The Women is such a wonderful book and I have been recommending it to as many people as possible.

Kristin Hannah has done it again. She's written an illuminating, heartbreaking historical fiction about a time and place few choose to remember: Vietnam.

The protagonist, Frances (Frankie) McGrath, who is close with her brother Finley, decides to follow in her brother’s footsteps and go to Vietnam. She has recently graduated with a nursing degree and is underwhelmed with the job she lands right out of college. Finley, in the Navy, like most men in his family before him has not been gone long when she makes this decision. The Navy won't take her without more experience so she signs with the Army Nurse Corps, without consulting her family or friends, and becomes Lieutenant Frances McGrath.
As Lieutenant McGrath, she is stationed in Vietnam as a surgical nurse. Frankie has two bunk mates, Ethel and Barb, who help show her the ropes and get her through some extremely rough days. As a surgical nurse, Frankie is exposed to mass casualties on a daily basis. She witnesses loss of limbs, gunshot wounds, head traumas, infections, broken bones, etc... Frankie also knows that she is the last person/girl that some of the soldiers will ever see. So Frankie takes photos with the soldiers, so their families know that their loved ones didn’t have to die alone.
Frankie returns home after after serving two years in Vietnam. Her parents are ashamed of her, local citizens spit on her, she can’t find suitable employment. And the worst part? No one believes that a woman was in Vietnam! Her rages of anger and grief are uncontrollable, and no one seems to care or understand her.
Frankie was told to just forget about everything that she witnessed, not think about it anymore, move forward with her life. But things weren’t so easy for Frankie.
I learned some interesting and rather disturbing facts about the Vietnam War in this book.. To all the men and women that served thank you for your service!

This book was seriously amazing! I honestly have no words to describe how I felt. So many emotions from anger all the way to laughter.
It will open your eyes to a different view of historical fiction. Not many stories cover the Vietnam War. I highly recommend grabbing a copy and immersing yourself into another world.

Loved this book. Kristin Hannah has a unique way of transporting you to a time and place and completely immersing you in her character's stories. And in The Women you feel the humidity and danger of life in the jungle during the Vietnam war, followed by the terror of transitioning back to “normal” life on the sunny California coast.

I thought that nothing could compare to The Nightingale but The Women is a very close second in my book. The writing was phenomenal . I had all of the feels. I cried, I was horrified by the things Frankie saw in Vietnam and I wanted to throw the book across the room quite a few times.

I loved the friendship that Frankie found the Barb and Ethel. Coming from completely different backgrounds but the war brought them together and their friendship continued stateside.

We got to see the nitty gritty of war and the coming of age of a naive young woman. How horrible the veterans were treated coming back from war but the part we don’t ever hear about is the women that were just as affected by the war as the soldiers.

Just a beautiful story!

I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion

HUGE Thank you to for the eARC !! I loved loved loved this book and as of now it is one of my favorites of year <3

After Frankie loses someone close to her in the war she is determined to put her nursing degree to good use and enlists in the Army to serve during the Vietnam War. We see Frankie through her rocky start to her impressive finish, her friends and lovers along the way and the struggle that she and others faced when they came home.

In true Kristin Hannah fashion, this novel weaves through decades and character growth seamlessly and brings the reader along for the ride in the war and the after effects. Something American’s often forget about. This book made me laugh, swoon, cry, angry and I loved everything about it.

This was such an amazing book! Reading historical fiction that puts the focus on women and the roles that they've played during war is always wonderful. Kristin Hannah does an absolutely amazing job telling the stories of these women who served during Vietnam.

The parts of the book that take place during the war are well written and horribly gut-wrenching, but the parts that come later are just as harrowing. In The Women, we get to see life after Vietnam and how everything was changed. There was addiction, mental health issues, and so much emotional damage. I cried reading parts of this book, and it will be something that won't leave my heart or mind for a long time.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I don’t even know where to start with my obsession over this book. I knew this was going to be a winner the moment I started googling more about the Vietnam War, and reaching out to family members to see if they had served in it (my dad and his brother had draft numbers, but they never got drafted to serve).

Have you ever seen the show M*A*S*H or the movie Top Gun? Part 1 of this book reminded me of those, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Frankie’s journey while being a combat nurse was heartbreaking but also inspiring. She grew so much as a person, made lifelong friends, and fell in love…all while saving lives. She was a HERO. I could have read 500 more pages of her time as a nurse.

Part 2 is where I got angry. I got angry at the stupidity of our nation, and how horribly these soldiers were treated when coming home from the war. I got angry at the lack of help they received and how no one believed that women were in ‘Nam. It made my blood boil! My heart kept breaking for Frankie as she kept getting knocked down.

Kristin Hannah brought all the emotions while portraying the lives of these brave men and women. Thank you for giving them the recognition they deserve!