I love Kristin Hannah, however, I have struggled greatly with this book. I don't usually read physical copies of her books, but prefer to listen to audiobooks, so I think that's why I didn't enjoy it as much. I do plan to listen to the audiobook and give it a second chance. I think there are a ton of people who will love this book, and I absolutely will recommend it to patrons, but personally, I'm just not sure it was for me.

I love Kristen Hannah ‘s books however, I was a little bit reluctant to read this book in the beginning, because of the time period it was based in. The Vietnam war doesn’t typically catch my attention. I’m usually a World War II era fan, however, this book was incredible. It’s written into two parts. The first part is when the main character, Frankie, signs up for the Army to go serve as a nurse in the Vietnam War. Some of the scenes when she is working during traumas is a bit graphic, and very detailed, but accurate and necessary. It details all of the struggles that women faced during that time and how lowly they were viewed and portrayed as if they were unable to serve their country. The second part of the book is based after she completes her service and returns home. The struggle she goes through to come back to civilian life after the war and the complications that veterans face, especially women, after having served in a time where women weren’t considered important or having served in Vietnam at all. It’s a beautifully written book and I recommend that anyone and everyone read this book.

Frankie McGrath lived a privileged life on the golden shores of California’s Coronado Island. The Vietnam War felt as if it was a world away. When that sheltered life was shaken to its core and she enlisted in the Army Nurse Corps, her life would be forever altered.

Thrust into the harsh reality of a combat nurse in Vietnam, Frankie struggled to adapt to all that entailed. Wholly unprepared, she was unmoored and grasping for stability and normalcy where there was none to be had. The extreme situation meant bonds were forged quickly and she developed strong friendships with her fellow nurses, allowing them to lean on one another and hold each other up. There were other relationships formed as well, a flirtatious but ultimately platonic romance with a surgeon, and a passionate affair with a pilot. Both left lasting scars.

After her tour of duty, and her return to California, Frankie’s homecoming was decidedly underwhelming. Her parents were dismissive of her service, her attempts at seeking help were met with the same response – “there were no women in Vietnam” – and the country as a whole was divided and divisive. Frankie’s life spiraled as she tried to adapt to life after Vietnam. The latter portion of the book, as Frankie struggled to make peace with her experiences, provided an unflinching look at the issues faced by so many veterans upon their return from Vietnam. Brave, resilient, and courageous – and yet their sacrifices were not recognized and applauded, but instead swept under the rug, or even mocked and held in contempt.

While I was born during the Vietnam War era, I was still a child when the conflict ended, so for me it has always felt like history. Not something I had a personal connection to. Kristin Hannah changed that with The Women. This story is vividly detailed (gut wrenchingly so), with characters that virtually leapt off the page and took on a life of their own. I felt their optimism, their fear, their cynicism, and disillusionment. Hannah’s focus on the nurses in Vietnam – young women who exemplified patriotism and selfless heroism – provided another example of how women’s contributions in history are so often overlooked.

The Women was the first book I read in 2024 and it’s not hyperbole to say that I have no doubt it will be my top read of the year. It was powerful, impactful, heartbreaking and – ultimately – uplifting. And it was delivered in a way I’ve come to expect from Kristin Hannah – with realism, nuance, and heart. Utterly unforgettable.

I've never read anything by Kristin Hannah before, My father was a Vietnam Vet, USMC, serving 3 tours (Semper Fi, Daddy! I miss you so much.), so I was interested in reading The Women because of him. I was completely blown away. No exaggeration. This has got to be one of the best books I've ever read in my life, and I'm going on 59. I stayed up late into the night to finish it; and then it was hard to sleep, as the story kept battering around in my brain. My face is all puffy this morning and my eyes are dry, because I cried through 480 pages.

Twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath lives with her conservative parents and brother/best friend Finley in Southern California. In May of 1966, the McGraths are having a huge party as a send off to Fin, who has joined the Navy and is shipping out to Vietnam. When one of Fin's friends tells her, "Women can be heroes, too", Frankie decides she wants to do something to help the war effort, and joins the Army Nurse Corps to follow her brother's path. Frankie is totally unprepared for the reality of war. She goes from being a scared young lady to an experienced nurse, living in danger at all times and seeing broken men die despite the ones they are able to save. Frankie, now stronger, reups and serves another tour, this time in a much more dangerous location. When she returns stateside, she is shocked at the protests again the men - and women - returning from war. Families are divided, and protests are breaking out all over the nation. Even her family doesn't want to discuss her service. When Frankie decides that she needs help adjusting, she is reminded again and again that "women don't go to Vietnam". She battles horrible PTSD and hits rock bottom, and battles to regain herself despite the carnage and the public's disgust with those who served.

That little description of the story doesn't sound too brutal, does it? But it was horrifying and full of death, and the public's treatment of returning vets was horrible. However, the story was uplifting, as well. Frankie grows from a terrified young woman to a strong one, despite her terror. She develops wonderful friends with two other nurses: Ethel from Virginia, who wants to be veterinarian, and Barb, a Black woman from Georgia who has to fight not only war protestors but also racism. In the horror of war, Frankie also finds love. The first part of the book focuses on Frankie's service in Vietnam, where she finds out just how strong she could be. She went from being assigned to the Neuro ward, where the patients were unconscious and she didn't have a lot to do, to working with trauma surgeons in the worst of conditions. The second part deals with Frankie's homecoming, her treatment from friends, family, and war protestors, and her battle with PTSD. And it's a vicious battle. It was bad enough to have night terrors of being under fire, but it seemed even worse due to the opinions for the women who served. Most people didn't believe they were in Vietnam...even the VA! Though the women weren't involved in combat, they were dealing with the horrors of the broken men and boys who were. It was shameful how so many in the US treated those vets when they returned. Hate the war, but don't hate the heroes that served. What was especially heartbreaking was the treatment by her parents. Her mother didn't want to talk about Frankie's service; why not just go the club for lunch and be normal again? After serving in war, there is no normal. Her father especially angered me. In his home office he had a "Heroes Wall" for those in the family that served. Was her picture displayed with all the other heroes? No. That was one of the most devastating things to me. I loved Frankie's friendship with Barb and Ethel, and how they supported each other both at war and at home. Frankie also had romantic relationships, which were also colored by war and PTSD. Her battle with PTSD was hard to watch. Was Frankie always likable? No. But she had reasons for her actions, and I rooted for her the entire book. The ending was inspiring. The men and THE WOMEN who were disparaged after their homecoming were finally recognized for what they were: HEROES. This was a hard book to read, but worth the sobbing and heartache. I recommend this book to everyone.

And here's a little personal stuff to throw in, which colored my reaction to the story. My father was not drafted; he entered the United States Marine Corps when he graduated high school. Until the day he died in 2022, he was always a proud Marine. Some other women were also forgotten during this time: the women whose husbands were sent to Vietnam. My Dad had to leave my Mom with 2 little babies, with Mom not knowing whether her husband would ever make it back. As a matter of fact, when the Marines were getting on the ship to go to Vietnam, the wives were being told their husbands were NOT being sent there! I was born in 1965, so I wasn't really aware of what was going on. Dad didn't talk about Vietnam much. After returning home, he was sent to New Haven, CT as a recruiter. The war was still going on. What's in New Haven? Yale University. Lots of protestors. One thing he told me was that they used to yell at him asking how many babies he killed that day. (Gotta love my Dad; he'd say something like, "Only 10. I'm trying to cut down.") His service wasn't respected at that time. At one part in the story Frankie is helping raise money for the MIA/POWs, and she was selling bracelets with the names of POWs on them. We had those! I remember one of us got a letter from one of the men who got to come home. I don't know what happened to the others. Of course Dad didn't have the same experience in Vietnam as the women did, but it brought this book home to me. Read it.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Genre: Historical Fiction

Format: E-book

5🌟 - I loved it!

Thank you St. Martins Press for the gifted ARC!

No surprise here, I loved it! I am a huggggge Kristin Hannah fan and have read 19 of her books now!

What I love most about KH’s historical books are how much I learn from them! This is a sliver of history I really have never read about or really know much about at all. Of course I love getting a women’s perspective in the middle of the Vietnam war and seeing how nurses were treated and what they went through during that time.

Although this is a lengthy book, I devoured this one in less than 24 hours! I was so swept away in the story and all the characters.

A story of love, loss, found family, trauma, strong female protagonist, and mental health.

4.5 Stars rounded up.

Frances "Frankie" McGrath was brought up to believe that serving your country could be the most important thing a person could do. Her father had a "Heroes Wall" in his office, pictures of the men who served. The only photos of women were on their wedding day, being "heroes" for putting up with the men they married. It's sexist and very 1960s.

The novel starts with a going away party for her brother, Finley, who has enlisted in the Navy and is being deployed to Vietnam. His honour is something that inspires Frankie, so she joins the Army Nurse Corps and volunteers. His dream is her dream, and should get her on the heroes wall at home.

What happens next is a history lesson in the politics of the Vietnam War, the misinformation fed to Americans by the government, the horrors of war, the stress of being a Combat Nurse, and the shameful way Vets were treated after they returned home. Being told time and again that "there were no women in Vietnam", Frankie, and her best friends/fellow nurses have to assimilate back into society with no support, invisible in the eyes of their country. And while I appreciated the information, it sometimes felt like just that - information with no emotional heft behind it.

I knew a Combat Nurse who served in Vietnam. Remembering her gave me so much insight into Frankie, someone who craved solitude, disappeared anytime there was a holiday where fireworks were involved, and rocked back and forth all the time, whether sitting or standing. If I didn't know her I don't think I would have understood this character very well. At times I felt like I was remembering an episode of M*A*S*H. The ending really saved it for me, with the emotion I've come to expect from Kristin Hannah's writing finally wrapping up a story that jumped through time quickly.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Frankie comes from a military family, and decides to join the Army as a combat nurse to follow her brother to the Vietnam War. The book follows her time serving and her experience returning home. Frankie experienced so much sorrow, sadness and lost while over in Vietnam. Once she returns home, expecting to be respected for her service, she is met with protests and hatred. No one supports the war, or anyone who served in it - and there is denial about women being in the war. She hits rock bottom over and over again. What an emotional, well done book.

This book absolutely wrecked me. From start to finish, I couldn’t get enough of the story and of the main character, Frankie. I found myself comparing Frankie to me, and we have so many similarities. She doesn’t care what others think, what the society norm is, but the approval of her parents still means the world. She’s tough to love and not quick to say love you. I found myself learning so much about this time of history, as there are not many books about the Vietnam war and I was not alive during it. I primarily read thrillers, but Kristin Hannah is one of the few that can bring me to read historical fiction. Her books are so captivating and the writing absolutely beautifully done. This book focuses a lot on coming of age, especially in war and extenuating circumstances, as well as love and grief and navigating PTSD when it wasn’t even a diagnosis yet. Cannot recommend this book enough, my new favorite of Kristin Hannah’s and one I will be rereading in the future.

The Women by Kristen Hannah is a tour de force that had me feeling all the feels- I literally laughed, cried, gasped, cheered and raged in the course of this amazing book. Frances “Frankie” McGrath is the protagonist; she is a sheltered young woman who joins the Army Corps of Nurses to be sent to Vietnam in order to help in the war effort. To say that Frankie is not at all prepared for the realities of the Vietnam War is an understatement. This book is her story (and her colleagues’ and her family’s) and a small glimpse into the women like Frankie who dedicated themselves to the war effort and have so often been forgotten for their bravery and commitment during the Vietnam War. Read this book. You will not be disappointed.

A very big thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

#bookstagram #sistergam #thewomen #kristenhannahauthor #netgalley #stmartinspress #bookish #bookreview #bookreviews #bookstagrammer #booklover #igreads #instagramreads #readersofinstagram

Frankie, a war nurse in Vietnam, returns to the US after 2 tours, and this is her story. Told from the time that Frankie enlists, through the War, and subsequent decades upon her return to the US, this story is a Vietnam Veteran's account. Frankie learned to be strong during the war, little did she know that her return home would require more mental fortitude than any War. This book delves into tough subjects of war, mental health, and family struggles. The main character was extremely relatable, and I loved this book. I found this book to be eye-opening, honest, and endearing. I loved The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, and I loved this book almost as much.

One item of note is that it is clear the author has a liberal agenda, and it is funny how she side-steps the fact that Vietnam was a was entered into with a democrat President (Kennedy), continued on with his democrat successor (Johnson), and only Nixon, a Republican, signed the Paris Peace Accords in 1973. But Hannah sort of "hides" that little inconvenient fact, saying something to the effect of [once the war was over and Nixon was out of office...]. Well, the democrats did nothing but lead us into that horrible war - so do some research if you are actually interested in some unbiased history on the subject.

Special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, St. Martin's Press, for this ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I was intrigued by the perspective this would provide on American history—the premise of untold female war stories from Vietnam was interesting. I can certainly see its cinematic value and am not surprised it was immediately optioned. I think Hannah accomplished her goal here but it was a bit tropey for me still in the cast of supporting characters. Would’ve liked more of Barb’s perspective and for her to be written perhaps in partnership with a Black author, she felt like an amalgamation of tropes instead of a full fleshed out character.

The Women by Kristin Hannah was so beautifully written.
This is a heart wrenching, beautiful book set during the Vietnam War.
Frankie, shines a stunning light of a story of one woman gone to war, but it shows a captivating story about all women who put themselves in harm’s way and whose sacrifice and commitment to their country has too often been forgotten.
A powerful novel about friendship and the love of one's country.
It’s heartbreaking, but it’s stunning, and so beautifully written.
The writing is exquisite. The atmosphere is palpable.
So compelling and riveting, this is one historical fiction that will be sitting on my shelf when it’s published.
What a beautiful and powerful story about the courageous women of the Vietnam war.

Thank You NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Pub Week Book Review: The Women ✨

Author: @kristinhannahauthor
Publisher: @stmartinspress
Release Date: Feb 6th

⁉️: Do you have any family members who served during a war? Or are there any women who have inspired you?

The quote “Women can be heroes” sets the tone of Hannah’s latest novel, which tells Frankie’s story and her desire to serve as a nurse and contribute to her family’s legacy. Despite facing resistance, she ends up at the center of the war action in Vietnam. Without giving much away, I found that Vietnamese people themselves were portrayed in the background and felt like silhouettes to me as the focus was primarily on Frankie and the hospital staff. A similar issue I felt was present in Oppenheimer where I felt that there should have been more shown about the atom bomb’s impact on Japan.

The gendered treatment of war veterans and PTSD is at the center of second half. As she struggles to build relationships, the novel paints a raw, unflinching potrayal of war veterans, and their stories that often get placed within the category of discomforting narratives that are often ignored or forgotten.

Hannah’s novel is undoubtedly a 5✨ from me. It immediately made me think about how war trauma is depicted in popular culture, and how veterans are treated today. The contribution women made to the war effort, yet their trauma was not recognized upon their return. Moreover, it made me think about how war narratives are told to us. I have learned about the Vietnam war through Luong Ung’s memoir about Cambodian genocide called First They Killed My Father. Who tells the story is as important as the story that is being told to readers and audiences. There is also another documentary about this topic called The War Within which I have shown in my classes which explores this theme as well. This is one of my top novels of 2024, and I was so grateful for the opportunity to read an early copy of the novel. I am looking forward to discussing this novel with #EthicsofRepresentationbuddyreads later in the month.

Thank you @Stmartinspress for the gifted finished copy and tote.

#KristinHannahAuthor #TheWomenNovel #KristinHannah #StMartinsPress #SMPinfluencer

Kristin Hannah does historical fiction right. I was absorbed in Frankie's story and learned so much over the course of her harrowing journey. It made me want to read more about these women who were so cruelly dismissed as though they'd never been to war.

At the start of this book, it’s 1965, and when Frankie’s brother enlists to go to Vietnam, she decides to buck the expectations of her parents that she become a society wife, and instead enlists to serve as an Army nurse. The book follows her through her time in Vietnam and then the difficult readjustment back to civilian life afterwards.

I really couldn’t put this one down, and flew through it even though it’s 480 pages. And while I did love it, it was just regular 4 star love for me which felt slightly disappointing after seeing so many early 5 star reviews! Part one of the book, set in Vietnam, was just phenomenal - really made you feel like you could picture how awful it was there and yet also appreciate the camraderie Frankie found with her fellow nurses. Part two just got a tad too melodramatic and soap opera-y for me, though it sure kept me reading! And love the way it calls attention to the plight all vets faced coming back from Vietnam, and how the women who served were particularly erased. All in all, a great read.

✨ 4.5 stars ✨ (maybe 5, I’m a little undecided)⁣
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Kristin Hannah, my absolute go-to favorite for when I want to cry all the tears and have my heart gutted and put back together again. She really did that again here with, THE WOMEN. I was crying within the first 20 pages and then just kept that up throughout. ⁣
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“It is a strange world we are all in. Volatile and uncertain. We—Americans, I mean—can’t seem to talk to each other anymore, our disagreements seem insurmountable.”⁣
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I read a non-fiction book earlier this year that gave me my first teeny bit of information about the Vietnam War, but this book took that and more than doubled it. It’s not a piece of history I knew a lot about. And this telling of the war and the aftermath for those that lived through it was hard to read at times. This book made me sick to my stomach, it made me sad, it made me angry, it made me cry, and cry, and it made me learn. I didn’t walk away a Vietnam expert, that isn’t the book’s point, but I did walk away having learned a lot and having more of an idea where to start with my own learning. Napalm, for example, is one thing I found myself researching… sickening and heartbreaking. ⁣
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“She’d made some of the most momentous choices in her life before she had any idea of consequences. Some had been thrust on her, some had been expected, some had been impetuous.”⁣
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My only complaint is that I wish the main character wasn’t quite so privileged, though it does go to show how even money and all the privilege couldn’t save her from the effects of her experience in Vietnam and after.

The Women AUDIO by Kristin Hannah is a listen that I have almost no words for. I lived through those years, although thankfully not in Viet Nam. Frankie was only 22 years old when she signed up for her first deployment as an army nurse. She chose army because the other branches wouldn’t send her with so little nursing experience. They might have been right. Without the support of her friends, Barb and Ethel, and several surgeons, she might not have survived. The carnage was unbelievable. The lies the government told were beyond fathoming. She did survive, however, and returned home after two years to a world she didn’t recognize. So much happened, it is not possible to recount it all. Listen to the audio or read the book. She did come out fine in the end. That is the important part. So many did not.

This woman lived through things no one should have to. Fortunately she and friends, and her parents, who didn’t really understand, but loved her. Her brother had died in Viet Nam. That colored her decision to deploy and it kept her going through some of the hard times. It was an emotional journey, so well-written that it would make a believer of nearly anyone. Frankie’s character developed over years of heartache and suffering. Subconsciously maybe she felt she should have died over there, too. She was looking for love and for peace. Both were difficult to find. Only the people whose lives she had saved believed there had ever been women in Viet Nam.

The book was narrated by Julia Whelan and Kristin Hannah. Julia did a wonderful job keeping an even keel while she simultaneously imparted the panic and the seriousness of any given situation. There could not have been a better choice to narrate this moving story.

Thank you St Martins Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own. #Netgalley #StMartinsPress #KristinHannah #TheWomen

This was my first Kristin Hannah novel and I thoroughly enjoyed it. She did a great job of painting the picture of what it was like during the war and what it was like after. It did drag slightly about 75% through but it was still great. I'm excited to read more of her novels.

Wow, Kristin Hannah has done it again. Right from the start, I was enthralled by the main character and her grit. Hannah knows how to write a female driven story so well which hits all of my emotions. I enjoyed the female friendships, found family, self discovery and ultimately the self acceptance. This will be one of my books of the year!

Thank you @stmartinspress for the advanced copy! Officially out now
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I loved this book SOOOO much that I had to go buy a physical copy for my personal library. Only a month into the year and I already have a favorite book of 2024. I’m so mad I didn’t read this last year when I got it LOL
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Kristin Hannah can write historical fiction like noooooo other. THE WOMEN pays tribute to all the female Army nurses who served our country during The Vietnam War. I cried and cried and cried reading this. Soooooo beautifully written and dare I say this might top 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗡𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗔𝗟𝗘 for me…who am I kidding, they’re both my fave now.
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Please make this book a priority read this year. You won’t regret it!!!