My 2024 reading was already off to a great start, and The Women just made it even better. I know that a Kristin Hannah book is going to be a captivating reading experience, but my goodness, The Women was even better than I had hoped, and trust me, my expectations were already set at the highest bar.

What does any reader want more than anything when they open a book? They want to feel. I felt this story right down to my core. So many emotions passed through me as I lived right beside Frankie McGrath during the most tumultuous years of her life.

War stories always hit hard, but this particular one really packed a punch. All of my senses were working overtime as if I were there in Vietnam, in the heat, mud, blood, and humidity. This book played out right in front of me, and it was heartbreaking, thought-provoking, and made me feel so enraged.

In my opinion, Frankie was every bit of a hero for her country. She had lived a privileged life, but she didn’t just want to be someone’s wife, she wanted to make a difference, be someone that she and her family would be proud of. That doesn’t sound so unreasonable to me, but it was a different time. She may not have been in actual combat, but she was right there alongside her fellow nurses and doctors, fighting for people’s lives. She experienced the pain, the fatigue, and the overwhelming sense of loss. She put herself in harm’s way. She cared about her commitment to a country that ultimately turned its back on her and so many others.

I don’t want to get into too many details about what actually transpired in Frankie’s story, that is for the individual reader to explore. I will say that this book had me thinking about it long after the final page was read. The Women will not be forgotten and isn’t that really what the women deserve.

*5+ Stars

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - If Kristin Hannah has a new book, sign me up! She has delivered another excellent and well written historical fiction novel that will stay with me. This is a heart wrenching story of the unsung and under appreciated heroes of the Vietnam War - the women who served. The book focuses on Frankie McGrath who joined the Army Nurse Corps to follow her brother’s path, and the nurses and soldiers she encounters, the love and strong friendships she makes, and the devastation she experiences during the war and after returning home. Kristin Hannah does a wonderful job telling the full story, including family dynamics, politics, effects of PTSD and trauma, and sexism. I learned so much. Completely engrossing and thought provoking! I highly recommend. I greatly appreciate receiving an advanced copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

The Women is a heartbreaking story of combat nurses who served in the Vietnam War and their lives after war. For Frankie, it was a coming of age story. A sheltered privileged young nursing student, Frankie volunteered for the war on a whim to follow her brother to Vietnam and was forced to grow up fast. I loved reading about the friendships Frankie formed with her fellow nurses. Barb and Ethel were my favorite characters. The war follows Frankie home and she experiences more and more trauma as she tries to find her footing back in "real life". I had a hard time with just how much trauma Frankie experiences in the last 40% of the book. I do think it was necessary to portray that PTSD affected the women who served just as much as the men, but I did start to feel trauma fatigue by the end of the story. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

It’s no secret that anytime you go to open a new Kristin Hannah book, you are setting yourself up to have your heart ripped out of your chest. She has a way of bringing to life her characters in a way that makes you care so deeply for them. She also brings to light aspects of our history that isn’t always the forefront of knowledge.

With The Women, I honestly never really thought about the complete trauma that the medical doctors and nurses go through during war times. The atrocities that they saw day after day after day during Vietnam had a major impact on their psyche once home and I appreciate that Hannah didn’t just write this book during their service but after and how it impacted their lives forever.

Definitely recommend, but make sure your headspace is right before starting because it is incredibly sad.

Kristin Hannah hits all the right notes in a beautifully written, raw, gritty, and emotional tribute to the women who served as nurses in Vietnam, and other Vietnam veterans as well.

We follow Frankie McGrath, an army nurse in the war that was the cause of such a deep schism in America's history. Through Frankie, (and Hanna's spectacular immersive and descriptive writing) we see the war as it was for those who served, the unfathomable disrespect they received upon returning home after their service, and their deep struggles to get past the trauma of their war experiences and make a life for themselves.

This is a riveting, compelling, and important read. Another well-deserved best-seller for Kristin Hannah. This book rates five stars for me; I would rank it higher if I could. A must-read for anyone who wants to understand what our Vietnam Vets went through. Exceptional in every way!

My sincere thanks to St. Martin's Press for allowing me to access a DRC of this novel via NetGalley. Publication is 2/6/24. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.

I love reading Kristin Hannah's stories. I feel like she brings history to life for me. As a nurse, this book really drew me in and I felt like I got a glimpse at what nursing has been like in the past.

This story is so beautifully written. I loved the underlying theme that women served in the war and were able to make a difference, just like the men. I think Kristin did a beautiful job bringing it to life.

There are almost no words for this story. Kristin Hannah is a masterful story teller and an artist with her words. I learned so much from this book. Heartwrenching and eye-opening, this book kept me on the edge of my seat. I was rooting for Frankie!

The Women will build you up and destroy you over and over and over again. Frankie McGrath is a 21 year-old heroine who optimistically heads to Vietnam to serve as a combat nurse. The things she sees and does are unimaginable to her younger self, yet she thrives. That is until she comes home. This is a story of veterans forgotten, the women who served in Vietnam... a story of friendship, heartbreak, PTSD, addiction, recovery, and self-discovery. It is both ugly and beautiful and completely heart-wrenching in true Kristin Hannah fashion. It is a book to clear your day's calendar for and devour in one sitting. It is a book to make you read and learn more about our country's not so distant past (apparently Vietnam was just "too soon" to cover in my teenage history lessons). It is not a book for someone looking for happiness or for those easily triggered. This will undoubtedly be one of the biggest books of 2024 for good reason. Grab your box of Kleenex, put on your '60s greatest hits, and become one of The Women for a few hundred pages!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Kristin Hannah does it again! I have not a 5 star book in a year and it felt so good to get sucked into that I could not stop thinking about. This is a coming-of-age story of Frankie as she choices to serve her county in the Vietnam war as a nurse. I have only read a small amount of books set in Vietnam but as always with Kristin Hannah, I am learning something new and experiencing it on a different level because of her storytelling. We get to experience the Vietnam war through Frankie's and her co-workers experience and then follow her home to see how difficult it can be for one to transition out of that. It is sad and hard but also so helpful to hear from this point of view. I have been thinking about this one for days after reading. If you have loved her books in the past, I think this one will be another hit for you.
I am grateful to the publisher, author, and netgalley for the opportunity to read this book early for an exchange of a review. I

I cannot say enough good things about The Women by Kristin Hannah! I usually only read mystery and thrillers but decided to branch out. So happy I did! This was a breathtaking story of a young woman who was a combat nurse in the Vietnam War. I have never heard much about these women heroes of the war. I was fully in the world of this book and did not want to leave. In fact, I quit reading for a day or two because I didn’t want it to be over. Now I see why there is so much hype about this author. I am fully planning on going back and reading all of her other books. Her character development is outstanding. This book made me laugh and cry! Please read this book! Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

The Women
by: Kristin Hannah
St. Martin's Press

The Women is simply a masterpiece of historical fiction and women's fiction. Hannah writes with passion in the story of Frankie, a young woman who enlists in the Army Nurse Corps during the Viet Nam War. Frankie's life is forever changed when she leaves her home on Coronado Island, California to serve her country.

Hannah clearly did her research for the story, revealing all of the rawness and horror concerning the war and Frankie's role in it. She takes us there directly into the pain, the fear, the courage, and the battles in and out of the war zone. The character and relationship development of Frankie and the women in her life are rich. The power of female friendships and loyalty are taken to a very high level. I won't forget Frankie, one of the most memorable characters I have read about in a very long time. The book deserves all of the recognition it has and will receive.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for an advance reader's copy. My review is my own.

I typically enjoy the author’s work and historical focus.

However, the main character was sometimes hard to like. She was very wealthy and had a lot of things handed to her. I think I would have liked the book more if it would have been a woman from the working class.

Also how do we hold these important stories and also give voice to the people of Vietnam? They were only mentioned in brief encounters she had and I feel there was a missed opportunity here.

Hannah's writing style is a bit too simplistic for my tastes. That said though, I think this is her best book. And I applaud her for bringing awareness to the women who served in Vietnam and the difficulties they faces "back in the world."

I feel like I have been waiting a long time for this book. I am rarely disappointed by Kristin Hannah and I certainly was NOT disappointed by her with this book.

I was a very young child during the Vietnam War era and in my conservative home. I don't remember the subject being discussed. I didn't have any family members in the war so I don't know much about it. Other than TV shows, I have very little education on Vietnam.

I loved the strong women that are characterized in The Women. I love that "women can be heroes".

I know this title will sell extraordinarily well for us, and our order reflects that. My own book club chose it for February and our store has chosen it as our first ever “Athena Favorite”. We would love to have Kristin Hannah speak should she ever find herself in New England!

What an excellent book this was! I read it straight through and wished it had been longer. My brothers and I grew up during the Vietnam War era (a bit younger than the main character) and this book brought back so many memories of those times.

Frankie McGrath has grown up in southern California, is twenty years old, and has trained to be a nurse (just until she gets married, or so her parents say). Her older brother goes to the Naval Academy and ships off with accolades to fight in the Vietnam War.

Someone mentions to Frankie that women can be heroes too and without her parent's blessing she joins the Army Nurse Corps and becomes Second Lieutenant Frances McGrath and is soon headed off to Vietnam in 1966.

This is a story of war, of young men and young women fighting for their country under adverse conditions, of bravery, of lifetime friendships. It tells of the horror of war.

And then Frankie is shipped back home and, in the case of the Vietnam War, the soldier's pain didn't end when they got home and this story explores the subjects of a country that ridiculed its Vietnam soldiers, didn't acknowledge its female soldiers, took years to help with PTSD and Agent Orange casualties and more.

I highly recommend this book to anyone that is interested in Vietnam War era history, women's fiction (although this doesn't read like fiction), or just want an exceptional read.

I received this Digital Review Copy from St. Martin's Press through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review. This is that review.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

As the daughter of a nurse, I am so glad that Kristin Hannah decided to focus her next novel on the American nurses that served in Vietnam. A gripping historical, once I opened to the first page I was transported back first to California where we meet Francis McGrath and her family and then to Vietnam from 1966-1969. The rich detail in the book shows how respectful Kristin Hannah was of her research as she shows what the world was like at that time. As a reader, I watched as Francis went from being an innocent nursing student who craved to be a hero to the nurse who returned from Vietnam with the memories of a solider in combat. Yet her countrymen and her family tell her again and again, "THERE WERE NO WOMEN IN VIETNAM."

Another aspect of the book that I loved was the friendship between Francis and her fellow nurses, Barb and Ethel. I am thankful that Hannah created such a strong bond between these women that followed them all through the 70's and the 80's. I also enjoyed the journey with Francis's family- after the loss of Francis' brother, Finley, it is understandable that the family would be wracked with grief. I am grateful that we follow their journey past the initial part one of the story.

One final thought, years ago, my 9-10-11 grade students had created multi-media presentations for November 11th that were presented at a dinner of Canadian veterans and peacekeepers. I will never forget when a peacekeeper, a nurse who served in Kosvo, stood up and thanked one of the student groups for including images of the wounded from the different Canadian Forces missions and Peacekeeping operations. I thought of that peacekeeper's words when reading about Francis McGrath sitting by the wounded soldiers and civilians she cared for in Vietnam. May we never forget those who served and those returned with their wounds, both physical and emotional.

If I could give this novel 10 stars, I gladly would!




Publication Date 06/02/24
Goodreads Review 03/02/24
#KristinHannah #NetGalley.

Kristin Hannah can do no wrong when it comes to historical fiction and stories about women. "The Women" is no different. I was immediately hooked by the premise; then I was extremely anxious as the narrator Frankie jumped straight into the Vietnam War as a green-as-hell Army nurse. But I was proud of her as she learned how to be a truly excellent nurse and friend, despite the awful conditions all around and in front of her in the OR. The pacing of Frankie's first and second tours felt frantic; by the time of her departure from the country I realized I still had half a book left to go and had no idea what the second half would look like. Turns out, the second half focuses on Frankie's transition back to "the real world" in the States and her struggles and challenges over years as she fights for recognition of her service and tries to heal from her traumas. I felt at times that the second half struggled to find a cohesive narrative, but it also felt true to the experience of nonlinear healing. Overall, I really enjoyed this novel and learned quite a bit from it as well.

I was also glad to read in the author's note that this had been an idea Hannah had been sitting on for decades, waiting until she had the skills and experience to dive deep into telling an incredibly troubling and moving story, with veteran readers providing counsel and feedback.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC copy of “The Women” in exchange for an honest review.

This story was full of tragic, sad, emotional, and hopeful moments! It was so descriptive that I felt like I was there with Frankie, Ethel and Barb! There were many parts which were hard to read. The ending especially moved me to tears. I learned a great deal about the Vietnam War, the women who served and how they were treated after they returned home. It's important that their stories are never forgotten.

A riveting, heartbreaking, and infuriating view of the life of an Army nurse in the Vietnam War and the struggles she deals with upon returning home. The devastating loves and losses. The scenes in Vietnam were vividly descriptive and hard to read at times. Her struggles afterwards, especially as a female veteran returning from a "man's" war, were just soul wrenching, more than any human should ever have to deal with, and it made the book hard to put down. You root for her with all your heart that she'll come out the other side happy and healthy. Kristin Hannah never fails to write the most incredible novels that stay with me for years. This one touched me very deeply. If you read one book this year, let it be this one. A must read!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this eARC.