The Women
Rating: 5 stars
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC given through NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own.

*****SPOILERS AHEAD*****

This book was so good! It's my first 5 star of the year and what a wonderful, but so heartbreaking story it was. I learned so much about how women played an important role in the Vietnam War. A role that once they came back to the states became non-existent. It was like they were never there. What these women went through to save so many lives was truly heroic.
We see this war through the eyes of Frankie. Frankie, who lost a brother early in the war and who decides to do her part by joining as a nurse.
Everything she goes through while there had some difficult consequences she later had to deal with when her tour ended. What made me cry...yes, I cried, I rarely do, but besides losing her baby and being lied to by the man she thought loved her was her relationship with her parents.
Oh it broke my heart every time she approached her father and tried to talk to him about her experience in Vietnam and how she also deserved to be on the Hero's Wall in her house along with her brother and everybody else in her family who had served in other wars.
Even with all she went through he still didn't validate her service. It took many years for him to finally accept that his daughter was very well worthy of being part of that wall.
In regards to the writing style this was very fast paced and finished it without realizing it.

I couldn't put The Women down! Kristin Hannah did an incredible job of creating an emotional and unforgettable story. Besides what I've learned in school, I would not say I'm an expert on the Vietnam War. I learned so much more about the war and Americans' perspectives at that time. I left The Women with a greater appreciation for the men AND women who served in the war. It was eye-opening to see Frankie's experiences post-Vietnam. I thought Frankie was a realistic and rootable character. Her friendship with Barb and Ethel made me happy. Their friendship and support for one another was inspiring. There were some parts of the book that felt repetitive; however, it did not take away from my reading experience. I wasn't surprised by the Rye and Jamie twists. I thought it was an interesting choice to bring back two characters "from the dead." Although that wasn't my cup of tea, I still adored this book. This may be my favorite Kristin Hannah book after The Nightingale. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

Kristin Hannah, known for her poignant storytelling, delivers yet another emotionally charged narrative in her novel "The Women." Set against the backdrop of historical events, this book weaves a compelling tale of friendship, resilience, and the enduring strength of women.

The story unfolds during World War II, a time when the world was in turmoil, and individuals faced challenges that tested the very core of their existence. At the center of this novel are the lives of three women - their paths intersecting in unexpected ways, shaping their destinies in profound and transformative manners.

Hannah's character development is impeccable, breathing life into each protagonist with a depth that resonates with readers. The trio of women - their struggles, dreams, and the unbreakable bonds they form - become the heart of the narrative. Through their experiences, the author captures the essence of the human spirit, portraying the resilience and courage that emerges in the face of adversity.

The narrative not only explores the external challenges posed by the war but also delves into the internal battles each woman faces. The complexities of love, sacrifice, and the pursuit of dreams are expertly explored, adding layers of depth to the overall story.

Kristin Hannah's writing style is evocative and immersive. Her vivid descriptions transport readers to the era, making them feel the palpable tension, the poignant moments, and the triumphs of the characters. The pacing is well-crafted, keeping the reader engaged from start to finish.

"The Women" stands out for its portrayal of female friendships, emphasizing the importance of solidarity and support in navigating life's tumultuous journey. It serves as a reminder of the strength that can be found in connection and the resilience that emerges when women come together.

In conclusion, Kristin Hannah's "The Women" is a captivating exploration of the human experience during a pivotal moment in history. It beautifully captures the essence of womanhood, friendship, and the enduring power of the human spirit. This novel is a must-read for those who appreciate historical fiction with rich character dynamics and a profound exploration of the human condition.

The subjects and setting of <i>The Women</i>, nurses who serve in the Vietnam war, piqued my interest. The action and horrors the nurses witness in the medical camps are overwhelming and feel true to life. Kristin Hannah’s research into life there is extensive and the experiences are portrayed realistically. Even as I was horrified by the trauma relayed on the page, I appreciated learning about the experiences of the nurses. Part one is set primarily in Vietnam and part two follows main character Frankie as she tries to adjust to civilian life. For me, part one is the most interesting as it describes life in the medical camps and the way people coped with the overwhelm of trying to rescue and comfort injured soldiers.

The weakest part is the lacking character development, especially among the secondary characters. Throughout, I could see the characters introduced only to forward Frankie’s plot—her Black fellow nurse Barb who drops everything for her again and again, every single man introduced pretty much as potential love interests for Frankie—and not given development and agency. I’d have loved to see this split into maybe three sections where Frankie is part one and parts two and three are Barb and another nurse. Alas.

Part two just didn’t work for me, as it becomes repetitive and at times unbelievable. There wasn’t enough in Frankie’s experience to hold my interest throughout. Also, the writing itself is a lot of telling with little showing. I wish we were shown Frankie’s relationship with her brother Fin, rather than just being told how close they were. Another big problem is there is so much foreshadowing, I knew/guessed everything that was coming. (I read a lot though, so it’s possible I’m more in tune with such things.)

This novel will work well for many readers, especially fans of historical fiction and love stories who don’t mind verbosity or purple prose. For me, I saw too many obvious machinations, it is too long by probably 150 pages, and the noticeable lack of character development hurt my reading experience. For novels set in Vietnam, I highly recommend <i>The Mountains Sing</i> and <i>Dust Child</i> by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai.

2.5 stars—interesting premise but lacking character development and a plot that lost my interest

My thanks to the publisher for an advanced copy.

An absolutely stunning and heartbreaking novel about the American women who served as combat nurses in the Vietnam War and the changed landscape of the country they returned home to. My review will never do this book justice. It is one of Kristen Hannah’s best works to date, without a doubt.

Not only does this book graphically illustrate the hell hole of the surgical hospitals in the most violent jungles of the Vietnam War, but it also smartly demonstrates the return home to US soil and what that re-entry was really like for the soldiers who came home. These combat nurses may not have been lying on the red dirt of the jungle looking for Charlie, but the carnage they witnessed in the Quonset Huts is just as devastating. They held limbs, and put hands in body cavities, and held the hands of dying soldiers screaming for their mothers. This book shows us THAT side of the war. I cannot say enough about how important this book is to the women who served in Vietnam. It’s so well done, from the description of the Vietnam jungle, to the ugly portrayal of the treatment of the vets who returned home, to the lack of resources and help available to those who violently struggled with re-entry to a country they no longer belonged to. The characters in this book are phenomenal, with a tremendous amount of real, post-war baggage to unpack.

With flawless writing, Kristen Hannah delivers a powerful novel about grief, trauma, heartbreak, and the power of clawing your way back from rock bottom in search of healing. ❤️‍🩹

Frankie’s family has a proud history of military service but when Frankie enlists as a nurse to head to Vietnam- her parents are appalled, Frankie’s journey through her two tours of duty to her return home to an ungrateful nation brought me to tears. Once again Kristin Hannah has taken a heartbreaking segment of our history and made a brilliant story. Thank you for bringing the women who served in Vietnam some of the attention they deserve.
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. My opinions are my own.

Stunning! This book took hold of me from beginning to end. It is the story of an idealistic nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath. She grew up on Coronado Island near San Diego and its naval base. Her brother graduates the Naval academy and is off to Vietnam. Frustrated with the nursing work she is doing and hoping to make her father proud, she impulsively enlists as an Army nurse. It is 1966, the war is fully raging and she is unprepared for the scenes she sees while working in a field hospital. The first half of the book covers her time in Vietnam. The second half focuses on her return and the aftermath. As harrowing as the work in Vietnam, Frankie knows she is skilled and has saved lives. But her return is gut wrenching to me. The country is at odds with the war, and little is known about the PTSD in women because as she is told “there are no women in Vietnam”.

This is a powerful story told by a master storyteller. I love the music references and know most of them. I love that her two best friends were there for her over and over. They never judged and stood with her in solidarity. Personally I was a child in the 60s, and have vague memories of the protests and the returning of soldiers from the war. I have been to the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington DC dozens of times, always looking for my father's cousin's name and running my fingers over the engraving. And I remember when they added the beautiful statue to honor the nurses who were there. I will be highly recommending this to my book club and my friends. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC via NetGalley and I am leaving a voluntary review.

I've read, and loved, many of Hannah's books. This one, however, was just "meh." I was surprised by all the cursing, which was unnecessary, when compared to prior books. Intimate scenes were also detailed more than I'm used to with this author. It dealt with war, so the blood and gore could be expected, yet the graphic details might surprise some readers. The pace was a bit uneven. Frankie seemed a bit superficial in how men always seemed to fall for her. It reminded me of romance stories I've read in the past. I do applaud Hannah for looking at female Vietnam veterans, as I don't think I've read anything else that did that.

Possible trigger warnings: PTSD, alcoholism, miscarriage, detailed/gory medical descriptions

Gah. I'm still thinking about Frankie McGrath and her story. Frankie, the main character of this beautiful novel, joins the Army as a nurse during the Vietnam War to make her father proud and to be near to her brother, also serving. I learned so much from her. Not only from her time in Vietnam, but also through her return to the states -- a long, heart-breaking, gut wrenching journey through rock bottom and back through a difficult recovery. The relationships in the novel are written so well, and prove to be so important to the characters, as is the norm for Hannah's novels. I loved the nod to the fashion and music of the late 60s and early to mid 70s. I also loved the setting on Coronado, as I lived on the island as a young Navy wife! This one will stay with me for a while; it's right up there as a favorite Kristin Hannah novel, just below The Nightingale.

Thanks so much to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this beautifully written novel.

The Women by Kristin Hannah is a heartbreaking novel about war, loss and what it means to be forgotten. It additionally offers hope in the most challenging situations and love from the lease likely sources.

Frankie is young and naive having grown up in a sheltered community in California. She attended catholic institutions through college and was always labeled the good girl. Frankie lived up to this reputation until she found herself in a Vietnam war zone where there was no relief from the destruction. After her brother Finley has shipped out to Vietnam, Frankie is determined to follow him. She is just shy of 21 when she enlists in the Army Nurse Corps; the only branch of the military that will take her to war without a long delay. Frankie served two tours with the thirty-sixth and seventy-first Evac hospitals.

When Frankie arrives in-country she is overwhelmed and shocked at what she finds. Nothing resembles what the US news stations are reporting. From mortar attacks to incoming wounded, Frankie learns to cope and survive in a world of death and deceit.

When Frankie returns to California it is a different world than the one she left. There is no fanfare to welcome her and the protesters spit on her and call her names. The betrayal of her parents hits Frankie the hardest and she has no one to turn to. She tries to get help twice from the VA for PTSD, nightmares, visions and drinking but they will not help. They insist there were no women in Vietnam. Frankie’s two loyal friends, Ethel and Barb, help her through the worst days and guide her toward a meaningful future.

Kristin Hannah is one of my favorite authors. The Women sits at the top of the list of my favorites. As with all of Kristin’s books, have a box of Kleenex close.

A 5 star read. I absolutely loved it! Thank you NetGalley, Kristin Hannah and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC of the book for an honest review.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. It's an amazing read with strong characters, a great storyline, and many feels. I feel proud to be a woman after reading this book.

This book!!! Frankie's older brother enlists in the Navy during the Vietnam war. Frankie is kinda a pampered rich girl. No one expects her to enlist to serve as a nurse.
Once in Vietnam this story actually feels like you are there with her and it's brutal. Then when she comes home she is not given a hero's welcome. She is spit on and her parents treat her as an embarrassment.

I gotta say this book was so damn good. It brought veterans reality's to life and it did it hard. The only reason I'm not screaming five stars is the romancey part wrapped up in a way that made my eye twitch. I now have that book hangover that happens when you read something wonderful and you are scared the next book will not hold up.

Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review

This book. I don't even know what to say. It was SO good, and had me feeling all the feels. It is not for the faint of heart, to be sure, but is more than worth it! I have a relative who was a nurse on a Navy ship in Vietnam, so this story really hit home for me. It also brought back memories of the project I did in high school where I interviewed five Vietnam veterans to get their perspectives on the war and their experiences upon returning home. It was eye-opening for sure. This novel takes "eye-opening" to a whole new level. It is gripping, gritty, and dark in places, but there is hope there too. Do NOT miss this book!

I absolutely loved The Four Winds and I kept expecting this story to pull me in as that story did but it just didn't happen. I tip my hat to the theme of featuring female veterans but I could not stay invested.

"You were in Vietnam? There were no women in Vietnam, dear."

I learned so much throughout these pages. This book takes place partially in Vietnam, where Frances (Frankie) McGrath works as an army nurse. The other half deals with her reentry into the US post war, in a time when PTSD was not yet diagnosable, women were not recognized as war heroes (or much of anything really), and talking through your trauma and struggles was not socially acceptable. I can always count on Kristin Hannah for a well-researched novel.

Thank you Net Galley for the chance to read this book before it hits shelves next month.

Off to go dry my eyes and slap a five star rating on this read.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley.

Kristin Hannah is one of my favorite authors and her newest book does not disappoint. I am grateful to have been able to learn more about nurses in Vietnam and I appreciate her shining a light on these historical heroes, as well as painting a picture of post-deployment life. I will say the first half of the book involves a lot of injuries and devastation that were difficult to read. While Hannah doesn’t mince words, it’s not gory only for the sake of embellishment either. While some of the twists and turns of Frankie’s life seemed slightly unbelievable, I really enjoyed following her throughout her life - I always love a book with a lengthy timeline. Highly recommend for fans of Kristin Hannah.

I couldn’t get through this with any excitement. Characters were cardboard, setting was stiff, and the plot is poorly developed. I really wanted to love this after The Nightingale. This one is just a big miss for me.

A Moving Story and An Extraordinary Main Character

SUMMARY
In 1965, when Frankie McGrath's brother left for Vietnam, she decided to join the Army Nurse Corps on impulse. However, upon arriving in Vietnam, she was taken aback by the chaos and destruction of the war. To survive, she had to quickly adapt to the bombs, blood, and battle to save the wounded.

When she returned home in 1969, the political situation surrounding the war had turned. She was spit on in the airport, and her parents were ashamed of her service. Frankie struggled to adjust and was desperately seeking help. Her only option was to reach out to those she had served with, as they were the only ones who could truly understand what she had gone through.

The Women is a one-person fictional account of what the women serving in Vietnam faced both during and after their service. Despite the horrors they met, the women stood strong and saved lives. They made a difference in the world and forever altered who they were and would become.

REVIEW
The Women is a compelling, thoughtful, and moving story by Kirsten Hannah. It follows the life of Frankie, an ordinary young woman who does extraordinary things during the Vietnam War. Hannah’s writing is full of details and vivid descriptions.

What stands out most is Frankie's character development. She starts as a naive and frightened young woman but gradually evolves into a strong and vocal supporter of women who served, but not without many bumps and bruises along the way. Particularly enjoyable was when Frankie had to take charge of the operating room and guide a new doctor in surgery during a bombing attack.

While reading about Frankie's treatment when she returned from Vietnam was difficult, it seems to be an honest portrayal of what many women experienced during that time. Sadly, women returning from war were often told by the government that “no women ever served in Vietnam,” which was a low point in our nation's history.

I received an advance reading copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed here are my own.


Publisher St. Martin's Press
Published February 6, 2024
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

True to her other novels, Kristin Hannah has wrote an emotionally captivating book that tugs on your heartstrings. Set in the 1960s and 70s during the Vietnam war and post war, the main character takes a path that would have frowned upon by most others her age.

The story touched on some heavy topics such as war, death faced during active battle, heartache, loss, and rediscovering civilian life after completing tours but this novel was written in a very respectful and insightful way. I enjoyed the view of wartime from a female nurse’s perspective and pondered how life must have been like for those women readjusting back to the states after their service.

My only criticism is some of the chapters felt repetitive with constant obstacle. The happy moments were so few and far between with the novel being so single focused around war, ptsd, politics, and activism. But it was well worth the read and the writing was very moving. I will definitely be recommending this book!

Thank you to NetGalley. St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

5 STARS

Kristin Hannah monopolized one of my weekends AGAIN with this gripping, gut-wrenching, addictive story that was impossible to put down. I've never been more thankful to have an audiobook to accompany me all weekend because when I couldn't read it on my Kindle I was listening to it on the go!

The Women by Kristin Hannah tells the story of those brave women who volunteered in the Vietnam War. They were there and they served a pivotal role. Imagine giving up years of your life to volunteer in a war as a nurse and upon your return home people continue to stress that "there were no women in Vietnam!"

The story The Women is told in two parts. Lieutenant Frances McGrath recruits herself into the Army Nurse Corps after her brother, Finley heads off to war. The first part is about her experience in Vietnam and the second part is about her return to life in the US after she is done serving.

Friends, you will LOVE this story. It will stay with you and you will want to grab a copy on Feb. 6 when this book launches. It is beautifully written, you will need tissues and I also felt like you will learn a lot about these amazing women who served such a pivotal role.