Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this advanced reader's copy. In exchange, I am providing an honest review.

Frances “Frankie” McGrath has heard all her life about the heroes of wars. Her own father couldn't go fight for his adopted homeland during World War II or the Korean War so he proudly supports anyone in the family who joins up. The most recent war is the Vietnam War and when Frankie's brother, Finley, ships out a big party is thrown and Frankie's father is fairly bursting with pride. Meanwhile, Frankie is going to school to become a nurse, just until she gets married and has children because, after all, that's what girls like her do. They work as a nurse or a teacher until they can land their real life's purpose of wife and mother. But two things change the course of Frankie's life. One is a comment made at her brother's sending-off party, "Women can be heroes," and the other is the news that Finley has died in enemy fire. Before Finley dies, Frankie decides to join the war effort as a nurse in the Army. She figures she will cross paths with her brother at some point during their respective tour of duties. But just as the ink is drying on her recruitment papers and she's committed to the Army, the family receives word of Finley's death. So Frankie goes to Vietnam, not to serve "alongside" her brother, but to serve in his place and in his honor. After two consecutive tours of duty, Frankie returns home, but it doesn't feel like home any longer. She comes back home to the country she just spent years serving in a controversial war to be spit on, literally, and dismissed because "there are no women in the Vietnam War." Her father refuses to look at her or acknowledge her on his hero's wall, dismissing her service because she's a female and females don't serve their countries in war. Or shouldn't. The years following Frankie's tumultuous return to America lead her into a trauma cycle stemming from her experiences tending to the injured and dead in the war. Frankie might have survived the Vietnam War (8 nurses didn't) but can she survive life after?

OH MY GOODNESS. Hannah does it again. One of the reasons I think this title is so spectacular is the time in which Hannah settles her story and characters. There is an abundance of fiction centered around World War II and the Civil War but really very little from the Vietnam War era (or World War I and the Korean War). Among the many stains on American history, the Vietnam War is a big one. Perhaps that is why it's difficult to create fiction around that particular part of American history. Regardless, I was really glad to read a work of fiction, based on some very real events, centered on this war. I also loved the choice of main character - a woman and a nurse on the front lines. Hannah took the opportunity with this book to address some of the misconceptions about the Vietnam War, one of which I didn't even know about - that if an American woman was in Vietnam serving it didn't count as service to the country or was even acknowledged because it wasn't combat. What a bunch of bullshit. I didn't realize that in addition to the many controversies surrounding this war, women were dismissed so completely and thoroughly - however, I'm not surprised. Hannah has a terrific talent for writing a story and creating characters that immerse the reader and make one forget that it is fiction.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 stars

I can only hope that this is an indication of how my reading will go for the rest of the year.

At the end of the book, the author tells us that this is a story that has been in the works for roughly 27 years. She felt the call to write this story in 1997 but wanted to grow and master her craft of writing before tackling such an important topic. All I can say, without having firsthand knowledge or experience of military service, especially that of the Vietnam era; Kristin Hannah hit this one out of the park.

As a nurse I was able to relate to Frankie, in some ways, as she was caring for wounded soldiers. However, I couldn't have even begun to imagine what she was truly going through without the thorough research and masterful words of Kristin Hannah.

Even though the war is very much at the forefront, I found the "after" to be where the true meat of this story lies. In fact, it wasn't until the latter part of the book that I had tears streaming down my face. The battles didn't stop just because a soldier was back on US soil; in many ways they waged even harder.

This is my favorite Kristin Hannah work to date and was well worth the 27 year wait.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and the author for this digital Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

As always absolutely fantastic! She is the Queen of historical fiction. I knew very little about the Vietnam war and this story ignited the desire to learn more while at the same time feeling like I was immersed in that era. This is another must read from Kristin Hannah.

It's a Kristin Hannah book, so I know I'm going to be crying before it is over. This time Kristin Hannah turns her attention (and ours) to the role of women as nurses deployed during the Vietnam War. This is an important and moving story not known by most people beyond watching MASH. War is hell and one section of the book focuses on how hard and intense life was in Vietnam even when not in a combat role. The second part of the book focuses on our heroine's return home and how Vietnam Veterans were vilified and everyone denied women even served in Vietnam. Francis (Frankie) struggles mentally and physically from her experiences and the only help she receives is from fellow nurses who served. She has to hit rock bottom before she starts to get any kind of help.

This book will make you sad, it will make you mad, and it will make you appreciate those who serve overseas in the most difficult of circumstances to guarantee our freedom. And yes, you will cry before it is over. "Women can be heroes."

My thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy. My opinion is my own.

Readers will not want to miss this powerful story! This Vietnam War era novel is one of the courage and sacrifices nurses made while saving service members fresh from battle. The treatment of the nurses and service members when returning home from this war was heartbreaking. This realistic novel based on nurse's stories is hard to put down. Frankie's experiences will not be easily forgotten. Highly recommended!

The Great Alone was my first and only book I read by Kristin Hannah untill this one. That was one of my favorite books, and now this is also one of my favorites. If you enjoy historical fiction and also love to learn about things that aren't often talked about, then you'll want to grab this book. I loved learning about these strong women who put their lives on the line to fight in the Vietnam war, and the troubles they went through AFTER the war. This book was so well written and Hannah has such a way with her stories that you just get swept up in the story. I read this one so fast!!

The story is about 20 yr old Frances McGrath who joins the Army Nurse Corps during the beginning of the Vietnam war, after her brother leaves to fight in the war! While there, she witnesses chaos, destruction, and death. She forms strong bonds of friendship with other women/nurses she meets. These friends will help her throughout her journey even after she returns home.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. My review will be posted on Instagram, Bookbub, Goodreads, and Amazon once it publishes.

This review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. Huge thanks to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for my review copy!

I've only read Night Road by Kristin Hannah and haven't dipped a toe in her historical fiction - so take my review with a grain of salt, not reading her backlist of gems. (i.e. The Great Alone or The Nightingale. However, I was naturally curious on The Women due to the Vietnam War setting. (I am a first generation Vietnamese American.)

First off, kudos to Kristin Hannah (do read her author's note), on the in-depth research and effort that went into the novel. I always appreciate a book where I can LEARN. She did a great job in emphasizing not only the brutality of the war itself (Part 1 is very graphic and heavy) and then the repercussions of returning from war (PTSD, addiction, etc.) but the emphasis on the WOMEN who were not acknowledged and invalidated for their efforts in the war were eye opening. The female friendships in this novel deserved a star in itself.

There were many moments of repetition where I felt the pacing was slow/dragged - a lot of tell rather than show (i.e. long distance calls are so expensive - that I swear was mentioned every time she had a phone call.) I really enjoyed Part 1 of the story. I was engrossed in Frankie's overall arc from where she originally came from and how the war progressed. It was graphic, brutal and heartbreaking. However, it was Part 2 that really lost me. There was A LOT of topics trying to be handled in a short period of time - PTSD, miscarriage, infidelity, addiction, etc. Her romances grew old and stale that I simply wished there wasn't any at all in Part 2 especially how it panned out. I feel as though Frankie revolved her choices and life around the men in her life which frustrated me quite a bit as the novel is called The Women. I felt as though the book would have exceled if we weren't solely in Frankie's POV, but I appreciate the overall narrative of Frankie's story from start to finish.

Overall, this will not be my last Kristin Hannah and will be diving into her backlist.

4.5 Stars! This book immediately drew me in. Frankie is a 21 year old that signs up to go to Vietnam as a nurse and she sees her fair share of things during the war. She makes friendships and I could not stop reading the first half with what happens.
The 2nd half of the book was a bit slower for me at a few points as she adjusts to life at home after the war, and the view of other Americans about what she went through. I liked this journey and was rooting for her all along. Having finished the book I understand what the author included all of the details that she did. The title of this book has so much meaning as well and I will be recommending this book to others! Look for this book in February 2024 and thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this book! I couldn't put this book

This book could not be better. I laughed, cried, and suffered along with the Frankie, the main character. It ripped my heart to the depths to discover just how horrible women were treated and how nonsensical and barbaric the Vietnam War was. It also baffles me that it is one of the happiest times of the book. I learned and experienced so much in reading this book, I feel like it deserves a Noble Prize in Literature for opening the eyes of the modern generation to such a harrowing time in our recent history. I could not have loved this book more and I don’t think I will ever forget it. My heartfelt thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the privilege of this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I love to read Kristin Hannah's books, and this is no exception.

One of my favorite all time books is The Great Alone, also by Kristin Hannah, and it is pretty difficult book to top. While this is not one of my favorite books she has written, I did still enjoy it.

The Women follows Frankie as she enlists with the Army to become a nurse in Vietnam. She serves two tours in Vietnam, and saves countless lives with the help of the other nurses, whom she forms close relationships with.

Where the story really picked up for me was when Frankie arrived home to an angry US where her service was not honored, and was more often denied completely. Many people did not believe her that she was in Vietnam at all.

As a young millenial I did not learn history in school past WW2 and have recently read a couple of historical fiction books about the Vietnam War. It is fascinating to me, all of the things I am learning, and what women in particular went through, trying to serve our country.

Booksellers, this is a great hand sell with books like Absolution and Good Night Irene.

This review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. Huge thanks to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for my review copy.

I was excited to receive an ARC of this novel as I have loved Kristin Hannah since The Nightingale and The Great Alone. I feel like I will be in the minority, but I have very mixed feelings about this one.

Hannah picked an important topic, the forgotten women of the Vietnam war, and clearly did her research well. I learned about the war, and the social implications of it both during and after. I enjoyed reading about Frankie’s experience serving as a nurse, and the morbid ‘glamour’ of the adventure. The first hundred pages or so were enjoyable to read.

However, this story was very melodramatic. It heavily focused on the romance aspect of it, and lacked the depth and grit I would have liked for this topic. There was really only one ‘curiosity seed’ planted early on that kept me reading (which happened as predicted). I sometimes question more experienced authors as it seems they simply learn the formula for what sells, and lose the heart of storytelling. This book was just so formulaic, cliché heavy, and surface level.

I do think that those who love historical fiction and romance will like this one, but if you need more grit like I do I wouldn’t recommend it.

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

Ohhhhhh I cannot even describe my love for this novel. It lives up to KH’s best (in my opinion- The Nightengale)! I loved the uniqueness of the content, and having never heard about the Vietnam war from a woman’s perspective, it was fascinating!
Truly couldn’t put it down!!

4.5 stars rounded up to 5!

Kristin Hannah has an exceptional talent of presenting a well researched and very complex topic in such a captivating story. Normally it may take me awhile to get into her books, but this one takes off quickly and is action packed in the first half. My only complaint was that the pacing really slowed down around 50-75% of the book.

Overall, I loved this book. It is heavy, and it is an emotional rollercoaster. It was so eye opening to read about the women in the Vietnam War who I didn’t know much about previously. Their stories are devastatingly heroic. I cried too many times to count.

There were two particular themes in the book that really stood out to me: (1) finding joy in times of despair/war and (2) women supporting women (!!!!). Frankie is a compassionate strong main character, and her character growth is one of the best I’ve ever seen. Some of my favorite parts of the book were moments with Barb and Ethel and seeing them show up for each other again and again.

All I can say is Kristin Hannah has done it yet again! 👏👏👏

Thank you to Kristin Hannah, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

I have enjoyed any book that I have read by Kristin Hannah, but her books starting with The Nightingale have shown that she has real writing chops. This one may be the best of all her books. She says in the notes that she has been thinking of this story since the 1990s, but didn’t feel she had the skill to do it justice until now. She certainly has the skill now. This book is extraordinary. My first book of 2024 may just end up being the best I read all year. It is certainly one that has given me a great start to a new reading year!

The Women is an amazing story of heartbreak, courage, friendship, despair and redemption set during and after the Vietnam War. Kristin Hannah tells the story of Frankie, who enlists in the Army during the Vietnam War to be closer to her brother, who is serving in the Navy. We follow Frankie during her time in Vietnam. Once she is back stateside, Frankie's story continues, as she struggles to transition back into civilian life. Kristin Hannah does an incredible job of describing Frankie's life in Vietnam. I really could imagine the sights, noise and even the smell of the makeshift hospitals where Frankie served as a nurse. Having grown up in the 1980s, I learned so much about the Vietnam War and American's views toward women and the war in the 1960s and early 1970s. It was really eye opening. While hard to read at times, this is one of the best books I have ever read. It's made a lasting impression on me.

Thank you to Kristin Hannah, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!

An epic story about the different perspectives during the Vietnam War. I appreciated that this war and the women who played an integral part of this effort were the main characters in this story. The author was very detailed in her depiction of the war time surgical theater, and captured the emotions of the main characters. While I don't know much about this timeframe, this story made me want to learn more. The characters leapt off the page and tugged at my heart.

Kristen Hannah is well known for her epic historical fiction novels that center around fearless women carving a path for themselves. So, it should come as no surprise to anyone that The Women is just that and more. From the moment I picked this novel up to the very last word on the page, I was enthralled with the characters, swept away by the storyline and alongside our heroine through each and every turn of the roller coaster of emotions she experienced.

Kristen Hannah has a remarkable gift for writing in a way that immerses a reader into the timeline of the story and into the emotions of the characters. Honestly, she may be the best at it and I can never pinpoint what it is about her writing that makes this happen but with each of her books, I feel exactly what I imagine the characters to be feeling. And, she sure knows how to sucker punch her reader with twists of every emotion.

The Women is centered around one woman's desire to become the American Hero that her father reveres. Except, she's a woman. And, it's the Vietnam War. Hannah highlights the atrocities of the Vietnam War, the almost impossible reintegration of Vietnam Vets back into an American Society grappling with political upheaval, and the mental health impacts that were still taboo and unknown. And she does it all beautifully.

I picked this as my first read of 2024 know that it would undoubtedly blow me away, and I am so glad I did. Without a doubt, a 5⭐️ read I will be raving about for all of time.

This book was INCREDIBLE. That being said, I had to be strategic about when I listened to this one because I just can't be bawling at my desk. Tears aside, this book truly blew me away and it is definitely a favorite book this year! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

*please note I will be refraining from posting my review on any social media platforms until the end of the boycott against St Martins Press.

The Women by Kristin Hannah
Release Date: 2/6/24
Format: ebook
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Kristin Hannah has done it again! This is the best book I’ve read in well over a year. She is such a brilliant writer and handles every subject she tackles with such respect and care.

Going into The Women I didn’t have a very in depth knowledge of the Vietnam War. I am not a patriotic person and this novel still had me completely invested and it absolutely wrecked me. What a heartbreaking and beautiful story of war, love, friendship, family, and learning to heal.

I had such a movie playing in my head throughout this book as well. Hannah does such a phenomenal job as painting a picture for you without indulgent or overly flowery prose. I felt like I was there with Frankie, Barb, and Ethel as they fought their battles both in-country and back in the states.

Thank you so much to @netgalley for an advanced copy of this incredible story. It will certainly stick with me forever.

This was a very heavy, but excellent read. It touched on so many serious topics and dug deep into most. The most obvious subject was the horror of the war in Vietnam, but this book also delves into the horrible reception that the military received upon returning home, the lack of understanding around PTSD, the ignorance of the fact that there were women in Vietnam and how the nursing and doctors were exposed to so much trauma without being on the front lines with a gun in hand, and how women were treated so differently from men regarding their service.

This story was so realistic and it was a lot. People fall in love; people die; people have traumatic experiences and life changing injuries. They struggle. Their loved ones struggle.

This story follows our main character, Frankie, from before she decides to enlist in the army as a nurse through her return home and her struggles at reintegrating into her life in the states. There wasn't much lightness in it. At times, I felt almost worn down by the story just because it was so unrelenting, which made it start to feel long. However, this also made the story feel true. Frankie definitely had good moments in the story, but they felt so small amongst everything else. Yet, this helped you to understand how she would cling to those times and the bonds she made with the people she went through so much with.

Although I did think the story started to feel a little long, I don't think I would change anything to make it shorter. I think every part of the story was important and needed to be included. So, so well-written.