How does she do it? How does Hannah write these deeply emotional, amazing stories again and again? The Women is astounding. Women WERE in Vietnam. WOMEN DID see carnage. WOMEN matter, then and now. Women are stronger than are given credit for.

My heart broke every single time Frankie tried. She tried so f-ing hard. The Women is a story of strength and resilience. Of found family. It's about a war that many didn't ask to be in and many more who weren't helped once they came home. Some of whom were told they weren't even there. That they didn't matter.

This is a story of truth. Is it historical fiction? Sure. But there is so much truth in the history of this story.

I received an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

If you or a loved one is struggling with PTSD and need help, call the National Mental Health Hotline at 866-210-1303 for PTSD hotline support

Another winner from Kristin Hannah! This book about the women of the Vietnam war was excellent.
I did not know much about this war other than the drafts and the protests. I had no idea there were as many women serving as nurses as there were. I found it very interesting to find out more about those women and all the work they did for the soldiers.
As with her other books about wars, she wrote it superbly. You felt like you were there with Frankie. It showed that women were heroes, too, even though they did not get the recognition the men did. The main character suffered with PTSD when she returned stateside and was not offered the same help as the men who came back.
This book shows the strength and tenacity of the ladies who went to Vietnam to serve their country. If you enjoy Kristen Hannah, you should read this book.

This is going to be one of those books that will stick with me for a long time! The time frame of the Vietnam War is not a common historical fiction topic. I was too young at the time to really know the effect it was having on the American society, and this was the eye-opener I needed.. It cleared up many of the skewed representations of what was really happening over there, and explains why there are so many troubled Veterans from that time. Kristin Hannah did it again with a realistic, heart tugging story that only she can tell!

Kristin Hannah has done it again. In her new hit The Women, we follow Frankie, a nurse in The Vietnam War. Frankie starts as a timid individual, but grows into her own throughout the book. The amount of research this book is astounding to me. I am a huge fan of Hannah and her work, but her books keep getting better. This is a must read for 2024.

I read a lot, but can honestly say this is the best book I have ever read..

I was tentative to read another Kristin Hannah book after really not liking The Four Winds, but this book was a pleasant surprise. I honestly didn’t know much about this era outside what I saw in Forrest Gump. This story filled a huge gap in my knowledge, especially about the women in Vietnam, and gave insight to a challenging time in American history. As usual, KH made me cry, challenged what I was hoping would happen, and wrote another powerful story.

After a slight introduction the main story takes place thirty years after Lara Marteinsdottir went missing on the small Icelandic island of Videy, never to be seen or heard from again. There are few crimes in Iceland and one that has remained a cold case for so long has haunted many. The story takes place in the 1980’s and with their painstaking research Jakobsdottir and Jonasson have remained true to the Icelandic history and culture of the times. An intriguing mystery that had me hooked from start to finish and left me wanting to see more of Sunna in the future! Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Kristin Hannah tore my heart out while I read this engrossing novel regarding the nurses who served in the Vietnam War.  From page one all my emotions were pulled through the pages as I read about Frankie's enlistment and service in the war against the wishes of her parents.  

Hannah's very descriptive account of the camp conditions and the injuries that Frankie saw as she worked countless hours trying to save soldiers' lives can be disturbing but she has you feeling as though you are literally in the room as things were happening.  I found myself reading this book into the early morning hours since I just could not put it down.

This novel taught me a great deal about what was going on behind the scenes in the war that tore not only Vietnam apart but also divided the USA homeland as well.  There were many protests and conscientious objectors, as well as so many lies told to the American people during this war.  Frankie's dealing with depression, PTSD, and the upheaval taking place at home due to our involvement was so sad to read.  My heart ached for weeks after finishing it but it is certainly my #1 read of 2023.  


My thanks to #NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the advanced copy of this novel for my review.

I liked this book. I always enjoy Kristin Hannah but I will say this is not in my top list of her titles. The book follows Francis “Frankie” McGrath as she goes off to be a nurse in Vietnam and navigates life as a civilian after coming home.

I love when historical fiction teaches me something new. I obviously was aware there was mixed emotions in the country regarding Vietnam, but Hannah showed me. The struggle that Frankie went through on her return home was raw and real. You saw the mental anguish of dealing with the trauma of war and everything Frankie witnessed. You experienced the strained relationships she had with the people around her who disagreed with the war. Frankie also faced constant denial from the world that she was even part of the war, based on being a woman.

I always say Kristin Hannah knows how to break you and this was no different. I did think this book could have been shorter and I have a few criticisms that would be spoilers that I’ll keep to myself, but overall I recommend.

Frankie McGrath is just reaching adulthood at a time in history where women are struggling to make their independent places in the world. When her brother enlists to fight in Vietnam, her parents throw him a going away party to show their pride. When Frankie enlists as an army nurse to do the same her parents are upset and ashamed as it is not something women do. As hard as her time in Vietnam is, it is nothing compared to the way she is treated when she gets back to the States. This was a difficult read because of the accuracy of both the fighting and the way veterans were treated, but it illustrates a time in our history that is too often ignored.

The Women by Kristin Hannah is a salute to the women that were nurses in the Vietnam war. She has written a story that acknowledges their courage and commitment, while capturing the fear, love and determination of those women. It follows Frankie McGrath, a combat nurse, during the two terms she was stationed as well as the years following her return home. The Women highlights the significant contributions and challenges faced by volunteer nurses during the war and then their struggles to find peace and help when they return home. It was educational, frustrating and heartbreaking. It was well researched and well written, and such an important story to tell. Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free, it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

THE WOMEN is one of the best books I've read this year! Kristin Hannah never fails to deliver an emotional novel. The book revolves around the Vietnam War from the perspective of the Army Nurses, and the importance of their role during the war. They sacrificed everything to not get acknowledged as true veterans. A powerful read!

Thanks so much, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Once again, Hannah writes an intense historical fiction novel. This one being set in Vietnam. I have read most of her books and expected some traumatic descriptions. While I greatly admire the women who chose to go to war, this book was a bit much for me. Liked the cultural references to that time period. I'm sure many readers will love this book though. I thank Netgalley for offering me the chance to read the ARC.

Twenty-year-old nursing student Frankie McGrath has always lived up to her rich parents’ expectations for her, but when her brother ships out to Vietnam, she signs up with the Army Nurse Corp to follow him, against her parents’ wishes. Nursing school had not even begun to prepare her for the horrors of war, and when her time in Vietnam ends, she is not prepared for her fellow Americans’ reaction to those who served in Vietnam.

Run – don’t walk – to your nearest bookstore to order this book! Kristin Hannah has so many amazing books, but I believe this will be remembered as one of her best. I couldn’t put the book down and stayed up late to finish it.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I hate to say it but this was not one of my favorite books by Kristin Hannah. The pacing also felt a bit uneven. Some sections of the book moved so quickly (ie. Frankie’s decision to join the military) while other parts moved so slow. The relationships also felt one dimensional and a bit melodramatic. I can understand how war heightens emotions and I also understand that Frankie was immature. However, the way that everyone instantly fell in love with Frankie (ready to drop their significant others) was annoying.

I did not realize how little I knew about the Vietnam War, so I appreciated how much I learned from this book. This book did a great job showing the conflicting feelings that soldiers and stateside Americans felt about the war. I also appreciated that half of the book focused on PTSD and I can truly tell that Hannah did her research. But so many points in this book made me roll my eyes and feel like I was reading a romance rather than historical fiction. I appreciate Kristin Hannah’s writing and the light that she shines on her subject matter but this book was not for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced reader’s copy.

I straight up adored this book. I finished it last week and I’m still thinking about it. My only complaint is I still wanted more when it was over. This book broke me and put me back together in only the way Kristin Hannah can. I know I’m aging myself here but parts of it reminded me of the tv shows #chinabeach and #mash. Hannah perfectly captured this tumultuous time in our history while also showing that some of the hardest days can also be the best. I simply loved this one. Easily five stars for me. Not to mention the audio was perfection thanks to the brilliant Julia Whelan. Get this on your radar (see what I did there Mash friends?) for February 6th!
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Thank you #StMartinsPress and #NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
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Once again, Kristen Hannah writes a beautifully crafted story about a forgotten and overlooked group of people.

The Women centers around a group of nurses who are serving in Vietnam, risking their lives to save soldiers who have been injured. Frankie is a very sweet girl who feels called to join the Army after she finishes nursing school.

Like many other Hannah novels, The Women gets uncomfortable at times and makes the reader go through some pretty awful experiences along with the characters in the story. I will admit that I was not very familiar with the Vietnam War beyond what I have learned in history. She touches on soldiers coming home to less than a heroic welcome. She also does not gloss over what seeing such awful things happening around you can do to her mental wellbeing.

This book is phenomenal. I honestly wish my dad was still alive so I could talk to him since he served in Vietnam. The events in The Women were so eye opening.

Thank you so much to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I'm torn over my feelings about this one. I really like the backdrop of the 1970's but everything was "tell" and no "show". The classic trope of letters-from-home to give the reader context to what is going on in the world but it was done so blandly. One letter was literally a paragraph of headlines of popular news stories. Uncreative and boring to read. There are also some surprisingly graphic descriptions of war wounds and hospital things. I had to skip over a particularly detailed splenectomy. I feel sick even thinking about it now.

This is classic women's fiction that older women will love and will probably get picked up for Reese's Book Club. There is nothing wrong with this!! It's just not the kind of thing I want to read. It has a lot of tropes that are overused and tired for people who read a lot of historical fiction, many of which I severely dislike, hence my DNF of this book at 30ish percent. I know Kristin Hannah can do better than this.

4.75 🌟

This book broke me.

The Women is such a beautifully written hard, heavy book. It tells a story of the forgotten women that served during the Vietnam War. It's not often a book brings me to tears, this one did - a few times.

Thanks, Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

The was a terrific book by an author who I would expect nothing less from. This author has countless best selling novels, mostly historical fiction, and a concentration on little known things, like women's contributions in many areas of history. This story involves one such subject.
The novel follows the women of the Vietnam War. There are 3 such friends who are the main characters of the book. There is Barb, Ethel and Frankie. These were not the Candy Stripers from the Red Cross, these were the nurses who worked at the multiple evacuation hospitals, who took care of both the wounded soldiers, but also the Vietnamese civilians. These women are very rarely spoken of during discussions of the Vietnam War, but they were so important. These women saw first hand the horror of what the soldiers, and civilians went through during to that war. The effects of Napalm, and bomb/guns.
They suffered and were spit at and called baby killers, just as the soldiers did when they returned home. The only difference was that they were not considered veterans, as the soldiers were, because they weren't allowed to be in combat. This created an issue where there were no veterans services available for them. They couldn't get any help. On top of that, they started to have issues from the Agent Orange just as the soldiers did.
The book mainly follows Frankie as she navigates the war, and then being home from the war. Her problems with drinking and pills, and all the other things she goes through.
As usual, this author did not disappoint and I have no problem recommending this book to people that love historical fiction.

Kristin Hannah strikes again with a gut-wrenching, well-researched, glorious work of historical fiction. I loved all of the music and pop culture references that made the Vietnam War era come alive. The main character, Frankie, and her stories as a wartime nurse as well as her return to protests and anger will stay with me for a long time.

I"m going to include some spoilers next, so please do not read on if you don't want to see them.

My ONLY critique of this raw and soulful novel (that doesn't change my 5-star rating) is the changing fate of 2 out of the 3 pivotal men that Frankie lost in the war. MAYBE bringing a character back from the dead could feel realistic for one character, but 2/3? I was unable to suspend disbelief for what should have been a beautiful moment towards the end.