I love reading about women in Vietnam. I was so excited to receive an ARC of The Women because Kristin Hannah is a wonderful historical author, her books have strong female characters. Frankie does everything she can to join the military and follow her brother to Nam. When Frankie arrives she is horrified but soon fits in with all of the people who are stationed with her. This story covers the years of the Vietnam War and shows us how the troops that made it home were treated. It also deals with the mental health of Frankie and all returning veterans. Frankie shows us that no matter how many times we get knocked down there is always a reason to get back up. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. First 5 star of the year!!

Honestly and truly, THE WOMEN is one of the most exquisite historical fiction books I’ve read in a while. I’m a huge Kristin Hannah fan, but I can say without a doubt that this book is Hannah’s most incredible yet.

Usually, Hannah spends a chunk of the first 100 pages setting up the narrative, this time, she jumps right in. And that was a great choice, as we can then focus on the narrative, which is rich, engrossing, and heartbreaking.

THE WOMEN is about Frankie, a young woman who decides to volunteer as a nurse during the Vietnam War. Hannah does an incredible job explaining these long forgotten heroes, especially because they were women. Through Frankie’s journey, the reader becomes very well acquainted with the hardships, devastations, and uncomfortable truths of not only the Vietnam War, but women’s roles within this conflict, which have been forgotten and were automatically forgotten as soon as they came home. The nuance in which Hannah tackles these issues is one of things that makes this book so amazing

Overall, I can’t say enough positive things about this book. While tackling extremely triggering topics for some, it opened my eyes to a new segment of those forgotten to history, and to Hannah, I am truly thankful. Read this book. It’s Hannah’s best book yet.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

What is there to say about this book that hasn’t already been said? No one else can set you in a character’s life like Hannah. I rationed this book because from the jump it was so descriptive and rich — even the terrible parts. Through Frankie, we aren’t just *told* we are *shown* so much… from the terrors of war to the horrors after the war to the universal truths of wanting to find our way and who we are.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions my own.

This book tore my heart and ripped it to shreds! It was certainly an eye-opening read for me. I was just a kid during the Vietnam war, but I've heard stories of men coming home from war and serving their country and they weren't honored and loved like the men who served in prior wars. They were vilified and ignored. I never understood why. I've never heard a word about women serving until this book. Many of the men who served were drafted and had no choice but to go serve their country. The women did it voluntarily wanting to both serve their country and provide service to the men who were in combat. Many of these women were nurses, though others held different service-type roles.

This book focused on Frances McGrath (Frankie) who was leading an idyllic life in California when her brother Finley went to Vietnam to serve. Her father had a heroes wall of photographs of family members who had served in various wars and Frankie knew that Finley would be added to that wall after his service. She decided she would follow her brother and earn her father's respect by signing up to go to Vietnam as a nurse. She ended up in the Army serving as a nurse in Vietnam at the age of 20.

Frankie's story is told in vivid detail chronicalling her horrific experiences, devastating romantic interests, close friendships, heroic acts, through to arriving back home and how she was treated and the devastating and debilitating recovery from the war experience. Then how she dealt with piecing her life back together after all the trauma.

I was glued to the page until the end. This book made me cry and and feel the anger and frustration of Frankie's situation. This opened my eyes to many of the issues surrounding war, and Vietnam especially. Those veterans certainly deserve our support and much better treatment than what they received. And yes, even though the Veterans Administration told Frankie she couldn't get help there because women didn't serve in combat, they most certainly did and they too deserver honor, respect and support from all Americans.

Thank you Kristin Hannah for writing this book and handling the issues with such sensitivity and heart. Thanks to St. Martin's Press through Netgally for an advance copy. This book will be published on February 6, 2024. This is the best book I have read this year and I highly recommend it!

Kristin Hannah continues to be an amazing historical fiction writer. I connect with her more and more with each book she releases.

First Sentence: This war has stretched a generation gap so wide that it threatens to tear the country apart. - Frank Church

The war that become a conflict and not a war is the center of "The Women." Kristin Hannah focuses her story around Frances “Frankie” McGrath, an Army nurse, who requests to serve in Vietnam, to be close to her beloved brother Finley. Sadly before she leaves to serve her country, she learns her brother has died in the war. Her father doesnt see value in service for women.

It is through Frankie’s eyes that we witness the horrors of war. From the primitive conditions of the medical facilities, inadequate resources, long shifts and fatigue, Frankie perseveres. Ultimately, its the relationships and bonds she makes that gets her through the dark days of war. We experience grief and lose alongside her. This is a tissue ready read.

The Vietnam War was complex and Kristin Hannah gives us a better view of what it was like to be on the front lines. From massive loss of life, divisions within families, the shameful way we treated veterans upon their return, the shameful way we treated veterans upon their return, (especially women), the scars veterans permanently carried, the difficulty veterans had getting help for PTSD and Agent Orange exposure, and the public demand for an accounting of all the prisoners of war (POWs) and missing in action (MIAs), Hannah includes it all to give us a front row seat on what it was like to serve your country when your country didnt acknowledge your presence.

I am left with the quote that started it all for Frankie, "Women can be heroes too," something that resignates in 2023 as well as it did back in 1966.

Many thanks to NetGalley for continuing to share amazing books with readers and St. Martin Press for supporting a great voice for the ages in Kristin Hannah. This story is for those who want to learn more while recognizing human strength comes through drive and indomitable spirit as well as brute strength.

It’s the late 60s and Frances ‘Frankie’ McGrath is trying to find her place in the world. When her brother is shipped off to Vietnam, Frankie impulsively signs up to server alongside him as an Army nurse. With no actually clinical experience, Frankie is thrown into the middle of the chaos. But her time overseas is only half the story, and her return stateside has left her feeling even more unmoored from her peers. When the Veterans Affairs Office won’t even acknowledge women were in Vietnam and with no other support system in place other than her best friends and fellow army nurses, Frankie must find a way to live in her new reality. When the Veterans Affairs Office won’t even acknowledge women were in Vietnam,

Kristin has excellently portrayed the struggles of women and the aftermath they faced coming home. I felt so many emotions and though Frankie makes plenty of mistakes, I was rooting for her the entire time. I had a grandfather who went to Vietnam, and he never spoke about his time there, so to read this book it touched my heart and gave me a glimpse into a faction of what he may have come through. Add in the extra struggles women faced since not being recognized for even serving, let alone received appropriate care on their return home, and I’m just heartbroken for these women who grappled with such conflicting realities.

I’m always drawn to stories about women in the military, such as Beyond the Point. I come from a strong military family background; my grandmother was in the Navy before being married, I have a grandfather who was in the Army and served in Vietnam, another grandfather who was first in the Navy and then transferred to the Air Force when it was founded and served in WWII and Korea and both my parents are retired Air Force Colonels. You could say I’ve found myself pretty ingrained in the military world, though I never served. With that said, I’ve always found my grandmother’s stories of her time in the Navy to be fascinating, and though she joined in the late 70s/early 80s, my mother has some interesting stories about being a woman in a sea of men from her tenure.


While I read the majority of the book, the audiobook narrated by Julia Whelan was phenomenal. Either way you consume this story though will be highly impactful!

Kristin Hannah has done it again and made me feel every emotion in the book. Regardless of your ties to the military, Hannah has crafted a remarkable story about remarkable women doing things before their time. I can’t stop thinking about this story. It’s definitely one of my favorite reads for 2023 and I will be recommending it to everyone!


The Women comes out February 6, 2024. Huge thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for my advanced copies in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review, please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my Instagram @speakingof.books.

I have read two of Hannah’s other books and loved them. I was so excited when I was given the chance to read an ARC of her newest book, which releases in February.

I loved this book so much, and it just might be my favorite book to have read the entire year.

Frankie is growing up in the late 1960s when her brother goes off to Vietnam and is killed in action. She is a nurse and knows that she wants to make a difference so she joins the army and heads to Vietnam as an Army nurse. The first half of the book talks about her life in Vietnam and the struggles of being an army, nurse where so much pain, destruction, and death occurred to not only our soldiers, but to the citizens of Vietnam as well. She falls in love while there and loses him shortly before she leaves to go home.

The second half of the book tells the story of when Frankie comes back home. She, like many Vietnam vets, believed they would be welcomed as heroes, but instead she was spit on, and treated poorly by everyone around her. What made it worse for Frankie was that many people did not even think women went to Vietnam. Struggling with addiction, nightmares and clearly, PTSD, Frankie has to find a way to move past Vietnam to make a semi normal life for herself that is worth living. 

Put this on your TBR list now. It releases on February 6th.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Once again Ms Hannah writes a story that hits you in all the feels. I always knew there were women in Vietnam but they suffered as much as the men did. I laughed and cried and immediately read in again after finishing the first time.

This book shook me to my core. One of the most well written books I’ve ever read in my life. The emotions that come with this book are so much. Frankie comes from a family of military men. When her brother joins the marines and goes to Vietnam and his life is take abruptly Frankie decides to join the army (only service that would allow woman in Vietnam) and this book takes us through her life in Vietnam and after. Her life, her loves, her loss and her road to healing.

Thank you @stmartinspress and @kristinhannahauthor for the early ARC copy

TITLE: The Women
AUTHOR: Kristin Hannah
PUB DATE: 02.06.2024 Pre Order Now

As a nurse, I really enjoyed reading THE WOMEN by Kristin Hannah - it was an easy five star read for me. It was hard to put down always wanting to reach out for it every moment I had, and I loved the characters - each of the women were compelling characters. I love reading historical fiction but have not read much from the 1960’s which made this a perfect read for me.

THE WOMEN follows twenty year old Frankie, a nursing student from Coronado Island who joins the army nurse corps to serve in Vietnam. Through Frankie’s experience, Hannah shines a light to the women who served but whose heroic works have gone unnoticed. The research, the stories, the experiences were emotionally charged and I felt that these stories were finally put to light. I lived every moment of my reading experience - and as much as I wanted to savor the book, I quickly finished it because it was that good, I just had to completely immerse myself into the story.

I loved it!

This may be the best book I’ve read this year. The character development is incredible and the story did not go where I expected it to. The author really made the topic of Vietnam interesting and engaging.

Kristin Hannah is my favorite historical fiction writer. I went into this story with high anticipation, and I wasn't disappointed. Kristin Hannah has a gift of weaving historical moments and character development that never makes the story feel boring. A truly incredible story that helps show what women went through during and after the Vietnam War.

You don't need me to persuade you to read yet another powerful historical fiction story from the great Kristin Hannah but here goes:

The Women takes place in 1965 and centers around 20-year-old nursing student Frances McGrath. Frances, aka Frankie and her brother Finlay have always been super close. So when Finlay goes to serve in Vietnam, Frankie volunteers for the Army Corp Nurses.

After Frankie arrives in Vietnam, she soon becomes an operating room nurse where she experiences first hand the destruction and casualties of the war.

When Frankie finally leaves Vietnam she is shocked at how she is treated back in the United States. No welcome home parties or parades like the United States did for other veterans but instead, she is greeted by war protesters who shame and guilt her for serving her country. Everywhere she turns someone is telling her that women did not serve in Vietnam.

The Women is an awe-inspiring, adventurous, and unforgettable tale. There's so many layers in this story but I'll try to keep my thoughts brief. Kristin Hannah beautifully illustrates how women in Vietnam had to work in the most hellish environment, only to be mistreated after returning home. It's clear that the author did a ton of research on the Vietnam War and I learned so much about the Vietnam War while reading this. The book also shed some light onto why so many Vietnam veterans suffered from addiction due to PTSD. And of course grab your tissues, in Kristin Hannah’s signature style, the story is an emotionally charged, heart-wrenching tale.

Kristin Hannah is such an exceptional author. I've read all four of her historical fiction novels and in my opinion, they just keep getting better. Hannah’s widely acclaimed work is not to be missed out on and The Women is no exception.

The Women by Kristin Hannah will be available on February 6. Many thanks to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the gifted copy!

The Women
Kristin Hannah
This is a gut wrenching story about the realities of war and the incredible strength of the women who served, mostly as nurses, in Vietnam. I turned 18 in 1967, so I read this story from the same age perspective as the main character, Frances (Frankie) McGrath. She was one of many ordinary women who showed courage they never knew they had, became unappreciated heroes, and then suffered from post-war emotional trauma.

Any woman who was in high school and/or college during the war in Vietnam needs to read this book. This is an amazing story of my generation. Thank you Kristin Hannah for bringing some of the harsh realities of the Vietnam War vividly to life.

If you’re already in Kristin Hannah fan you’re going to read this and love it and I don’t need to talk to you about it. If you’ve never read a Kristin Hannah book I almost don’t want you to read this one first because it’s so amazing I don’t know if she’ll ever be able to top this.
I finished reading this at about 9 PM and I couldn’t do another thing until about midnight as I just sat here, thinking about the story and its characters.
The author did such a great job putting you in the Vietnam war era both on the homefront, and what I imagine overseas was like based on my military experience later in life.
I feel in some small way this honors are veterans from the Vietnam era, including the females that were most certainly there. So do them that honor and check out this book. Be prepared to do some deep thinking and I have a major book hangover.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the amazing opportunity to read this early in exchange, for my honest opinion

Another triumph by Kristin Hannah! This heartfelt tale accompanies nurse Frankie on her journey to Vietnam and back home. Hannah skillfully delves into themes of family, friendship, mental health, misogyny, social justice, love, and the haunting realities of war. Her writing is exquisite, vividly capturing Frankie's unraveling, her futile attempts to seek help, and ultimately, her courageous rebuilding of life. I particularly enjoyed the portrayal of women's friendships during such a bleak period in history. While a few situations may be somewhat predictable, they do not overshadow the overall narrative. Moreover, Hannah's depiction of the 60s and 70s ambiance is exceptionally well-executed.

And, of course, Julia Whelan delivers an exceptional audiobook, her storytelling truly captivating.

A heartfelt thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an Advance Reader's Copy in exchange for this sincere review."

Set in the 1960’s, between Coronado Island, California and Vietnam, this story takes us on a woman’s journey as a nurse, sister, daughter and friend. Frances (Frankie) has decided to sign up for the military and head out to Vietnam as a military nurse. She feels this calling after her brother Finley is killed in Vietnam months earlier.

The loss of Finley was traumatic for her as well as her family. Her parents do not want her to experience the same fate as her brother, so they aren’t onboard with this at all. She does it anyway and along the way she meets so many interesting people. The fellow nurses are supportive and show her the ropes. They have an unbreakable bond during the war and thereafter. It’s such a fascinating story as the characters are brought to life immediately making it impossible to put the book down. The relationships are complicated but so rewarding and rich.

I was trying to figure out why this story felt like an autobiography or memoir due to the accurate and deep subjects it encompasses. It is also told with such emotion that it would seem that only a person who has personally experienced it would be able to tell the story so powerfully. It was not until I got to the acknowledgments that I realized the extensive research Hannah did. The help she elicited from real people who lived through this experience brought the book to life as one of the best fiction (but feels like non-fiction) books I have ever read.

I have read many Kristin Hannah books and will always look forward to them. She is so talented and graces us with such beautiful words on each and every page. This is sure to be one of 2024’s top historical fiction/family life fiction books.

The Women by Kristin Hannah
Narrated by Julia Whelan

Twenty year old Frances “Frankie” McGrath, a nursing student, wanted to get to be somebody like the men in her family. She wanted to do something that would gain her a place on her father's "heroes wall". Of course, her parents expected her to make a good marriage and have babies, even her nursing work was just a placeholder until she got down to being a wife and mother. There would never be a place for a woman on the "heroes wall".

But Frankie wanted to follow her brother overseas so she signs up with the Army Nurse Corps. Finding out too late that her brother had been killed, his body missing, he'd never be coming home, she'd never get to serve overseas with him, off naive Frankie goes. Everyone was naive back then, not realizing what this war meant and would mean later, what it would do to the nation, how it would change the country and its people. Frankie sails through her basic training but once she lands at her posting, she is thrown into the middle of bloody chaos and war. Just as with the others before her and the others to come after her, there was no preparation for the never ending death and destruction that she and her fellow medical professionals would face.

For decades I've been interested in the Vietnam war and what those who were there went through during and after the war. For many, maybe most of those who made it through their time in Vietnam, their war never ended. Unlike past wars, most of those who served came home to a changed world, not as heroes but as those who were vilified and hated. For the women who served, in whatever capacity they served, they came home invisible, as if they were never there, had never suffered through the horrors the men suffered through. It's true that they weren't there as combatants but so many of the women who were in Vietnam suffered their own kind of personal war, overseas and then at home. They were right there being bombed and bloodied and then were expected to never speak of the experience once home.

There are triggers galore with this story and it seems Frankie gets hit by about everything along the way. This is a long story that covers almost two decades and Frankie's struggles ring true to me although I know she may have had it easier than others would have had it, since she came from a moneyed family. Still, money can't fix everything and the PTSD (completely unrecognized for the women coming home), drug, and alcohol abuse, can bring anyone down in a way that can be impossible to overcome. There is a bit of a Mary Sue in Frankie (the bestest nurse everywhere she went and men falling at her feet) but overall the story got to me so much I just had to give it 5 stars.

I appreciated getting to read/hear directly from the author at the end of the book. She lists so many people I want to know more about and books I want to read. Julia Whelan does a fantastic job with the narration of the audiobook and I had trouble putting either book down despite the long length.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be published February 6, 2024.

This book tells the story of Frankie, who enlists as a nurse in the Vietnam War because 1) her brother is there and 2) she wants to be on her father’s Hero Wall. We experience her life as she learns how to be a nurse, how to deal with tragedy, makes new best friends and meets less than honorable men. I could barely put it down. Kristin Hannah outdid herself with this and I learned something vitiated about history: we were there.

This book is incredible. You will get angry. You will get frustrated. You will be appalled. You will cry. You will cheer. It has all the emotions! If you love a strong female character you will love Frankie.

The Women is a powerful, often wrenching story about women who served thanklessly as nurses in the Vietnam war. The protagonist, Frances “Frankie” McGrath, has lived a sheltered, privileged life among the country-club set on Coronado Island. To the chagrin of her parents, Frankie decides to enlist as a nurse after her brother, Finley, joins the Navy. Frankie’s idealized concept of “doing some good to help the war effort” as a nurse is quickly shattered by the brutal reality of the war and the gruesome conditions in which she must live and work.

Not surprisingly, Frankie’s life is irrevocably changed by her ordeal and, like many veterans, she struggles mightily when she returns to the States. Compounding her challenges, women who served in ‘Nam are disregarded and the generally inadequate services offered to male veterans and not available at all for women. Frankie wrestles with demons that often devastate her relationships with family and friends and derail her romantic relationships. While the graphic nature of much of the narrative set in Vietnam made for difficult reading for me, Frankie’s journey to find a “new normal” was compelling and engaging.

The book is well-written over all, and I appreciated that Kristin Hannah avoided some of the obvious, easy-outs to happy endings in Frankie’s romantic relationships. At times, the litany of challenges faced and conditions endured by Vietnam vets seemed formulaic and predictable, learning that women who served faced these same challenges elevated this aspect of the storyline.

Definitely worth a read. I’d like to thank St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley for making an advance copy of this book available in return for my unbiased review.