This book is unbelievable - I loved it from start to finish. I don't know why people never realized that women were in Vietnam also. Until reading this book I never even thought about it. They may not have been on the front lines but they sure saw the worst of it. Kristin Hannah is one of my favorite authors of all time. I can't believe she's hit it out of the park one more time!! My all time favorite of Kristin's books is The Nightingale but this is a close 2nd.

The same white American savior view of the Vietnam War that we’ve seen many times before. Kristin Hannah doesn’t seem to care as much about historical or cultural accuracy when it comes to scenes in Vietnam. Nothing too egregiously false but it definitely took me out of it.
The fast pace and repetitiveness of the book also force the characters to remain one-dimensional and rush the development of all the romances and friendships.

I was looking forward to reading Kristin Hannah's treatment of the Vietnam War. While the story was populated with a host of likable characters, her exploration of the themes felt heavy handed. Perhaps this is the nature of writing a book about such a charged historical period, but I was hoping for more nuance. Overall I appreciated the spirit of the story, but the actual execution felt clunky and predictable.

Wow, I cannot stop thinking about this book and won't be able to for a long time. Such an important story. I learned so much about the Vietnam War. I was connected to these characters within pages which is an incredible talent to have. I cried throughout the entire book but also felt uplifted, strengthened, and determined to do my part in creating a community that supports our women. I'm a nurse and I have three daughters. A bit of a warning for graphic war scenes + heavy topics throughout. The pacing during part one was fantastic. I can't wait to get the physical copy in my hands! I live in DC and want to bring it with me to visit the Vietnam memorial- particularly the one pictured at the end of the book. Holds a whole new meaning to me now.

This book was so incredible. It's hard to even put into words how much this book affected me.
It took me a few days to really get into this book, but I think a lot of that was my mood, not the book. Once I really started reading, I was hooked. It was really tough to make myself put it down to get anything done.
I loved these characters. Frankie was interesting and I loved how much she grew and matured. I loved Barb and Ethel and the way they loved Frankie; Their friendship was inspiring.
I learned so much about the Vietnam War from this book. It took place before I was born, and I knew about the protests and issues people had, but I never thought about what the soldiers went through, especially the women who served.
I think this is a very important topic and I am so grateful that Kristen Hannah tackled it. You can tell how much research she put into this story.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

It’s been a while since I read a Kristin Hannah book but I’ve read and loved The Nightingale and The Great Alone. Her newest novel The Women (releasing February 2024) is a classic Kristin Hannah book–a historical fiction that pulls at your heartstring and makes you cry. Centering around a nurse from a privileged/sheltered background, The Women tells the story of The Vietnam War and its aftermath, particularly about the women who sacrificed years of their lives who were forgotten and treated terribly by their fellow Americans. The more I read about The Vietnam War, I can’t wrap my head around how and why it all happened… It is a very American-centric story so I encourage you read stories about The Vietnam War written by Vietnamese authors like Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai.

Kristin Hannah has done it again!! Another stellar story that was a very important one to tell! I am so glad I received an ARC from NetGalley and was able to read it already! Like all Kristin Hannah books this one is also very heartbreaking and tells the tale of a group of Vietnam veterans who served but were immediately forgotten upon returning home-the women. At first I couldn’t stand Frankie who arrived with no clue as to what she was doing but then I gradually came to love and appreciate her. I’m so glad this story was finally told and cannot wait to read whatever is coming next from Kristin Hannah. #KristinHannah #NetGalley

I have never read a better book in my life that was so emotional and heartbreaking and yet still pulled me back together. If I could have one wish it would be to re-read this book again for the first time.

Thank you NetGalley and Kristin Hannah for the ARC copy of The Women.

This was a tough read. Very graphic, and very emotional. But also well written and a valuable story to tell. Kristin Hannah knows how to write complex characters well. I can't say I enjoyed it because it definitely wasn't an easy read, but I am glad I read it. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of The Women

This book was just wonderful! Kristin Hannah is a favorite author of mine. The Four Winds and The Nightingale amazing stories. This one is right up there with them! I just couldn’t stop reading. It’s thought provoking and will keep you thinking about the story long after you’ve finished reading.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you NetGalley for this book! Kristin Hannah is one of my favorite authors and this book did not disappoint.

Frankie is a young nurse who grew up a relatively sheltered life in an upper middle class family when she decides she wants to make her dad proud and joins the Army and is sent to Vietnam. She is extremely naive and has no idea what she is walking into. She quickly realizes the hell that she literally been dropped into. She finds her purpose in saving young men’s lives and learns to become numb to all that she sees.

She is finally sent home, and is excited to be a war hero, but she has no idea what she is returning to. Despite the warnings from friends and family she is unaware of just how hostile the American people are to Vietnam vets. And worse how many people believe “women weren’t in ‘Nam” which is a quote she hears often.

She begins to deal with her own demons and walks through a different kind of hell back home until she finally hits rock bottom.

This story hit hard as someone who is married to a military member and who grew up a military brat. I remember my dad so vividly saying, “In Virginia, dogs and sailors stay off the grass.” It brought new meaning to the phrase I grew up hearing.

I cried more times than I’d like to admit while reading this book and would have to stop and process the heaviness of it, but I loved it. Once again Hannah did a fabulous job with character development. I could envision the jungles of Vietnam. And being there and feeling the humidity she did a great job describing just how hot and humid it was there. I could feel the bombs exploding around the hospital and envision the doctors and nurses taking care of patients in the dark.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about the women of Vietnam. May we never forget the men and women who were sent there under the poor leadership of our country.

This book sort of felt like a tail of two books to me... The first half I absolutely loved and could not put down. The writing in the first half was fantastic and made me feel like I was watching a movie. I can't say enough good things about that first half. Once Frankie came home though, I felt like I was on a hamster wheel. While I'm sure Frankie's story was common, it got to be a bit exhausting for me. I was starting to wonder how long things would snowball before they had to end. I tried to remind myself this was a different era with a huge lack of knowledge and support for addiction and mental health, but it still felt drawn out. I think if the second half had more detail about Ethel and Barbs return home and inner thoughts it could have been a lot more compelling... especially Barb, she was the most interesting character to me. I did love their bond, and loved how they were all there for Frankie, but I wanted more about them as individuals, especially when a book is called The Women, plural, and then I felt like it was really just about the one woman. In the end I did still really enjoy the book and the twist at the very very end did get me and turned things around a bit. I learned quite a bit through reading this book and my own subsequent research, so I really appreciate bringing this part of US history to the forefront.

Very grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for my early release copy!

It is 2023 and I recently finished this book and i can already tell you it is my favorite book of 2024. (It is scheduled for release in February. ) In my opinion Hannah is a master of character development. By the time i was finishing the book i was depressed that the characters were no longer around. I grew up during the VietNam war, in fact, it was all that was on television in my college grille where we hung out. I do not remember any interviews or stories about the women who were serving. Hannah’s account of the lives of the nurses was outstanding. It starts in the US with the main character and her family dynamics and continues through her decision to enlist and serve in VietNam. It goes through her experiences in VietNam, her relationships and continues on to her reentry into the US for a “normal” life. It is a do not miss book. I feel so privileged to read an advanced copy. I will be telling all my book reading friends about it! @KristinHannah #KristinHannah #netgalley

First off I want to say Thank you for your service to all the men and women that served during the Vietnam war.
Wow! This is such a powerful read. I could not lay this book down. Kristin Hannah had me from the first page to the last. Wonderful telling of the horrors of the Vietnam war and the the injustices that the women and men service members endured while at warm and how it impacted their lives after returning home. Must read. I was given an advanced reader copy of this very well written book by NetGalley and I am freely sharing my review.

This was not it for me unfortunately. There were things that should’ve been handled with more care and infuriated me

An awesome, amazing, fantastic book! Grabbed me from the first chapter and did not let go! This is a book that needed to be written, it's a story that needed to be told. We all know how poorly vets returning from Vietnam were treated, but no one knows about the women who served....until now. The Women tells us about those women from the point of view of the nurses who worked tirelessly to save the lives of soldiers and civilians alike, only to return home and be told "there were no women in Vietnam during the war!"

It's hard to say I loved this book, given the awfulness of war, but I did. The story is compelling, characters so multidimensional and their courage so inspirational that I had a hard time putting it down.

Frankie McGrath is 20 when she decides to follow her brother Finley into the Navy. It's a long family tradition for the men to serve, and Frankie decides that if she goes as a nurse (she's in nursing school) in the same branch of service as Finley, it will be safe enough, and yes, women can be heroes too! But tragedy occurs before she can enlist, and she is rejected by the Navy and the Air Force, so she goes with the only branch that will take her. It's a coming of age by fire to be sure. Frankies story is that of all the women who served: courage under fire, grace under pressure, incredible bravery and unselfishness, only to come back to a country that was ungrateful at best and hostile at worst, A can't put down read, one that should be read by everyone. I was in tears by the end over all that had been sacrificed. I would give this book 10 stars if I could!

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, the author, and NetGalley for the free gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

OBSESSION. Every time I read a Kristin Hannah book I think about how I need to read more historical fiction. The Nightingale is one of my all-time favorite books and my go-to recommendation for people to read. The Women truly live up to The Nightingale and they might be tied for my favorite KH now.

The premise of this novel is absolutely heartbreaking you will be so emotionally involved - both crying and laughing the whole way through. I do not know too much about the Vietnam War so it was super interesting to read about and I really liked that we got a women’s POV because it felt very unique.

Not only were the stories from the war heartbreaking but also the post-war stories from all of the war vets. You are immediately drawn in from the start of the book and the pacing of the book is so fast even though the book is more than 450 pages!

You can tell there was so much thought and research put into this book, KH said she’s been working on this book for such a long time because she wanted to do this story justice.

You will definitely want to preorder this one because people will be raving about it!

I loved this book! I will definitely recommend it. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This book is one of my favorite reads this year. It immersed me in a time that I know very little about. It was heartbreaking and hopeful all at the same time. I couldn't put it down and it stayed with me long after I finished. I highly recommend this book!

This is the 3rd book I have read of Kristin Hannah’s
I have loved all of them
The Women is a heartbreaking story about the Vietnam war and what the men and especially the women went through during their service and after they returned home
I remember buying POW bracelets in high school
I would highly recommend reading