Exceptional women's history of female combat nurses who served in Vietnam. I am a huge fan of Kristin Hannah's Nightengale novel. This historical fiction story recounts the experiences of women, who served as combat nurses during the Vietnam War. From a glimpse of female combatants in the 1960s-1970s, to an examination of how the US treated veterans, Hannah describes the challenges women veterans faced in the Vietnam War. I loved the descriptions of how nurses helped save lives in the Vietnam War. Hannah is able to describe the moments of war and the violence and trauma for military veterans. There are quite a few issues crammed into this book, drug addiction, 1960s' politics, veterans' rights, misogyny, sexism, and music history. Hannah has a good instinct on how to create the historical viewpoints. I think the personal story of Frankie is compelling and keeps the novel's plot moving. I liked the friendships of the women and how their friendships were the real love story.

Sometimes you read a book that draws you in and leaves such an impression that you know you will remember it for a long time. This book is one that definitely fits that description for me. I lived through the Vietnam War and I remember it very well. I watched friends drafted, grieved when they didn't come home, I wore a silver POW bracelet for one of the courageous men who was missing, and cried as I watched the cruel homecoming that these brave soldiers received at home. But this book gave me a new view of that war that myself and others overlooked - the courageous women of the Vietnam War. Those brave women who volunteered and served so bravely because they wanted to help. And Kristin Hannah takes you right into the middle of their world. You can experience the life they led in those combat areas through her words. And then you feel their disappointments, sorrows, and personal trials that they battled when they came home.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this advanced copy of The Women.

Another great piece of history told by a great writer. This story isn’tbfor everyone due to the nature of what women had to deal with during this awful war, but it shouldn’t be missed.

First and foremost, receiving an ARC of The Women felt like what I imagine being nominated for an Academy Award feels like. This is important to note because I went into this with extremely high expectations and Kristin Hannah delivered on every single one.

The Women pays homage to the women of the Vietnam war. These are women who served their country as nurses on the war front. These women saw some of the worst, some of the most terrifying aspects of war, and then came home to invisibility. No one recognized them as heroes like the men they cared there. The women went above and beyond the normal skill set of nurses, often stepping in during traumas when doctors were unavailable. Like men in combat, they returned home with PTSD, which was a very new concept as the time. Unlike the men, however, they were often turned away when seeking help - nearly everyone telling them there were no women in Vietnam. They were not recognized for their service and left to fend for themselves while trying to put the pieces of their lives back together.

This is a unique war story in that combat is not the driving force. It’s the aftermath of battle that takes the spotlight, and the women who strive to be strong for those who cannot. They are the healers, the caring voices, the ones who carry the weight of the world on their shoulders and get no thanks for any of it.

For fans of Hannah’s work, The Women will be a gift to the soul in the special way The Nightingale and The Great Alone are. The characters on these pages will be thought of often and their stories remembered. All the Forrest Gump and Pearl Harbor vibes are present: love, friendship, and beauty of self-discovery. This book is magic to the heart.

Thank you to @netgalley , @stmartinspress , and @kristinhannahauthor for allowing me to read an advance copy of The Women in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC. A truly incredible story about a woman who survived as a nurse in Vietnam and her life after, I never really thought about the woman in Vietnam and how long it took us to recognize them. I really loved this book, my only complaint being it was a little too long., and dragged in the middle. 4.5 stars.

This book was INCREDIBLY hard for me to read. As a military spouse I am very picky about military related fiction. The author tends to even get it ridiculously wrong or glorify it in a way that makes me roll my eyes. It's often patronizing and frustrating.

Kristin Hannah gets it right here...in a heart-achingly realistic way. The research, the respect, and the realism jump off every page. I had to put this novel down a few times because it was just too much- and I mean that as a compliment.

KH really puts her FMCs through it, doesn't she? My gosh. Especially this FMC. But as always, strength and hope and tenacity prevail. Badass women prevail. Frankie is the most badass of all.

5 stars.

Thanks to St. Martin's press for an advance copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.

This story is about Frances McGrath who becomes an army surgical nurse during the Vietnam War and everything that she went through. Kristin Hannah did an amazing job with this novel. The research that must have went into it was incredible. From the time Frances (Frankie) touches down in Vietnam, you felt like you were actually there. She lands in a place where all the smells, sounds and activity are overwhelming and she really has no idea what she has gotten into.

In time, and with the help of her bunkmates, Ethel and Barb, she becomes an accomplished nurse and helps to save many lives. Meanwhile the world back home is becoming increasingly upset about the war and is lumping those who are serving in with the government decisions that are being made. Frankie starts to receive letters from home talking about protests and flag burning and combined with the work she's doing it is very disheartening.


The story follows some of the veterans from the time they began in Vietnam to what it is like when they come home, battered and bruised, both physically and emotionally. It talks about the PTSD that they suffered as well as the anger at a country they felt turned their back on them.

It was an incredibly emotional read and I laughed and cried throughout the book. I really couldn't put it down and became so involved in Frankie's story that I even dreamed about it. The best read of the year.

Thank you to Net Galley, the publisher and Ms. Hannah for providing me an ARC to this fascinating novel. Currently, this is set to come out in February of 2024.

Loved, loved, loved. Felt every emotion during this book. Loved the characters, the story of friendship and learning about the women of the Vietnam war and their forgotten story. Can’’t recommend it enough!

Thank you, NetGalley, for the advanced copy of "The Women."

Kristin Hannah does it again! How does this woman write this magic? Her character development and historical writing is unlike any other author I have ever read. I have only cried reading books four times in my life, and three of those times were Kristin Hannah books. She can put you right into the character's world and feel their struggles. She puts a face to what people have experienced during historical events, and sucks you into it.

If you have read Kristin Hannah books in the past, you will not be disappointed. If you have never read any Kristin Hannah books, what are you waiting on?

This book was powerful! It takes you to the trenches of the Vietnam War through the eyes of the women nurses and back after they returned from the war. It took me on an emotional roller coaster and although it is fiction, opened my eyes to how vital these women were to the war effort in Vietnam. I laughed, I cried. I felt I walked right alongside Frankie feeling all her anger, sadness and joy. So well written. Another best seller from Kristin Hannah. Highly recommend.

My initial review is:
"Kristin, I’m sending you my therapy bill.
I’m going to be thinking about this book for years to come."

This book has quickly become my top ready for 2023. I was hesitant about going into this book because of reviews that I had read. I felt like it was going to cause me a lot of emotional damage without enough payoff. I am so glad I read the book anyway. I cannot stop thinking or talking about this book. Kristin did an extraordinary job bringing Frankie's world to life. I will forever be impacted by this book especially when thinking about the men and women who serve our country.

This book was one of the very best books I have read. I was 16 when the Vietnam war ended and I honestly have little recollection of the war. I imagine it was covered in high school history class, but again, I can't recall. Kristin Hannah's book The Women, gave me an amazing history lesson that left me wanting to know more.

Thank you Net Galley for this advanced reader copy of The Women in exchange for my honest review.

This book proved to be a challenging read due to its' focus on war, lacking the engaging and captivating elements I usually seek with Kristin Hannah's stories. The protagonist's journey as a war nurse felt disjointed, as she seeks to enlist in the war, following in the footsteps of her brother. I felt disconnected from the main character who seemed to be lost in her path to be a combat nurse and the story is filled with lots of graphic scenes being in the Vietnam War. The time she is saving lives, there is a lot of disconnect in way story moves, with her moving up through the ranks, being trained, and seeing lots of injured men, and kids, yet the way they all deal is through partying. I felt like the emotional component of these individuals were lacking and very shut off. When she returns from the war, the main character suffers from PTSD and waiting for the "love of her life" to return to her. I found the relationship as unbelievable, and struggled to get through the story, focusing too much about her post traumatic symptoms yet not able in getting help, since no one regards her as anyone being a nurse in the war. She is lost returning to civilization and thrown in trying to be in an intimate relationship, and not knowing what love is makes for a storyline I did not enjoy. I wish there was something redeeming about the story but this one dragged on and was disappointing.









Gruesome imqgew

“Women can be heroes, too.” I was invested in this book from the moment I read that sentence.

The Women is a story that takes places in the 1960s, during the Vietnam War and it is about the women that decided to serve our country. The main character, Frankie, comes from a wealthy family. Young and naïve, she enlists to serve soon after her brother leaves for Vietnam. She is unprepared for what awaits her when she arrives in Saigon but her friendship with her roommates, who become her lifelong friends, keeps her afloat. Later, Frankie is also unprepared for what awaits her when she comes back home.

This book is my new favorite by Kristina Hannah. It was a page-turner for me. Yet, it is so beautifully written that I found myself rereading parts of it to absorb everything that was being said. Like all of her previous books, The Women presents very real characters who are driven and make mistakes. Frankie, our heroine, is full of flaws and yet perfectly perfect. I loved the friendship element in the story, and was amazed by the side of the Vietnam War it brings to light. I found myself doing research on the side because I didn’t know about so many things this story talks about and wanted to learn more.
I cried with the ending -I always do with Kristin Hannah’s books- but I loved it and would not change a thing about it.

Thanks for St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC of The Women.

You will laugh. You will cry. You will want to yell. You will be angry. You will be happy. You will be sad. You will have all these emotions while reading this book. I found myself having to close my eyes and take deep breaths. Kristin Hannahs’ descriptive writing brings you front and center into the Vietnam War. While reading about the injuries soldiers endured and the medical procedures that were preformed you feel like you are right there while it occurred.
Of all the characters Kristin Hannah has written, Frankie McGrath is the best one yet. I loved her spunk, and her determination. Her heartache will be yours as well. You will be rooting for her throughout the book.
This will definitely be on the best books list for 2024!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this advance readers copy, in exchange for an honest review. I feel just stunned and initially left with few words to describe how absolutely fantastic Kristen Hannah’s The Women is. I had to take a day before reviewing this book to let it fully sink in but, I know I’ll be thinking about it for a while! This book chronicles the life of Frankie McGrath starting in her late teens when she volunteers as an Army Nurse in the Vietnam War to the difficulties she faces when she returns home in the next ten or so years.

I loved this book. Simple as that and can’t say it enough. It was heartbreaking to read and the author does not shy away from the gory details of the war. She also sheds light on the shame that veterans faced coming home from the war, given how controversial it became, which is something I didn’t know about. This book really opened my eyes to the PTSD and trauma that returning veterans face and how important support for them is because after all, the freedom that we enjoy as Americans is not free and is a result of veteran sacrifices. This is even more important in the context of our women Vietnam veterans because as we learn in this story, their sacrifices were not valued nearly the same as the male veterans. This story was just so moving and taught me a lot.

The book itself I thought was paced very well and Kristen Hannah’s propulsive writing kept me up at night to finish this one. The characters were very endearing and I became very emotionally invested, nearly crying at the end in the hopes that things might finally turn up for our characters. There are lots of tough subjects in this story so, I’d recommend reading trigger warnings or allowing yourself breaks as needed to digest the contents. But, overall I think this was an important book to read and I was left already looking forward to a reread.

Fans of Kristen Hannah will not be disappointed, this will be a must read of 2024!!!

I didn’t want to put this book down, I think it’s my new Kristin Hannah favorite. I learned so much from this book and felt Kristin’s respect and desire for these women’s’ stories to be known throughout the story. The women were strong, determined, flawed, and real, the storyline was captivating, I was invested in their lives from the beginning. Definitely 5 stars.

I feel honored and so lucky to be chosen as an ARC reader for this book. Kristin Hannah never disappoints and this book was no exception. I was hooked from the very beginning. The characters broke my heart and put me back together again. Always a bonus with her historical fiction that I end up googling all sorts of history and facts. The research she did was phenomenal on this book! This will stick with me forever. Thank you for giving a voice to THE WOMEN!!!!

Frankie McGrath was living the postcard American life having grown up in Coronado, California where the worst thing that could happen was being rained out on a day at the beach. Her father was a patriotic, conservative, successful businessman. A wall in her father's home office proudly displayed images of family members who served their country - the "wall of heroes", her father called it.

In 1965, everything changed, Her brother was being sent to Vietnam. At his send off party, Frankie hid in her father's office and sat staring at that wall when a voice belonging to someone she hadn't noticed entering the room said "Women can be heroes too." When they were notified that her brother was dead, she recalled these words. She had just gotten her nursing degree and hastily signed up for the Army, the only branch that would take such an inexperienced nurse, Against her parents wishes, she was off to Vietnam.

Nothing could have prepared her for being dropped into world which was foreign in every sense. The destruction and chaos was unimaginable. She was unequipped for this. But with the help of two women Barb and Ethel, she go her footing and was making a difference helping to save the lives of the wounded soldiers. The trauma she witness profoundly changed Frankie.

When she returned home, it was not not to a welcoming parade. She found that she was invisible. She was not "seen" by her family, her friends she left behind or even by the VA. "There were no women in Vietnam" was something she heard over and over even by fellow vets.
Frankie's struggle to quiet the violent memories, battle addictions, heal from betrayals are the journey she faces. With her friends Barb and Ethel, the women face their struggles together.
This is the fictional story of Frankie's war experience, but it is the true and still ongoing story of so many other women who have served. It is important that they are heard and that we see them as the heroes they are.
Kristen Hannah never ceases to amaze me with the her ability to build detailed worlds and fully formed characters. The amount of research that is done to prepare for any of her works shines through in the authenticity of the voices of her characters. I believe her to be one the of the greatest historical fiction writers of our time. I will always look forward to her forthcoming books.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this novel.

Wow, another amazing Kristin Hannah book! This is the story of Frances, Frankie, who is a naive young nurse who volunteers to be a nurse in the army during Vietnam. She grew up on Coronado Island amongst other Navy families where her Dad kept a heroes wall of the men in the family that served. After a friend of hers reminded her that women could be heroes as well, she impulsively joined the army to be a nurse. She was 20 years old and fresh out of nursing school when she first landed in the 1st hospital in Vietnam. There she honed her nursing schools thanks to her fellow doctors and nurses who soon became her best friends for the rest of her life. The story takes place throughout her life showing her as a naive young nurse and later on after returning home it showed how difficult it was for her transition to life back in the US where people didn't support Vietnam veterans and it was barely recognized that the women, who were nurses over there served, but also dealt with as much trauma as the male Vets didn't but they didn't have the supports and services other vets did. I highly recommend reading this story and learning