Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an e-arc!

Frankie McGrath comes from a military family, in which all of the men have served their country proudly. The exception is her father, who desperately wanted to serve but was unable to, but regardless he instilled the importance of serving to his family.

When Frankie’s brother, Flynn, leaves to serve in Vietnam, Frankie is filled with sadness at the prospect of being without him. Her world changes forever when someone tells her that women can be heroes too, and she realizes that is just what she’ll do. Frankie enlists as an Army nurse to serve in Vietnam, following the path of her brother.

When Frankie gets to Vietnam, she is horrified by all of the death and suffering that she sees on a daily basis. Nothing could ever have prepared her for war, and as she learns the ropes and continues to become an increasingly better nurse, she realizes she has found her purpose despite the great hardships. Frankie has a passion for saving lives and making a difference, as do her hooch mates and women serving with her, Ethel and Barb.

As Frankie goes through one traumatic experience after another, her bonds with her friends strengthen. The love between her friends and the knowledge that she is truly making a difference is what gets her through Vietnam and all the grief caused by the war. What Frankie isn’t expecting is that life will be filled with difficulties going home to the U.S.

When Frankie returns home, there is veteran’s welcome or civilians thanking her for her service. Instead, she comes home to a very divided America that is angry about the war and protesting for it to end. Unfortunately, the anger also extends to those who served in Vietnam, and Frankie finds herself being spat at and called horrible names. Her parents are ashamed of her service, and as a woman many people do not take her seriously as a veteran because she was not in combat. Many people, even veterans, do not even believe there were any women in Vietnam.

Feeling more isolated than ever, Frankie struggles to live in this different America as a veteran who is traumatized, hurting and in need of help. People keep telling her to forget Vietnam and move on with her life, but many couldn’t possibly understand all that she’s been through.

Let me just say that I LOVED this book. It was so heartbreaking and eye opening. I knew that there was unrest in the U.S. during the Vietnam War, but I didn’t know that those who served were treated so poorly upon their initial return, and that it took many years to properly honor and recognize them for their sacrifice. It was also very interesting yet infuriating to read about how female veterans were treated so differently, making them even more isolated than the male Vietnam veterans. The men at least could go to support groups and get help at the local VA, but the women were turned away since they weren’t in combat.

If you’re reading a Kristin Hannah novel then you already know going into it that it’s going to be impeccably researched and written carefully and thoughtfully. Kristin Hannah has such a way of story telling that I’m sold on all of her novels for life. I’m really glad that she tackled such a difficult yet important topic, as I feel like there aren’t many historical fiction books about the Vietnam war, especially ones that focus on women. This is a unique read that you won’t want to put down, and Frankie is an inspirational, imperfect human that I think we can all relate to in some way or on some level.

Really, a wonderful book..I highly recommend!

Me: Historical Fiction? War? Both of those statements usually make me NOT want to read a book

Everyone Else: 5 STARS!!! ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS EVER!

Me: Okay, I will try it out but I have to buddy read it so I am held accountable!

Two Days Later....
Me: I just read an almost 500 page historical fiction book that takes place during a war....5 STARS!!! ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS EVER!

Well played Kristin Hannah, well played.

I can't even put into sentences how I feel about this book so I will just use words - stunning, heartbreaking, important, frustrating, beautiful, lovely, maddening, devastating, difficult, sweeping, amazing!

The characters stole my heart - Frankie and her friendship Barb & Ethel just absolutely made this book for me. Yes it takes place during the Vietnam War (which is. not usually my jam) but this is a story of love, friendship, strength, perseverance, family, heroism, grief, trauma, and most importantly the women.

They were there.

Thank you to Netgalley & St. Martin's Press for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this book and give my honest opinion. I am not the target audience for this book as the only thing I knew about the Vietnam War was that my stepfather went and was never the same (and on the flip side, my dad ran from the draft and created a new identity). The day I downloaded it, I could NOT get into it. I put it down for a few weeks and picked it back up. I could not put my kindle down for two days. This book starts off with Francis at her brother's going away party as he was leaving to go to Vietnam. At that party, one of Finley's friends tells Frankie that the sky is limit. She decides, now that she is done with her RN license, she was going to go to war. She ended up signing up with the Army and was sent promptly to Vietnam after basic training. She ends up being assigned to a first place where she meets Ethel and Barb who become life long friends. I felt like I was there. Every step of the way. I mourned the losses and got angry at certain parts (really trying not to give spoilers but a certain "bread" name is the worst). When it ended (with that twist), I laid awake and imagining what came after. This is one of the best Kristin Hannah books I have read and it unseated Nightengale as my favorite book of hers!

An absolute must read. One of Kristin Hannah’s best. I couldn’t put this down of Frankie, a nurse who goes to Vietnam. The retelling of her experience both during and after the war is a beautiful portrayal.

There are gaping wounds because of the treatment of the women and men who served our country during the Vietnam War. Reading The Women will certainly be a reminder to acknowledge men and women soldiers with, “Thank you for your service,” no matter when or where they have served.
Freedom is bought with sacrifice.

This book was absolutely fantastic and completely blew me away. The emotions that I went through while reading this story were unlike any other I have read in a while and I found myself engaged the whole time. I had no doubt that a book written by Kristin Hannah would be good, but this was on another level. I can only image the research that went into putting this novel together and it breaks my heart that Veterans were treated this way, especially women, when they returned home. I find myself wanting to research even more after reading. The minute I finished this one, I found myself wanting to immediately start it over and read it again, which rarely happens for me. I cannot thank the publisher and Netgalley enough for the access to this ebook. A glowing 5 stars!

Kristen Hannah does it again! Another book that is a captivating, emotional and powerful story that I couldn’t put down. The story follows Frankie McGrath in her journey to prove that “women can be heroes” too. The horrors that she experiences as an army nurse during the Vietnam War and in the aftermath where no one was willing to help her, is tragic. This is a story that will stick with me for a long time. Every character had such depth and I truly felt for each one of them. The combination of action-filled, and vivid descriptions mixed with a love story and finding one’s true self makes way for a great book. The amount of research that is put into creating this work of art is unreal. This was a beautiful historical fiction novel about the power of friendship, trauma, and being true to yourself. Kristen Hannah has been and will be a favorite writer of mine for years to come.

WOWWWWW. After feeling absolutely gutted and disappointed by the end of The Four Winds, I thought The Women was a magnificent tribute to the Vietnam veterans and their stories. While at times it felt a little convoluted, I trusted the process and development and knew we were heading to a ending that would reflect hope.

Kristin Hannah never disappoints me. The Women was a beautifully tragic and uplifting tale of the strength of women. I have never seen any other media address women serving in the Vietnam War and so I never realized the struggle they had while serving and also when returning. Not only did they not fit back into the civilian life from all they saw and experienced, but they also didn't have a place amongst the male veterans, who didn't recognize the trauma the women also experienced. One thing though, is that the women had each other. The friendships in this book were so well-written. These women made it through the war and life afterwards due to the support they offered one another. No other person could understand what they experienced.

I'm always so impressed with Kristin Hannah's extensive research she does for her books and her historical romances always prompt me to do my own research about these times in history that I had little to no knowledge about. Of course, I'll always recommend having Kleenex handy when reading any Kristin Hannah book. She possesses the ability to pull such strong emotions from me and reading her books is always such an experience.

What an amazing story! I loved this book! It was not always easy to read, but it was always engaging. This was my first Kristin Hannah novel and it won't be my last! The story was so well-written and detailed, that I really felt I understood so much about that time and the struggles the soldiers and nurses went through at such a divisive time in our history. I felt the joy, the horror, the sadness, the hope...all of it. It just pulled me in and wouldn't let me go until the last word. Absolutely loved it! Not a book I will soon forget.

This book absolutely ripped me apart and put me back together again and again. 😭

I have never read any historical fiction set in the Vietnam War, and I learned so much reading this book. The writing drew me in right away — it went down so easily, kept me turning the pages, and was absolutely packed with emotion. The main character was so raw and real and someone I could really root for. My absolute favorite part of the book though was the female friendships made throughout the book. I loved seeing Frankie, Barb and Ethel — three incredibly strong women — stand together and support one another through all life’s hardships (and there were many!).

I probably don’t need to say much else about this book because I know it’s everywhere, but I’ll just say: Read this book. It’s absolutely fantastic. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

This book was beautifully written, well researched and if I had to choice one word for it the word would be perfection. It was amazing. I sat down and was captivated from page one, I couldn't put it down and stayed up to finish it. The stories of the nurses in Vietnam was an important one to tell, the story of the war itself and how it was looked at here in the United States was an important piece of it too, as was how it affected not only the men who were on the front lines, but the women who cared for the injured and the dead. All important, all relevant today. This is a story everyone should read!

This book has left me speechless. I am not sure I can properly review this book - there are no words to describe just how incredible it is. I have always been a huge Kristin Hannah fan, but this one exceeded all my expectations. The characters, the history, the heartbreak and growth - all done incredibly. It was my first book about women in Vietnam and wow did it deliver the horrific experience of everyone there flawlessly. The emotions of the women were so well done that at times I was transported to Vietnam and experiencing their experiences. I cried through the entire book, but also could not stop reading (and listening to it.) Every part of the book was so realistic, that I would not have been surprised if someone told me it was a memoir. For any Kristin Hannah Fan, Historical Fiction fan or just a fan of a well written, throughout and created book with strong female characters - a must read. 
Thank you netgalley for my audio and e advanced reader copies.

Maybe. 4.5/5? I’ll preface with saying I am a huge Kristin Hannah. My first book of hers was Firefly Lane, and I grabbed it because I’d hear she was excellent, Prose-wise, this book kind of reads as one of her earlier works. While this is definitely historical fiction, it felt less history-centered than, say, The Four Winds. This centers the female protagonist who, rather glibly, enters the Vietnam War. The exposition felt a little rushed, and a lot of key moments did as well, so maybe that’s why I had trouble connecting to Frankie initially. However, the book quickly gained the gravitas I’ve come accustomed to with her books. I am ashamed to admit I knew hardly anything about this war prior to reading this, and it igniting conversations with my family that helped me understand my our family’s experiences during that time. Thank you to Hannah, St Martins Press, and NetGalley for the ARC.

This book. OMG. Kristin Hannah really did it this time. I thought The Nightingale was my forever favorite, but The Women just really tugged at every emotion. I was shocked, angry, happy, relieved, sad, frustrated, and hopeful. I have read stories about Vietnam, but none that really showed the side from a woman's perspective, that wasn't a wife waiting for her boyfriend/husband to come home.

Frankie's story was incredible. We get to know her as a young woman shipping off to Vietnam and to her time returning home, which is nothing like she expected. I read this book so quickly, and alternating from the audiobook as well. I felt like I was right there in each scene with her. From reliving the moments in Vietnam and also her struggles towards the end.

I would feel like I knew what was going to happen and then Kristin just went a totally different direction with the story than I was expecting. Time after time. The twists in this story were WOW!

THAT ENDING!!!!!

I’m not sure how to feel or review this book. There are parts that I very much enjoyed and would give 4 stars to. Then there are the other more drudgery parts that I would give 2 stars to. So I guess I’ll land in the middle and give it 3 stars and go against the grain of all those who give it 5 stars (I’m used to that at this point)
Frankie is a spoiled SoCal girl who signs up to be a war nurse because her father has a wall of heroes in his office and they’re all male, and her brother goes to war and she wants to be with him. We see what life was like during the Vietnam War for those working as trauma nurses as Frankie sees the horrors of war, finds love, makes lifelong friendships and then, finally gets to come back home and deal with an American public who don’t believe that there were any women serving in Vietnam. Frankie suffers from PTSD and doesn’t know how to cope, but the way she is written is flat and makes it hard to care about her. And I would have loved to have more about Barb and Ethel and their lives when they returned home. Yes, we got to see snippets of their lives when Frankie was in crisis after crisis and called on them for help, but maybe seeing them in their day to day after wartime would have put Frankie into perspective. And while KH doesn’t hide the fact that many Vietnamese civilians were killed in the war, they are nameless, faceless and glossed over.
The story is compelling but overly wordy and it felt like most of the story was told instead of shown. This should have been a slam dunk win for me-a novel about nursing, the turbulence of the 60s, civil rights and women’s rights….but it ended up being just so so and that was just so disappointing after thoroughly enjoying her last several books. Hopefully her next one will win me back again.
Thanks to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

Kristen Hannah is such a beautiful writer and always manages to weave together so many threads and relationships across time and hardship. I loved THE WOMEN, and the story of Frankie McGrath will stay with me for a long time. I loved how Hannah depicted the coming and going, always having to say “goodbye” in Vietnam. Yet, the connections she formed there helped shape her. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” accurately describes her time at war. Like everything in life, nothing is black and white. There is always good to be found within the bad.

I also really loved the contrast between Frankie’s life in Vietnam and back home in the US. Hannah perfectly captured the divisiveness of the late 60s and early 70s. The shift that Frankie experienced was palpable, and I felt it right along with her. As a child of parents who were a young, newly married couple during the war, I really appreciated this unique glimpse into life at war and home. Hannah has such a magical way of making history come alive. It was made even more powerful when told through a woman’s lens. Like most men who go to war, Frankie dreamed of being a hero and fighting for her country. More stories like this need to be told.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Women by Kristin Hannah is the story of Frankie McGrath who joins the Army Nurse Corps in 1965 and ships off to Vietnam. This book tells her story for the next 20 years, both during the tumultuous 1960's to her PTSD and struggles after the war.

I wanted to read this novel because I love historical fiction and am especially interested in the 1960's. I have not read a lot of historical fiction set during the Vietnam War.

Frankie is a strong, brave, but flawed protagonist. I appreciated the female friendships in this book, and the focus on women during this time period. This novel was heartbreaking at times, but such an experience. I recommend it for fans of historical fiction, and especially for anyone interested in a woman's experience during the Vietnam War.

"The Women" by Kristin Hannah is an astonishing capture of women in the Vietnam war. The historical fiction follows Frankie, a young nursing student anxious to help people. She impulsively joins the Army Nurse Corps and discovers the chaos and destruction of war waiting for her.

"Women can be heroes, too."

As a huge Kristin Hannah fan, I had very high hopes for this one. And I was not disappointed one bit. Frankie’s character takes a chunk of your heart and doesn’t let go. Her character growth and emotional journey feels as real as my own. Her pain, both in the war and after returning home, felt personal. Every hardship she went through made me want to scream out loud for her. Frankie is tough, and honest, and kind, and wonderful. While Frankie may only be a character, she represents every woman who served or suffered during the war and received no recognition for it.

This book is not an “easy” read. Many of the events described are incredibly sad and hard to digest. Like many historical fictions set during wartime, I found myself desperately wishing for the story to be a fantasy, instead of a depiction of real life. There were many nights spent reading this book with tears in my eyes. The details incorporated within the story highlight how much research the author put into creating this book. The book is incredibly eye opening. I learned so many details that I was never taught in school.

My eyes are open. My heart hurts. I am left incredibly amazed once again by Kristin Hannah’s work.

I graduated from high school in 1970. My husband's number was high enough that he probably wouldn't have been drafted but he joined the Navy because he is part of a military family and when your country calls you respond. There seems to be so many books written about Europe in WW2 but this was the war I saw on TV.

I thought Frankie was a great character. She was strong and smart and was fortunate to have made such good friends in Barb and Ethel, two of her fellow nurses. I have always heard how beautiful Vietnam is but this wasn't the vacation Vietnam. It was either hot and dusty or wet and muddy. The scene where she is in Pleiku and they had the dust off that lasted for hours, the exhaustion, the devastating injuries was heartbreaking, the Tet offensive, and I had tears in my eyes.

I felt that her experience when she came home was tough, maybe some had it harder but I especially felt the rejection of her dad and I felt her PTSD in my very soul

I would like to thank Netgalley and St Martin's Press for providing me with a digital copy.