I feel like the last person in the book world to have read this book and know I procrastinated much too long.... because it lingers. I was scared to pick it up because of all the early hype surrounding it and what if I didn't love it as much as I should. Anyhow, foolish mistake and now having read it, I will be purchasing a copy to live on my bookshelf eternally. It was heartwrenchingly beautiful and didn't sugar coat the trauma or ugliness of the era while adding depth and emotion to every page.

This book was a great intro to many people in my generation who know very little about the Vietnam War. This book incites discussion about the Vietnam War, the status of women in America during the 1960s-70s, the disappointment in the treatment of Vietnam Vets (especially the women) upon their return home and while deployed. The nonstop trauma of the main character, Frankie keeps everyone was glued to the book although I just wish Frankie could catch a break!

thank you @stmartinspress for the @netgalley Swipe for synopsis.

Her historical fiction books can’t be beat including her latest that came out in February and is about women that were nurses in the Vietnam war.

This is a powerful read that left me visibly emotional. The topics of women in Vietnam and how veterans were treated upon their return is something I feel that’s not discussed much and I learned a lot. Being from San Diego, I also appreciated the Coronado/San Diego references. Other themes discussed are female friendships, family, war, addiction, and mental health. Definitely check the trigger warnings though because this isn’t an easy read. So so good and inspiring 🥹

I finished this while on the plane to Dublin but pictured is a hotel @bannoakknollnapa I got a resort pass for to hang out for the Fourth of July!

⚠️: war, death, violence, miscarriage, addiction, suicidal thoughts/attempt, car accident, torture, alcoholism, sexism

This book is everything. The characters are amazing, the themes are so moving and impactful, and the emotion one feels alongside the characters is unreal. The importance of mental health and healing is a topic that can be really hard to write well, but it is done exceptionally well in this book.

The Women is a powerful, eye-opening story that takes you into the life of Frances "Frankie" McGrath, a young nursing student who finds herself in the middle of the Vietnam War. Kristin Hannah does an incredible job of capturing the emotions and struggles of not just Frankie, but all the women who served. It's a heartfelt reminder of their bravery and sacrifice, something that often gets overshadowed in history.

What really stood out to me was how the story doesn’t end when the war does. Coming home is a whole new battle, and watching Frankie navigate a divided America is just as impactful as the war scenes themselves. The friendships she makes along the way are deep and moving, and Hannah's writing makes you feel every moment of fear, loss, and hope.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, #partner for the finished copy of The Women in exchange for my honest review.

I am so late in writing this review because every time I tried to sit down to write my thoughts, I couldn’t put them into words. I have always loved Kristin Hannah’s books and The Nightingale and Winter Garden are two of my favorites, but this new one just might have topped them. I read this book back in February and have not stopped thinking about it…that’s how powerful it is. It’s one of those books that just doesn’t let go of you – and I implore you to pick it up…you won’t be sorry!

𝘞𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘦𝘴. ⁣
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Have you ever started a book & just known from the start that it was going to be one of your favorites, possibly a top contender for favorite of the year? That’s how I felt about this one as I read the first chapter…maybe before I even started it. ⁣
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I was lucky to see Kristin Hannah on tour and I purposely did not read the book beforehand. I wanted to hear her talk about the book and loved getting some insight into why she wrote it, some insight into the characters, and the challenges she had writing it. This really helped me get into the right headspace for this book because it’s not an easy read, but it’s an important one.⁣
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This book gutted me in the very best way. I felt such inspiration for Frankie & her fellow nurses for all they are doing while over on the ground during this war.⁣ The way the author crafts these characters, especially Frankie, makes her one of the most memorable characters ever. She’s tough and badass, yet also incredibly flawed. She’s also very inspiring to do what she does in this book. I’m not sure I would be able to take on what she does.

This is such an emotional, tough story to read, yet anytime I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it. This one had me feeling all the feelings. It’s such a layered, complex story that needed to be told and I’m so glad that the author finally felt it was time to do so. And I only hope that everyone picks this one up.

Kristin Hannah has never let me down and this book just proves is. I cannot wait to see what she writes next!

Creative, descriptive, and well-written, author Kristin Hannah weaves another 5 star book!
I know many family and friends who have read this title and have been blow away by "The Women" and many read in one sitting!
Overall a wonderful read, thought provoking, & one I would suggest others dig into!

There is no doubt that this is my favorite book from Kristin Hannah to date. From the first page I was hooked. It was beautiful and sad. I don't know a lot of the history of the Vietnam War since my dad was only a child when it happened. I was astounded at how little recognition women received for their service and were made to feel ashamed for volunteering to save lives. It also bothered me that they weren't considered veterans because the didn't see combat but this novel shows they faced it everyday. I'm so glad we chose this novel for book club and I look forward to learning more about history and the parts that were left out.

Kristin Hannah did it again! I was so immersed in this book, I couldn't put it down. I can't wait to talk about with my book club.

The Women by Kristin Hannah is a masterpiece! 😍 It’s an emotional rollercoaster about fierce, unforgettable women navigating life’s battles with heart and courage. Prepare to be moved and inspired—Hannah’s storytelling is pure magic. 🌟

This was an amazing read, heartbreaking and so hard to read at times, but extremely well done. Shines a light on just one more aspect of the mishandling of our veterans after Vietnam. I have avid Kristin Hannah fans in my library, we have already read it for book club, and I have purchased the title for the library.

The year is 1966, and Frankie McGrath's brother, Finley, has just been sent to Vietnam to fight in the war. After he leaves, she decides that she also wants to try to make a difference with her life, so she enrolls in nursing school and later enlists in the Army. She becomes a combat nurse in Vietnam and the horrors she experiences there change her life forever. However, once returning home, she quickly realizes that the hostile reception of veterans (especially women stationed in Vietnam) is even harder to cope with than war itself. Somehow, despite infinite challenges that come her way, she must find a way to live in her new normal.

First of all, this is a deeply powerful novel. There are many popular historical fiction books written during other periods of time, such as World War II, but few are written about the Vietnam War, making this novel very unique. One of the things I like the most about Kristin Hannah's novels is that she makes it her mission to tell these stories from an important perspective that is typically overlooked (in this case, the women who served in Vietnam). While difficult to read at times, I think this is a novel that is important for a wide audience to read, because it contains critical history that is often less discussed than other events in American past. I also think it can help a lot of people empathize (at least partially) with veterans in their lives, especially those in Vietnam, who might otherwise be hesitant to discuss their experiences. The only thing I did not like about this book was the romantic aspect and the love interests. I think the book could have been just as good without these parts or at least with less of these parts. Overall, I am really glad this book exists and I would recommend it to just about anybody!

4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This book was wonderful - I have enjoyed her other titles and this one did not disappoint.
I enjoyed the character development and the description of life during the war at home and abroad.
i look forward to her next book.

“Women can be heroes.” When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these unexpected words, it is a revelation. Raised and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on being a good girl. But in 1965 the world is changing, and she suddenly imagines a different path for her life. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, Frankie impulsively joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path. What comes next is the chaos of war and the unexpected trauma of coming home, portrayed by beloved author Kristin Hannah. Unlike Hannah's other novels, I found more telling rather than showing in this narrative, which was disappointing from an author of this caliber. Readers who are captivated by The Women should definitely check out Home Before Morning by Lynda Van Devanter (1947-2002), a memoir of the author’s experiences as a combat nurse in Vietnam. It’s an unforgettable book that really reveals how much of Kristin Hannah’s fiction is rooted in reality.

I didn't realize I had this on ARC and had gotten it from the library! I need to pay better attention to my ARCs and get caught up. Lovely book, just like all Hannah's work. Vietnam from a woman's perspective which puts a much needed new spin on this historical time which is often overlooked and underserved. Highly recommended as all of this author's books!

Is there ever a Kristin Hannah book that doesn't deliver? Started a little slowly, but definitely became engrossed easily.

This was an incredibly moving and obviously well researched novel that provides a much needed spotlight on an often overlooked population. Highly reocmmended.

While this book is a good read for anyone who doesn't already understand the horrors of the Vietnam War, as a history teacher, I found it a tough read. I felt that the nonstop death and carnage needed to be better balanced out by compelling relationships between the characters. To me, the love stories in particular felt very surface level. It felt like the men were choosing Frankie and she had little say in it. And her attraction to them seemed based purely on physical chemistry and the attention they gave her. It was difficult for me to feel drawn into these romances in a way that balanced out the depressing nature of the rest of the narrative.

4.5 stars!

Kristin Hannah is one of my favorite authors, so I feel like I need to explain when I give a book of hers less than 5 stars. Don't get me wrong; I loved this book! This is probably my favorite of hers after The Great Alone, though I haven't yet read them all. I need to trust my historical fiction authors because yes, it's fiction, but I also learn so much from these books. I trust Kristin Hannah and her research. I feel like I learned a lot about the Vietnam War through the eyes of these women and I hope to learn more in the future.

Critiques: I felt a bit disconnected from Frankie. Why does every man fall in love with her? It seems a bit unlikely. It also felt like every tragedy was thrown at this character to see how much she could stand. It became tiresome, which could be why I felt disconnected from her. There were some plot twists that I didn't buy and a situation with her medical team that bothered me.

I loved following the women during and after the war. It was messy for Frankie at times and the story showed the challenges of being a veteran. Loved the female friendships, complex family dynamic, quick pacing, and flawed characters. I teared up at the end in true Kristin Hannah fashion. Highly recommend this book!

After Frances's (Frankie) brother is killed in Vietnam, she is determined to go there and finish what he started. Her family was full of military men and she decided that if all that was left was a woman, a woman would go. Frankie became a nurse and was in Vietnam in surgical theatres at age twenty-one. She was shocked at the wounds and the constant death, the napalm burns and the amputations. By the time she came home two years later, her memory was full of scenes she couldn't forget.

One of the worst was the paper that her fiance's father gave her when she went to visit him after her return. Rye was supposed to be coming home twenty-three days after her but instead his father handed her the telegram that announced his death in a helicopter that was shot down. Along with the nightmares and memories, this was too much for Frankie and she entered a spin that lasted for years. By the time she found help, she was addicted to both pills and alcohol.

As she recovered from addiction, she was told she had to find a new passion. She found it in helping other women who had been to Vietnam. Many people believed no women had been there but there were nurses, Red Cross volunteers, administrative staff and in all, over ten thousand women are estimated to have been in Vietnam during the war.

This was my first Kristin Hannah book. I can tell that much research went into this and I also didn't realize how many women served in Vietnam. I was in high school during the war and remember the march on Washington. My first year in college I remember the night of the draft lottery where numbers were drawn and young men discovered if they would be drafted or not. I remember how poorly our soldiers were treated upon their return and how controversial the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. was. Along with the war, Hannah also explores the romantic lives of Frankie and her best friends, both of whom returned before she did. This book is recommended for readers of historical and women's fiction.