The Women is the most captivating historical fiction novel I've read, I would say one of the most important books I've ever read. It tells the story of Frankie a young woman coming of age during a very significant time in American and world history.

“Women can be heroes, too.”

These words will prove to have the power to change Frankie's life in ways she couldn't even imagine when she walked into the Army recruiting office one afternoon. She like many grew up in a household proud of the men who had served their country during times of war. I found it refreshing to find this book was set during the Vietnam War, my knowledge of this time is much more limited than that of WW2 which has been written about often, endless movies and taught to us in school. Hannah is indeed a master storyteller and draws an intimate portrait of a young woman going to war and the endless ways this shapes her with a backdrop of history that at times makes you feel like you are there. You almost feel the anxiety, the urgency and horror these men and women went through.

I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in world history, it is a beautiful, tragic and heartbreaking story but the subject matter is so important. I wish I had read this book before visiting the Vietnam War memorial in DC, it certainly carries a different meaning now.

If you like historical fiction and Kristin Hannah, then you will love The Women. It was really refreshing to pick up a historical fiction that doesn't focus on WWII. I think I have only read maybe one or two other books focused on the Vietnam War.

Although this book is big, the pacing is quick. At only a fifth of the way through, so much had already happened in the story, and I kept wondering what direction it was going to take. I usually feel queasy when I read graphically depicted injuries, but I felt okay reading this. Knowing that it was real things that happened to real people, and not just written for shock factor, I was able to stomach through.

This book was a good reminder about how Americans thought about the Vietnam War. Not just the soldiers who fought there, but even the civilians. It seems unfathomable that civilians treated Vets the way that they did when they returned home, but they were misdirected in their anger. Their government lied and withheld information from it's citizens so they took their emotions and directed them at the next closest thing, the Vets. This book is also a big insight into how we treat Vets regarding the resources they need, especially with mental health.

At many times, my heart hurt for our main character Frankie. She went through so much at such a young age. She had to fight for a lot of things along her journey.

Overall I loved this book. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

Heartbreaking, raw, emotional, inspiring, incredible. Kristin Hannah has written another 5-star read. This is the first historical fiction book I have ever read about the Vietnam war and it was so incredibly done. She really showed so many different characters and perspectives while also giving us a main character that I absolutely loved.

If you like any of Kristin Hannah's other books - you will love this one. Highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

I just finished reading my advanced copy of The Women by Kristin Hannah and I'm sitting here trying to unpack my emotions and find words to give this title the review it deserves. I grew up in the Vietnam era, and while I wasn't old enough to serve in the 60's, I remember many of my classmates going to Nam in the early 70's. My dad was a Marine Corps fighter pilot. He trained pilots for combat in VN and did a tour himself between 67-68. By all accounts, I should have grown up without his presence, but I was lucky. My dad came home in one piece. Many of my friend's fathers did not.. It did not even occur to me that women would have gone there. I don't know WHY, because there we no "male nurses" back in those days, so of course it would have been women. Kristin Hannah has brought their story into the light. Years ago, I worked with a charge nurse in our local hospital. She was a combat nurse. I had no idea - and now I wish I had been able to tell her thank you, but how was I supposed to know? Nobody told me. Nobody even talked about the women.

This novel tells a small piece of what I can only assume is a much much bigger story, and I applaud Kristin Hannah for stepping into the void and once again telling a powerful story, using her writing chops to bring these forgotten women out into the mainstream conversation, and giving them voices and faces so that those of us who, like me, didn't know, have no excuse for not acknowledging the huge debt of gratitude we have to them - for being the last woman many of them saw, for being a comfort to them in their last minutes, for holding their hands when we could not, for being there when they were alone and frightened. For being the heroes that we could not recognize after they came home physically bruised and emotionally battered.

By telling Frankie's story, she has told us the story of all of them, and if you have a woman veteran in your life, tell her thank you. Tell her today.

Thank you, once again, Kristin Hannah for writing a story that changed my world.

WOW, what a book!! I finished this book in just 2 days! This was my first Kristin Hannah book and it certainly won't be my last. This book took me on such an emotional rollercoaster in the best way possible. I knew soldiers were not treated well after this war, but I had no idea there were women that served, and I never heard about their story and how they were treated. I learned so much throughout this book. I really liked that there were additional resources at the end. I have been talking to friends about this book non-stop since I read it, and I will be recommending it to everyone at the library. I haven't read Kristin Hannah before, but I would still say this is an excellent first book to read by her. This will hands down be in my top 5 this year, and this book will be sticking with me for a long time!

This may be my favorite Kristin Hannah book so far. I read this book a few weeks ago and still think about it. I loved the time period and historical context that she gave this book. I feel like this time period is not covered a ton in historical fiction like WWI and WWII.

The Women has all of the things we love as Kristin Hannah books typically do, and I feel like the character development is deeper than some of her other books. I cannot say enough good things about this book and everyone should read it.

This book was so amazing and I read it is being made into a movie and I hope they do it justice! This book is set before, during, and after the Vietnam War. It follows 3 nurses Frankie, Ethyl, and Barb. Three completely different women but they bond in a way that is incredible. This book is absolutely heartbreaking and terrifying at times. It is written so real you feel as if you are right there in Vietnam. The characters are amazingly real! You feel what they feel, you see what they see, and see all of their ups and downs. I did not want the book to end. I received an advanced copy and all opinions are my own.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced readers copy in exhange for my honest review!

**Spoilers ahead**
I wanted so much to love this book and was so excited to read it as a nurse and big fan of Kristin Hannah. I will preface and say this is not actually a very happy story. The bulk of the book is about a nurse veteran of the Vietnam War who is deeply impacted by untreated PTSD, and much of the story depicts her suffering once home.

Things I liked: Camaraderie between the nurses felt very real to how your nurse colleagues can sometimes become lifelong friends. Loved the dynamic between Frankie, Ethel, and Barb. I also loved Frankie’s grit and willingness to push herself beyond her comfort zone in her role as a surgical nurse. She built major trust within herself and her skills and her personal growth and shaping of her identity felt very authentic.

What I did not like: Frankie’s parents’ inability to acknowledge her sacrifice and heroism upon returning home was awful (upsetting because wide refusal from American society to acknowledge both men and women as heroes coming home from Vietnam seems to be how it was in real life). As a result of being silenced and invalidated by her family, she processes her pain and PTSD with drugs and alcohol. She is also gaslit and outright refused care when she shows up at two different hospitals for help. Necessary to the story, but made me mad/heartbroken. Also, some of the technical medical/nursing jargon/happenings wouldn’t fly in reality (several mentions of the OR with multiple patients inside, when real life patient to team ratio is 1:1; penrose drain for IV starts is not common practice; drinking alcohol before shift is a hard no, etc.), but it did not entirely derail the reading experience. Questionable ethics (multiple crichothyrotomies performed by nurse Frankie which are not typically within a RN’s scope of practice). Pacing seemed rushed at times (multiple quick in and outs on airplanes/helicopters and Frankie was extremely quick to fall in love several times with very minimal lead up).

I was happy with the ending as Frankie moves away from her family and finds a way to help other female veterans as they come home. Her family finally validates her experience at war, but it’s painful how long it takes. Beautiful book, but very heavy emotionally.

Kristin Hannah is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors and this book is no exception to my streak of 5 star reads by her!

This is a heartbreaking story about the nurses in the Vietnam war and their lives once returning home based on true stories from the women that served. You can tell that the author did extensive research and took her time writing this impactful book and it’s one I will never forget ❤️

This book made my top 5 for 2023 for so so so many reasons:
1. The women in this story are so incredible… they endured so much yet continued to volunteer their service, both in Vietnam and in war efforts at home, despite the trauma and losses they had experienced
2. The writing is phenomenal, KH is truly one of the best out there
3. The emotions were so real and raw and just everything, I cried so much while reading yet I would do it all again
4. The ending was everything I could hope for… these amazing characters were able to heal together and they absolutely got everything they deserved
5. The female friendships that were formed… Frankie, Barb, and Ethel are some of the most inspiring characters I’ve met

“Women can be heroes.”

*tw: mentions of ptsd, violence, pregnancy loss, substance abuse, war, mental health

read if you like: powerful women, emotional reads, historical fiction, female friendships, Vietnam war, amazing nurses ❤️

Wow! Reading this book was like watching a movie in my mind. The descriptions are so real, I literally winced and looked away from my kindle more than once. The roller coaster ride of emotions, the raw honesty, the hurt and the anger, the pain, and the injustice. The lifelong bonds of friendship and support that were made. And the ending, the ending moved me to tears. This story is a story that was just waiting to be told and I can't think of a better person to tell this story than Kristin Hannah. This is a must read!

This was another fantastic read by Ms. Hannah. What a unique perspective on the Vietnam War. This book took you on an emotional roller coaster and made it feel like you were immersed in this time period. I felt for Frankie through each of her trials and enjoyed watching her grow as a veteran in the aftermath of the War. So many feels during the intense scenes of the war and then in the horrible treatment after the fact.

As a proud daughter of a Vietnam Veteran and a volunteer with the Honor Flight Network, I am so grateful that Kristin Hannah wrote this book. It is time the stories of our Vietnam Veterans are told so that we can try and understand what they experienced and how they were treated. It was even harder for female veterans as they weren’t even recognized by fellow vets for their service, but many suffered from the effects of war. Frankie joins the Army as a nurse to make her parents proud. She has to learn to believe in herself and overcome her fears. How friendship bonds can often become stronger than family bonds, but you have to learn to let them in. I could not put this book down! I thought about the characters even when I wasn’t reading the book. This is a must read!

What an incredible story. I’m not sure I’m going to be able to find the words to do it justice. It was an emotional roller coaster - being afraid for Frankie; rejoicing in her friendships; being so angry at the treatment of the women who returned from Vietnam; wanting to reach through the pages to help Frankie through the years of suffering once she returned stateside. This story is a masterpiece. Hannah is an expert storyteller.

This book was difficult and emotional and wonderful. I was mourning with Frankie and rooting for her the entire book. Even when she does something you don't agree with you understand where it's coming from. This was so well written.

Wow, I felt like I had to come up for a big gulp of air after finishing this book. requested this book with no idea what it was about because Kristin Hannah writes a new book, I'm gonna read it. I finished it feeling like my education on the Vietnam War had been an utter joke. I felt as though I'd been there and back with brave Frankie McGrath. It is heartbreaking and powerful; to see how awful the war was and even more so how awful our country was to those who came home nearly made me physically ill. This is a story I think we needed and Kristin Hannah thoughtfully tells it. Frankie McGrath is a character that I will not soon forget. Kristin Hannah has another bestseller here, but more importantly she is telling a story that's been too long pushed aside and forgotten.

I’ve been a fan of Kristin Hannah for some time, and The Women once again reminded me why I love this author. Kristin Hannah is a storyteller!

The Women follows Frankie as she embarks on a journey into Vietnam. From enlisting to coming home, the novel travels with Frankie through it all.

I especially appreciated the pacing of this novel and the spanning throughout Frankie’s tour and the realities of coming home from a controversial war as a woman.

I cannot recommend this novel enough for fans of Kristin Hannah and all historical fiction. A must read!

Thank you St. Martins Press for the arc of THE WOMEN. I’ve been a Kristin Hannah fan for years so I was eager to dive in.

While THE WOMEN had Hannah’s easy to read style and a period in history I don’t know much about, that is about all that intrigued me. This read was gory, depressing (which is to be expected for the plot of the story,) and not for the feint of heart.

There was a lot of action yet not much actually happened and I found it to be repetitive. I’m certainly in the minority on this one after scrolling through Goodreads so I’d take my review with a grain of salt and find out for yourself.

I am speechless, unwell, and simultaneously in love with this book, which just might be kristin hannah’s best yet 🥹💔

following frankie, a nurse serving her country during the vietnam war, this book made me go through ALL of the emotions!!! my final cry count was 8 times (and that was both from sadness, anger, and pure happiness)!!!

I absolutely adored the women that this story was surrounded with - between the purist angel ethel and take-no-shit & would die for you barb, I was inspired by each and every powerful women in this story 🥹 I cried and mourned right along with them, and let me tell you, the pure rage that I felt in the entire second half of this story was UNREAL!!! especially as someone who has been discounted solely for being a women before

the turmoil of the country during this time period made the story itself that much more powerful. during a time when vietnam was a dirty word, it was so heart wrenching to see the struggle of veterans to adjust and find their new place in the world. and that full circle moment for frankie at the end made me completely burst in tears 🥹🥹 she deserved the world okay

kristin hannah’s writing is always beautiful, but this one takes the cake for me - it had all of the same rawness of THE NIGHTINGALE mixed with a more modern story that a ton of readers can relate to. I love that kristin hannah chose these women to spotlight in this book because they deserve it the most!!!!

thank you to st martins press and netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! I can already tell this is going to be a favorite read this year 🥹

rating: 5 stars
wine pairing: vang da lat superior red (vietnam has a growing wine culture!! vang da lat uses 100% table grapes, which are usually only used for grape juice, to make it more affordable for everyone in the country!)

Wow wow wow. This book was amazing. Kristin Hannah writes the most incredible, heartbreaking yet heartwarming stories. It’s a story of war- a war I admittedly know very little about- but also a story about a woman and her unique journey through that war and beyond. 100% recommend this book to everyone and it will absolutely be one of my top books of the year.

4.5 We Were There Stars! What an amazing read about a very divided time in our history. This one will put you through a gamut of emotions. This storyline will put you through the wringer. Absolutely worth the read.