Kristin Hannah is hands down one of my favorite authors. The Women was a little bit harder for me to get into apart from her others. The first part where she is in country reads pretty slow but it is important to understand what she went through for when she gets back to the states. The book is devastating and I can't believe she had to go through so much. The writing is once again beautiful. The is not a subject I have read on much at all so it was nice to have a historical fiction on something other than WW2. Once again, I can't wait for her next one.

This is my first Kristin Hannah but will not be my last. This book was absolutely wonderful. I devoured this and loved everything about this book even if a lot of it was infuriating because no one would help Frankie.

I was hesitant to read this one after the ultra depressing Four Winds, but I am so glad I did! What an emotional ride! I truly enjoyed the insight into the Vietnam War, specifically the role women had. There were some plot points which didn't work for me, but overall I loved the new perspective I gained with this story.

Kristin Hannah's finest work yet. This is a story that needs to be told and this becomes so much more than just a history lesson. The characters feel real and the problems they face are, unfortunately, part of American history. In the past I've found characters like Frankie to be annoying or insufferable but Hannah made every choice and every mistake understandable. Even if I didn't like the choice, as a reader, and even if I would never do it myself, in real life, I understood what lead Frankie to that point. She was a fully fleshed out human.

The book didn't go where I thought it would and frankly I'm thankful for that because it was a pleasant surprise. While this was far from the darkest book I ever read, it is worth mentioning this book is about trauma.

Overall this is my second favorite Kristin Hannah book with The Nightingale still holding the top spot, but this is a close second.

Oh Kristin Hannah. Oh Bookstagram. You're gonna hate me for this one. After being bowled over by THE GREAT ALONE, THE NIGHTINGALE, and THE FOUR WINDS I honestly couldn't believe that THE WOMEN was written by the same author. Basically, I felt like her writing in this novel did a completely 180 and I found it grating, amateurish, and pretty annoying.

I had a hard time getting lost in the story because everything was predictable and insanely depressing. (Seriously, nothing good happens the MC of this book and after a while it gets almost comical). Also, two people come back "from the dead" in this book. Two! I gasped at the first one but literally rolled my eyes at the second. What a weird plot device to lazily hang your hat on.

While I appreciated an interesting take on PTSD after military service, especially for a woman, everything else felt surface level and the plot was frustrating. I just couldn't with this book, I'm so sorry!

Loved the book. Learned so much about the Korean War and women in the military during that time period. The writing made me feel as if I was right there with the characters.

I know this has become a best seller, and I love Kristen Hannah. Though I found some of the descriptions of war almost too much to bear, it was so important to bear witness to the women who’ve been largely ignored but who played an integral role in Vietnam. Heartbreaking and beautifully written. Please read this especially if you’re too young to have lived through this nightmare and stain on our nation’s history. Well done. And I cried ….

Her best book yet!

Just when you think Kristin Hannah couldn’t get any better, she brings out this gem! Many people are unfamiliar with the Vietnam War since our country never really honored those who fought there- at least not like from other wars. And most don’t know that women were crucial to the war effort and even participated in significant ways over there. This book will change all those misconceptions. It has “all the feels” as well as the depth of research that Hannah fans have come to expect. It will not disappoint and is now my number one pick for 2024.

This was my first KH book and I might give her one more try. I found the writing trivial and felt like she never graduated from her former beach read writing style.

I read this in a couple sittings but it just never *clicked* with me. I’m not great with books where I don’t like the main character, and I was far more interested in reading about Frankie’s friend Barb than I was in Frankie.

5 stars.

I have loved Kristin Hannah for years now. I pick up everything she writes, while not everything fits me her writing is 100% superb and i still enjoy the time spent reading it.

This story takes place during the Vietnam war and Kristin Hannah does so much research and just knocks these kind of stories out of the park every single time. I absolutely loved Frankie. I also liked the side characters Ethel, Barb and all the others that have their roles in this story.

This book is one of the few historical fictions that take place during the Vietnam Era and accurately tell what it was like at the time. Being able to relate this to my father-in-law and what he went through and what caused him to take his life early.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Women is a stunning piece of historical fiction that delves into a subject little explored before in women's fiction. It tells the story of the few brave women who served their country during the Vietnam War in absolutely horrific conditions and very dangerous areas, only to come home from service and be treated terribly by their fellow Americans, as well as be told repeatedly that there were 'no women in Vietnam." Our main character, Frankie, signs up to be an army nurse after losing her brother Finley to the Vietnam War very early in his service. In an effort to make her father proud, Frankie signs up and works hard to find her place on the medical team, improving and growing in leaps and bounds as she saves countless lives and gains lifelong friendships with some of the other nurses with whom she serves. This is such a wonderfully written piece of historical fiction, and I could not put it down. Frankie's tenacity and bravery were unbelievable and the heartache that she endured so unnecessarily was absolutely heartbreaking. This would make an amazing movie, as well.

Did not love this. Parts were excellent and learning about Vietnam was very eye-opening. But she is still an amazing author

Maybe 4.5 stars. Wow this book was heavy. I had no idea what the Vietnam War was like, nor after the war how the vets were received, so this was very intense to read. I feel like Frankie experienced so much and I felt it, reading this before bed made it hard to go to sleep. I think this was a powerful book to read, both to learn more about what the vets experienced but also for the story.

Kristin Hannah does it again. I loved the overall growth that we saw following these characters for so long and the redemptive moments that we had. This was raw and emotional without being overly so (sometimes books like this feel like they are sad and devastating just for the sake of being so), whenever I put this book down I couldn't stop thinking about it. I feel like I learned so much about this time in history and the climate in America which was interesting to me and is the whole reason I read historical fiction! If you love historical fiction with strong female characters, definitely pick this up.

This was my favorite book of the year so far. I was hooked from the beginning all the way through to the end. The character development, particularly for the main character, was done very well. I've never been very interested in the Vietnam War but after reading The Women, I want to learn everything about the war.

The Women was an absolutely fabulous book, that I adored. It made me laugh, cry, and it legitimately broke my heart. Frankie, the main protagonist, goes through so much! Although I thought this would be impossible to have a happy ending, it ultimately gave a satisfying ending that made me happy.

I especially loved the author's note at the end, discussing the book and all the research and interviews that went into a book with the scope that this one had. Although some literary license was taken with some places and locations, this book worked seamlessly, and I really enjoyed listening to the note, read by the author.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for providing an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Hands down, Kristin Hannah is THE BEST historical fiction writer EVER! I will have her on auto buy forever. The Women left me speechless.

An intimate portrait of coming of age in a dangerous time and an epic tale of a nation divided.

Women can be heroes. When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path.

Frankie is my new favorite main character, she is so real and raw. I absolutely loved her. I felt every emotion she felt to my core. She was a true hero.

There was so much about the Vietnam War that I did not know. Kristin Hannah definitely puts so much effort into her research and you can clearly see it. I would say The Women has definitely got a place in my top 3 favorite Kristin Hannah books. I have thought about this story every day since I finished it. Like other Kristin Hannah books, I know I will think about this one for a long time to come. Do not hesitate to read this one.

THANK YOU to my friends at St Martins Press and NetGalley for gifting me this early. All opinions and thoughts as always are my own.

This book had lots of potential. I admire that the author took on writing about both the sacrifices and contributions they make during wars and specifically the much less written about Vietnam war. The book did a great job of focusing on the struggles nurses faced and the details of mental
/health struggles and issues faced by returning veterans. These are often overlooked.

The book captures the war setting vividly: the gory scenes of battle, the heat of the jungle, the stress and exhaustion of war and the resulting PTSD. I felt it was important to expose these for the sake of people experiencing them to receive the empathy and understanding they deserve.

The plot and character were a disappointment to me. France’s “Frankie” McGrath is an entitled, spoiled rich girl. Her character is very much on the surface without displaying the grit she would have needed in a war environment. The book was predictable and the romances were on the cheesy side.and unappealing. While set in Vietnam, there were no substantial Vietnamese characters. I do appreciate the author’s efforts and intentions to write about the Vietnamese war and women’s sacrifices in times of war.

I rounded up my 3.5 rating to a 4. This is not my favorite of the author’s books.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This could very likely be one of my favorite reads of all time. Kristin Hannah has a way to write that sucks you in, forces you to experience every emotion, and leaves you with a book hangover. This book tells the incredible story of the women of Vietnam. The fear, the friendships, the heartbreak, and the lack of recognition of the women who also put their lives on the line in the face of war. The characters, as always were so well developed. The details make this book so easy to devour, and even with longer chapters, I still was able to get through the book rather quickly. I was spending every possible moment I had reading, needing to know what was going to happen next. As someone who adores mysteries, thrillers and psychological thrillers, Kristin Hannah makes me want to read more historical fiction. As mentioned earlier, this would definitely be in the top 5 books I have ever read, and definitely in the top 2 or 3 that I have read so far this year. I cannot stop talking about this book! A huge thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy!

I was worried this was going to be a disappointment compared to the reviews I had seen, but it lived up to every one. Powerful, beautiful and a must read.