The Women is a novel of my generation, and although I never served in the military, Kristin Hannah brings the Vietnam War to the forefront and brings back my many memories of that era. Perhaps because an aunt had served as a nurse in WWII, I was aware that women served in this war too; it always seemed odd to me that the women who served in Vietnam were overlooked time and again. In her new book, The Women, Hannah changes that through her story of Frankie McGrath, an Army nurse. Hannah highlights the two wars that Frankie waged: the war during the war, trying to save the lives of men who were wounded in the fighting just after their injuries, and the war against the memories that traumatized her after her return stateside. Frankie's brother, who was killed in the war, was honored on her father's "wall of heroes," photos of family members who had died in war. But, just as the man who spat at her in the airport where she had landed on her way home from her two years in-country, her father was ashamed of her, too. He lied to his friends about where she had been (studying art in Florence) and it took the deterioration of her life in the years following her return, to change his mind. Throughout both wars, Frankie was supported by the unquestioning love of her two best friends, fellow nurses Ethel and Barb, even as she bought into lies that men told her, suffered a miscarriage, probably caused by her exposure to Agent Orange, and gave in to addiction. Frankie's mother also provided support as she could and after the realization that Frankie was not the 'good girl' she thought she had raised. As readers of Hannah's work have come to expect, her, writing brings her story and Frankie to life vividly and the extensive research she did for the book is apparent. I both read and listened to this book and am appreciative of Julia Whalen's wonderful narration. Her voice echoed in my ears whenever I read words on the page. Add The Women to your reading lists. Library readers will be eager to read it as will book club members.

Haunting, wonderful. This story should have been told years ago. The words “women” and “ Vietnam” are rarely mentioned in the same sentence and should be. Thank you, NetGalley for an advanced copy.

Frankie McGrath comes from a long line of war heroes in her family, and when her brother Finley enlists in the Vietnam war she decides she wants to join him as a combat nurse. Newly 21 and just graduating with her nursing degree, she’s inexperienced in life, work, & in love, but she wants to be with her brother and find more purpose in her life than the traditional expectation of women in the 1960s.

Frankie experiences actual hell in Vietnam, as expected, but she also makes incredible life-long friendships, and falls in love. However, war-time is not real life, and with every day feeling like it can be your last… decision making skills can be greatly affected.

With masterful storytelling from KH I learned so much about the Vietnam war I never knew, and my heart is shattered. I didn’t know about so many of these events and that’s just talking about the historical aspect of this book.

The fictional part??? The romance, relationships, friendships + family conflict? Phenomenal. I bawled my eyes out very early on, absolutely fumed, was shocked from the twists (like jaw dropping twists) and eventually felt at peace by the end.The way KH took me through a myriad of emotions, ripped my heart out, shred it into tiny pieces, and then put it back together is nothing short of brilliance.

Julia Whelan absolutely knocked this out of the park with her narration. Her style, tone, ability to alter her voice to sound more masculine, inflection, emotions, and pacing are all top tier. I cannot wait to listen to more of KH’s books on audio now that I see she narrates like all of them!

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan audio, and St. Martin’s Press for the ALC & ARC! This publishes on 2/6/24!

**Spoiler alert** Sigh….I’m going to break one of my basic tenets of never writing a negative review. This book made me angry, along with being very disappointed. The Women had the potential to be one of the best books of the year, and I fully expected it to be my favorite! A highly-anticipated book written by one of my favorite authors, an author who has written so beautifully and emotionally about WWII, the Dust Bowl, and so much more. So, a novel about women nurses in Vietnam, the turbulence of the 60’s, civil rights, women’s rights…felt like a slam dunk. Sadly, to me, anyway, it totally missed the mark. There are things I find in historical, fiction that I find tedious, when it feels like regurgitation of facts—I know the author spent hours and hours doing research, but the constant mentions of fashion and name-brands and military time were unnecessary to the story, and even detracted from the story. Events in historical fiction should happen organically, but at times I felt like I was reading a timeline of current events—I wanted the characters to experience them, but instead we were just given a list of events that were happening. Aside from all that, I didn’t feel the emotion I wanted from the main character and all she went through—it just wasn’t there for me. I kept waiting for the book to live up to my expectations, and then it evolved into a soap opera, with the main character falling in love with not one, but two married men, not to mention characters returning from the dead, at which point it was just ludicrous. I’m not an author, so I question if I should even be criticizing a writer of this caliber, but as a reader I don’t remember even being sadder about a book.

There is no doubt that Kristin Hannah knows how to write about war. Her novel, The NIghtingale, has been wildly popular. I enjoyed Winter Garden, another story set in a difficult war time, even more. So, no surprisse that this latest book is an excellent one.

Here Hannah turns her eye to the Vietnam War era. Interestingly, this time period echoes loudly to today when the U.S. is once again experiencing much division, posturing and an inability for people to listen to one another.

Hannah tells her story thorough Frances Grace (Frankie) McGrath. She is the daughter in a family that venerates men and the bravery of the military. While Frankie is expected to be a “good girl” and to marry, the expectations are higher for her brother. 

Readers learn early on that Frankie’s brother died in Vietnam. Following his death, Frankie, who is a trained nurse, wants to make a difference. She somewhat naively works her way through the military branches until the army accepts her and sends her to Vietnam.

Hannah does an outstanding job of bringing the country to life. Readers will feel the scorching heat and drenching rains. They will find that their heart rate rises at the sound of VC attacks. The scent of blood, the anxiety of being an inexperienced medical provider, the hooch, the officer’s club-all of these and more feel so real.

Frankie does not live in a vacuum. She becomes very close to two other nurses. She also is attracted to Jamie, a surgeon. These characters and many others become known to the reader. 

Readers are aware that there were many who protested the war. What happens to Frankie when she returns from the war zone after her service? Slight spoiler…it will not be easy.

Here is a compelling read. I found Hannah’s last few books to be good but I think that this one is so much better. The Women is not an easy read but it will sear itself into its audience’s heart and mind.

I wish that this book had been given a more distinctive title, not because it isn’t apt but because I think that, it could easily come out lower in any kind of search engine request than it should. It is a book that cries out to be read.

It is probably clear by now that I give this novel five stars.

Note: I alternated between listening to the book and reading it, one of my favorite ways to stay connected with a story as I go for a walk. The narration is superb. Whelan gets the tone and emotion of the story just right.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for this title. All opinions are my own.

You can always rely on Hannah to rip your heart out, pound it into the ground repeatedly, then place it back into your chest battered and bruised, but now with a glimmer of hope. ‘The Women’ was an honest look into the lives of the nurses who served and were then forgotten. Repeatedly told “there were no women in ‘Nam,” by an ungrateful country.

For me, the execution wasn’t quite as perfect as I had hoped, given my past experience with Hannah’s novels, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that it was still a beautiful story. At times plots seemed rushed, others seemed to drag on forever, and certain aspects started to feel redundant. I also had a hard time with the “playlist” introduced. While the music is surely symbolic of a generation and the emotions surrounding our characters, it always felt too convenient and forced to me. These few minor issues can’t detract from all of the beauty in the writing though. Our main characters are well developed, the relationships and horrors are real, the content was well researched, and we don’t just see, but FEEL the emotions throughout the book.

Kudos to Hannah for another hit.

I would highly recommended for all familiar with Kristin Hannah’s work and style of writing. This has a very similar emotional feel to her previous works. If you’re new to Hannah, be warned you’re going to go on an emotional rollercoaster, and it won’t be all sunshine and rainbows. Also, lots of trigger warnings surrounding war, death/loss, trauma, mentions of suicide, etc. Given the topic at hand, be prepared.

This story is for the women who served, from a now grateful county.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this advanced copy.

Another great read by Kristin Hannah. An absolute shocker at the ending. It was great. I highly recommend to others.

I'm not sure what I can say about this book that has not already been said. The rest of my life was pretty well on hold as I was reading it, but things like preparing meals, walking the dog, sleeping kept getting in the way.

The first half of the book was set in Vietnam during the late 1960s. These were my teen years. While I was well aware of the war and the protests against it, living in Canada I had no idea how serious the repercussions were for our neighbours to the south. Most of it was relayed to us as a 2 minute news clip. This story fixed that.

Because the main character was an army nurse in Vietnam, there are some graphic descriptions of injuries and surgeries. But it was real. And just as real was the division between men and women in the armed forces.

The second half was after the war involved the recovery from the war experience. Vietnam veterans had a very, very long road back, complicated by the public's reaction and even the families' reactions. A shameful and ugly fact. They suffered from PTSD, addiction, rejection, and more.

I learned a lot from this book.

Well-written, realistic characters and situations. This book evoked many emotions. Sadness, tears, horror, anger, empathy. At times it was hard to read but I couldn't put it down either. This book visits very dark places, which could be a trigger warning for some readers. But it also shines the light of hope. And, it confirms, there really WERE women in Vietnam.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.🕯️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Maybe that was a fundamental truth: War looked one way for those who saw it from a safe distance. Close up, the view was different.”

I was so honored to receive an early copy of The Women. Kristin Hannah has always been a favorite author and this incredible story is just another reason why I adore her. Her books are always beautifully written and developed and always completely absorbing. This story jumped off the pages and played out like a movie in my mind. That’s how good the writing and storytelling is. I felt like I was there, immersed in the life of Frances “Frankie” McGrath, a 21 year old woman who makes the decision to join the Army Nurse Corps and travel to Vietnam.

I am absolutely blown away by the sheer amount of bravery and determination that Frankie showed. Thrown into the horrors of war in Vietnam, she held her head high, learned all that she could, and became a highly valued surgical nurse. The sights, sounds, and atrocities of the war is so powerfully and vividly told, it was sometimes hard to read. It is emotional and heartbreaking as we follow Frankie and her best friends and fellow nurses, Edna and Barb.

As if the first half of the book is not powerful enough, the second half is where the strongest complexities of the story come into play. The aftermath of Vietnam. The struggles, the challenges, and the horrific treatment of our Veterans. Frankie comes home a very different woman. She has endured so much loss and pain and that fact that no one acknowledges her service, or the service of any of the women in Vietnam makes coping that much harder. Through her own painful journey Frankie will learn that living beyond the horror of war is the hardest battle she will face. She will need to learn to rely on the people that love her. This moving and profound book will tell a story of true heroism, courage and the power of friendship and love. It is absolutely fantastic.

“That was the starting and ending point in life: love. The journey was everything in between.”

*****Publishing February 6, 2024*****

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This book follows the life of Frankie McGrath who comes from a wealthy conservative family where she was sheltered growing up. All she was ever taught was how to be a good homemaker and mother, which would be the expectations set by her parents and society.

At her brother, Finley’s, going away party because he is going to war, she is told by Rye, her brother’s best friend, that “women can be heroes”. This really struck her and made her think.

When she had her first nursing job, it opened her eyes to the world around her. After doing a dead end job and taking care of an injured Vietnam soldier, she decides to join the Army Nurse Corp! How will she handle war? Will she get the experience she is looking for?

When Frankie returns from war, there are protests going on and civil unrest. Frankie is having nightmares and is often spooked by everyday sounds. How will she cope with all she has been through? Can she find a life she is satisfied with? This book will keep you turning the pages to find out Frankie’s fate!

Kristin Hannah, no matter what she writes, is refreshing to read! You can tell she takes the time to meticulously research in order to tell this story accurately and with dignity. She gives you a better understanding of what it was like during the Vietnam War through the eyes of women. Kristin Hannah sheds light and much deserved attention to the forgotten women of the Vietnam War! Anyone who is a fan of Historical Fiction, this is a must-read! Great for book clubs as well as it will lead to many great discussions!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press, I was provided an ARC of The Women by Kristin Hannah via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is an incredible, heart-wrenching, real & very raw depiction of what Vietnam Vets endured during the war and upon their return home. Hannah does an amazing job shining a light on the important role the women played in the war. Hands down my favorite Kristin Hannah book and an easy 5 stars! will be recommending this to EVERYONE I know.

What can I say that hasn't already been said about The Women? It's only January and I already have my favorite book of 2024. This book blows The Nightingale out of the water.

You will feel like you are right there alongside Frankie in Vietnam. You will go through ALL the emotions when she returns home. I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy (plus any and all special editions) just so that I can hug it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Well, Kristin Hannah has done it again. I immediately finished The Women, and whilst sobbing, loudly proclaimed “I love it”. My family looked at me like I was deranged, but they should know by now—books that break my heart are MY JAM!

Set during the Vietnam War, “The Women” follows volunteer nurse Frankie and two of her closest friends, Barb and Ethel. We delve into her experience as a wartime nurse and the aftermath of returning home during historically tumultuous times. Just in case you had your doubts, nurses are freaking awesome.

Hannah masterfully captures the camaraderie, strength, and resilience of these women and she also pays tribute to these often overlooked and unsung heroes.

To say that my heart broke over and over and OVER again while reading this novel would be an understatement. There are so many harrowing situations, so many shattering moments, so much despair. Just when I thought things could not get worse, they got much MUCH worse. If you have lived under a rock and are new to Hannah’s exquisitely moving writing, prepare yourself—things are a little bleak—until they are not. I loved the conclusion to Frankie’s story, so hang in there! The evolution of her personal growth was inspiring. I had a hard time putting this one down and know it will be a win for Hannah fans and under-rock-dwellers alike. I can’t wait to see what you all think.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and 💔💔💔💔💔 for The Women

The Women comes out on February 6. Thanks you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this digital ARC!

Another outstanding Kristin Hannah novel.

This one is about women that served in the U.S. military in Vietnam and their struggles during and after serving. Like all of Hannah's books I was immediately sucked in from the start to the very end. This book comes out in February 2024 so go ahead and pre-order it now!

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.

As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is over-whelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. Each day is a gamble of life and death, hope and betrayal; friendships run deep and can be shattered in an instant. In war, she meets—and becomes one of—the lucky, the brave, the broken, and the lost.

But war is just the beginning for Frankie and her veteran friends. The real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America, to angry protesters, and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam.

The Women is the story of one woman gone to war, but it shines a light on all women who put themselves in harm’s way and whose sacrifice and commitment to their country has too often been forgotten. A novel about deep friendships and bold patriotism, The Women is a richly drawn story with a memorable heroine whose idealism and courage under fire will come to define an era.

curl up and read thoughts

From the very beginning of The Women, I was captivated by the story of women heroes, showing a part of the Vietnam era that I had missed along the way. Always against the war, I couldn’t wait to see how the story unfolded for the nurses who were in the middle of the battle back then.

Their return after their service and how they were greeted by protesters changed how they felt about their status, but gradually they came to view their experiences in a new way, too.

I was especially intrigued by what happened to them afterwards, and how the return of the POWs affected them.

This story kept me rapidly turning pages, and the characters took me back to a time I will never forget: protests, Vietnam, and the songs of the era. A brilliant five star read.

I received my ARC from NetGalley.

This is a heartbreakingly beautiful novel. While Vietnam was over before I was born, I remember hearing about the veterans and how they came home broken. The hatred and angry they came back to was gut wrenching. I can't imagine going through a war (that maybe should have never been) and then being cuss at, spit at, and having people call me names etc. Thank you to the men and women who served in Vietnam and I am so sorry for the reception you received upon your return.

This novel was so heartbreaking. Frankie was a bad ass. She went to war to be closer to her brother thinking she would be considered a hero. The things she saw and endured were unimaginable. My heart broke for her time and time again. Falling in love with a man that was married, then seeing him die.. Falling for a man that knew your brother and thinking that you will be together to learn he was killed in action. The flashbacks and nightmares. Being told at every turn that there were no women in Vietnam. No wonder the veteran turned to drugs and alcohol.

I read through tears through much of this book. Kristin Hannah did a wonderful job of truly making me feel that I understood Frankie and the other women were served in Vietnam. I highly recommend this book.


Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

The novel opens with an introduction to Finely's farewell party. Finely is headed to Vietnam. His father is proud of him. Finely’s sister Frankie is expected to conform to the cultural norms of the early 1960s, which was to get married in a respectable ceremony, have children, and get involved in the same circles as her parents. Conversely, Frankie decides that she can be a hero too, just like her brother, and serve her country while making her family proud. She applies to the Army Nurse Corps, hoping to follow in her brother's footsteps. When Frankie’s family disapproves of her choices her life rapidly changes.

The author transports readers to the mid-1960s, just after JFK was shot in Texas and shows how Frankie could not have been more unprepared for the horrors and tragedies that befell her in Vietnam. I appreciated how the author put the reader in Frankie's shoes as she struggles through life. I value her candor as well as her sorrow, strength, and resilience. The book follows Frankie on a 20-year journey that spans two tours in Vietnam, as she fights for her own survival. Even though, she put her life in danger to defend her country, she returns to find that she is not considered a war hero like the men who fought in Vietnam. Frankie notes how people avoid discussing the war, and even her own family treat her as though she has done something shameful, something they would prefer to keep buried. Frankie quickly learns that the naive, idealized girl her family wants is not who she is and never will be. Her life had changed forever, in Vietnam. She saw horrible things she can’t pretend they never happened. I appreciate the honesty, and how poignant, tough, and resilient these women were.

The author writes a well-crafted, hopeful, compelling novel with endearing characters. It gives a well-rounded overview of the Vietnam War from beginning to end. It’s smart, gritty, and unforgettable. This novel is difficult to put into words and in parts hard to read. I like how the author captures the women’s strength, resilience, bravery, and their determination to save the wounded. It is incredible. Frankie is thankful for her nurse friends who come home before she did. They understood her struggle. They too were told by society to forget the past, move on. These women and their story will pull at your heartstrings, as society, and her family want her to fit back into her old life.

This is an incredibly accurate depiction of Frankie's tragic journey, marked by severe setbacks, battles with addiction, and bitterness toward those who had mistreated and deceived her. The difficult days and nights that these women and the doctors went through was masterfully captured. Frankie is an incredible fighter who is brave, sensitive, tarnished buy war but not broken. With its thorough descriptions of the wounds, limb losses, and fatalities, this narrative is not for the faint of heart. This is an eye opening and educational journey that showed sides of the Vietnam War I never heard about.

This is a thought-provoking story you don’t want to miss. I liked how this story ended on a positive note. This is the first book by this author, it won't be my last

Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book by the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog https://psalm516.blogspot.com/

The Women by Kristin Hannah is a great, authentic account of women who served in the Vietnam War. It is a very moving and heartbreaking book.

Wow! This book is heartbreaking and breathtaking. If I could give it more that 5 stars, I would. I was in grade school and Junior High during the time of the Vietnam War but I can remember many of the events. Kristin Hannah has done a superb job of telling the stories of the women in Vietnam in a very emotional but very realistic way. I am honored that I was able to read this ARC. Thanks #NetGalley #StMartinsPress #KristinHannah

Wow! I didn't think I would like this book as much as I did. Even after the first 100 pages or so, I still didn't think I would like it as much as I did. But once you get attached to the characters, boy does the pace pick up! . I didn't even realize this book was so long because it felt like I could have read it in a day. I've recently just started reading historical fiction so I am not expert on the genre by ANY means. However, I can safely say that this book had me fascinated, in all my feels, and eager to learn more. If this is what I have been missing out on, sign me up for more!

I rotated between the ebook and the audiobook and let it be known that Julia Whelan is a damn queen. I'm so happy I had both options to read because I really couldn't stop reading. I also really appreciated the author's note!

Thank you NetGally, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin's Press for my ALC/ARC!