Five phenomenal stars for this powerful read by Kristin Hannah. Definitely going up there as my favorite of hers so far. This story takes you back to the Vietnam war and the role women played that was rarely ever mentioned by society.. The extraordinary nurses of the Vietnam War, they were there, and they were heros!

Hannah's characters are always devastating in that they reveal to us our strength and weaknesses as humans. The Women is no different. As with all her others that I have read, I am always left wondering what I would do in these situations and I guess that is the beauty and purpose of a historical fiction novel. To remind us of the difficult decisions many before us have made. A must read if you are a fan of this genre.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the early eARC.

Kristin Hannah has done it again! Wow, what a book. I could picture every scene in Vietnam and feel the emotions throughout. It was powerful and realistic and handled a difficult topic with tact and dignity. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for providing the book for review.

I wanted to love this book as much as I've loved all of the other Kristin Hannah books and I'm not sure my reasons for not loving it are 100% valid. I couldn't get past my uncomfortable-ness being in the middle of the crossfire. Reading this book just made me feel icky and depressed--kudos to Hannah for being an amazing author and making me feel all the feelings. Feelings shifted a bit toward the end of the book, but overall, this book was just a tough read for me.

This is a perfect addition to Kristen Hannah's blacklist. It will be popular with those who read and love her books. I don't know if this is a first time reader of Hannah pick though

Kristin Hannah has a way of writing that sweeps you back in time and place, and is able to quickly immerse you in the story. I haven’t read much about the Vietnam era, so The Women was able to provide me with a much greater understanding of the events during the 60s-70s.

I appreciated the premise that women can be heroes, and felt that Kristin highlights the pain of these events being pushed to forgotten status.

For me, Four Winds, Kristin’s previous book, felt dark and heavy. Although The Women tackles tough subject matter, I felt there the redemption and growth was much stronger in this novel. I couldn’t put the book down,

I would highly recommend this book, just make sure you clear your calendar for two days because you won’t be able to put it down.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing access to a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The details in this book were overwhelming. It made me fall in love with the setting but I felt that the characters became lost in the minutiae. What I wanted more of became too overshadowed. That being said this is a very meticulously researched book that will appeal to those looking to learn more about this era.

Amazing story about women in Vietnam and one woman's struggle when she came home. First book I ever got tears in my eyes by reading it. Best by Kristin Hannah to date. She takes very difficult subject matters and turned it into a beautiful book.

There are a lot of triggers in this book and she dealt with them beautifully

Triggers: War, Vietnam, Field Hospitals, Blood, PTSD, Suicide Attempt, Miscarriage, Drug/Alcohol Abuse

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC

The Women by Kristin Hannah

As always, I will jump at the chance to read a Kristin Hannah book. Her historical fiction novels from a woman’s perspective are among my favorites.

The Women is the story of Frankie, a young woman, raised in a proud military family whose brother is leaving to serve in Vietnam. At just 18, she surprises her family and joins the Army to serve as a nurse. This is the story of her experience in Vietnam and when she returns home.

I expected so much from this book, but I was disappointed. The story was predictable and full of tropes. The trajectory of her life held no surprises at all. I felt like I was reading the female version of Forrest Gump, complete with cameos by famous historical figures. But unlike Forrest Gump, there were no sub-plots and side characters were not developed at all, they just served to support Frankie.

It did not seem there was much research on the part of the author. When I read quality historical fiction, I want to learn something new. I learned absolutely nothing during this read. Maybe younger readers will gain a little insight, but anyone over 50 will not.

The description of the time in Vietnam was interesting, and in true Kristin Hannah fashion, the reader was immersed in the damp, hot, mildewed environment of the camp. But that was as far as the experience went.

This book was written to share the greatly ignored contribution of women during the Vietnam war, but other than Frankie, their story is still unwritten and they deserve so much better.


Thank you to the author and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Wow! This is yet another magnificent addition by gifted writer Kristin Hannah to the pantheon of historical fiction. She has eloquently captured the heart and soul of America as it works its way through the Vietnam War years. The story is told through the life of a young nursing graduate who when challenged, believed that women can be heroes too. As her naval pilot brother heads off to war, Frankie enlists in the Army Nursing Corps. She had no idea what serving in Vietnam entails and was quickly baptized in the cauldron of war. Sure, she was green to start but her bunkmates embraced her, encouraged her and celebrated her can-do approach. Surely, her parents will be proud of all she has achieved and after two tours, she heads home. Will she be able to fit in after all she's been through? Will she be recognized for the service she gave? Will she survive back in her old world? These are among the many questions Frankie must face...alone.

Ms. Hannah knows her history and has done a Herculean amount of research to deliver such a thorough and informative story. Into it she imbues a rich tapestry of lush scenery, the ugliness of war and a vast array of emotions. The reader becomes fully invested in the life of Frankie. We ride the emotional rollercoaster right beside her, the entire way. (It's best to keep the tissue box nearby.) We cheer for her as she conquers fears, disappointments and setbacks. Through it all, hope prevails.

Having grown up in the Vietnam era, I was familiar with the events touched upon in the course of the narrative. Yet I was far too young to understand the politics and fickleness of public opinion. This book opened my eyes and heart to a far deeper understanding of what had transpired back in the 60s. This is an outstanding and well written story that I will gladly share with all my bookish friends.

I am grateful to St. Martin's Press for having provided a complimentary uncorrected digital galley of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.



Anticipated Publication Date: 02/06/2024
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
ISBN: 978-1250178633
No. of pages: 480

Wow! Bravo to Kristin Hannah who once again wrote an amazing book. The Women tells the story of the brave female nurses over in Vietnam. Frankie (Frances) McGrath grew up in Coronado, CA with the Navy practically in her backyard. The book opens with her brother Finley about to leave for Vietnam, and shortly after, Frankie feels compelled to put her nursing education to good use by serving as well. Its hard to even put in to words what she encounters- soldiers missing numerous limbs, operating while under attack, constantly losing friends, and other unimaginable horrors. She perseveres with the help of her bunkmates, Barb and Ethel, who help her adjust not only overseas, but also when she comes back home.
I was born in 1977 so Vietnam was over, but I have an uncle who served and my ex-husband's father died from Agent Orange exposure. I know that Vietnam Vets came home to conflict and tenuous circumstances but I guess I never really though about what coming home and readjusting was like. The book changed that. It forced me to think about it, and I'm glad that it did. I think this was well written, and I like that it is from the perspective of women, who got even less respect for serving.
Absolutely wonderful read.
Thank you to NetGalley, Kristin Hannah and St Martin's Press for access to this ARC.

Frankie McGrath, raised in charming, perfect, protected, Coronado Island by charming, perfect, county club members, decides to follow in her big brother’s footsteps and be a hero, serving her country in Vietnam.

I was hesitant to read this one at first. I’m not overly fond of war-related books. It struck me, though, that It never crossed my mind to realize that there were women in Vietnam. I had seen M*A*S*H and was aware that all of the Army Surgical hospitals had female nurses, but it never once made the connections that there were real, live, female nurses serving in the war. They were there; holding lives in their hands as bombs went off around them, but their service went unrecognized. It's heart-breaking and shameful to realize.

This novel was about so much more than what Frankie experienced as a nurse in Vietnam during her early twenties. It was about how those experiences would change her and change her world in ways that nobody could have prepared her for.
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Frankie struggles to find purpose and fulfillment upon her discharge, returning to a world that not only does recognize her service but often makes her feel shameful. Frankie learns to soldier on, get over it, not talk about it, but silencing her demons isn’t that easy.; she suffers with addiction, and flashbacks and finds herself unrecognized and unwelcome in support groups for Vietnam Vets. .

This is a good read, and touches on themes of addiction, alcoholism, sexism and PTSD. The characters felt a little flat to me and the romantic relationships all a bit rushed. I would have liked the characters to have been rounded a bit more.
4 Stars

I was deeply moved by this book. Kristin Hannah has does it again. I am old enough to remember the war in Vietnam--I saw the horror of the war every night on the news, and I watched they way our veterans were treated as they came home. I always thought the war was wrong, but I always respected our soldiers, and knew young men who had lot their lives. Our current generation has forgotten. Every one of them should read this book learn how it used to be here. I highly recommend it. Thank you to NetGalley for an arc and for no pressure for a positive review.

"When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these unexpected words, it is a revelation. Raised on idyllic Coronado Island and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing, being a good girl. But in 1965 the world is changing, and she suddenly imagines a different choice for her life. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she impulsively joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path."

Thank you so much Kristin Hannah and NetGalley for this eARC. I COULD NOT put this book down. As always Kristin Hannah masterfully takes you back to another time and makes you look at history and question everything. First, let me say loud for everyone there were definitely women in Vietnam. Women who brought back heartache, tragedy and PTSD partnered with courage. The story of the women of Nam' grabbed me and didn't let me go until the last word. There were so many emotions from beginning to end.

This will be a bestseller in 2024 I just know it and cannot wait to add a copy to my library. “Women can be heroes, too.”

Allllll of the stars for this spectacular book! The characters were fierce and tenacious. I absolutely LOVED the main character and was wholly invested in her story. This is a sweeping tale about the strength of women. To say I loved it would be an understatement. I went through the entire realm of emotions while reading this book. The author does a fabulous job weaving a tale and DANG, this was a good one.

3.5 stars - rounding up to 4. As a history enthusiast, I loved learning more about the often-overlooked Vietnam War from the fictional perspective of a young army nurse, Frankie McGrath. I definitely left the story with a newfound sympathy for all soldiers who served in the war and for the women nurses who were not only part of the unhonored veterans but were not viewed as true soldiers. Anytime I leave a historical fiction book wanting to research more about that time in history, I consider it a success.

The story itself did not pull me quite as much as some other works from Hannah. It was quite slow-moving at times. I felt almost half of the fluff could be cut to keep up the pace. Frankie also is not the most likable character at times although I believe that is intended to show the true results of post-war PTSD. I couldn't help but see the author's hand in the story, especially when the characters talked about women's rights. It didn't seem natural.


SPOILER:
Man, I wished Frankie would have returned to Henry and discovered that he was what true love was after all in the end. He was the only male character I liked throughout the story. It didn't seem believable that he would sit down as her non-partial counselor after everything they'd been through together. What a bunch of asshole men poor Frankie had to encounter. Not really happy she ended up with Jamie. A bit too convenient.

Kristin Hannah was born with talent and she somehow continues to improve upon hew own brilliance from book to book.

The subject matter is tough, but the writing and story was beautifully done.

I love the smart, strong and intelligent women in this book, in the setting of a war for which women were never mentioned as a part of before. I did not like that after all that, Frankie is still victimized by a man… that for all her strengths she falls for the obvious and stupid lies of Rye. I felt unsympathetic to her plight in that regard. Overall it was a good read.

I’m so grateful to see Frankie’s story told all the way through. I was a history and psychology major in college, with a concentration in 20th century American wars. I can still remember the look on Professor Linderman’s face when he talked about the tragedy of the way Vietnam vets were met when they came home. He was my introduction to much of the memoir and fiction of war, and I still have my notes from that class, the only notes I saved from college. One of the writers I came to through him was Tim O’Brien, whose writing helped me understand what the POW bracelet I’d worn as a young girl meant.

I sure hope there is an appetite for this story now — the experiences of women in this war; it ought to be known to everyone. I fear our idea of women at war is far too shaped by HotLips Hoolighan from MASH. I know this book is going to help change that.

It is, IMHO, the best book Kristin Hannah has written. And the most important.

I’ve posted about the book on Facebook and I Instagram, and I’ll certainly do all I can to support this book.

4.5⭐️ rounding up to 5⭐️

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

WOW I don't know what to say. I may have shed a tear or two getting through the end of this book 🥲
This is my second Kristin Hannah novel, and her writing is fantastic. She has a beautiful way with words and sure knows how to get a reader into their feelings.
Frankie is such a complex character. We got to see her grow and then decline and then grow again. It was real. Most books we get linear character development, but linear character development would have made no sense with Frankie. I applaud Kristin Hannah for showing how difficult it was (and still is) for war veterans to come back into society. It was heartbreaking to read Frankie's story.
The storytelling did seem a little bit choppy at times, but it was still beautifully done. I do wish we got to see more backstory before jumping into Frankie's time in Vietnam. I think it would have made me care more for her from the start.
Overall, loved this one. I couldn't put it down. When this comes out on February 6th, you all better read this.