This was a beautiful book. If I had to make comparisons I'd say it was like the "Pearl Harbor" movie and "M*A*S*H" tv series colliding, but set during the Korean war. Strong female characters, great plot twists. It faced the seriousness of PTSD and trauma in a beautiful way. The ending was *chefs kiss*.

Wonderfully narrated by Julia Whelan, this story is one we all need to hear and think about. The women refers to the female nurses who went to the Vietnam war and experienced trauma both there and when they returned home. It’s a harrowing story, simultaneously heartbreaking and hopeful.

Another great book by Kristin Hannah. There were definitely women in Vietnam so don't believe anyone trying to tell you differently. I was in Middle School during most of the Vietnam War and remember it being shown on the nightly news. I absolutely loved this book, I laughed, I cried especially at the end. Frankie's character brought me right back in time and I loved traveling through her life with her..

Confession: When I first started hearing about Kristin Hannah’s next book, I wished it wasn’t set during the Vietnam War. I love history and I’m a huge KH fan and will always read her latest, but the Vietnam War… disappointing. After finishing The Women, I am so grateful she wrote about that time and those people. My initial reaction was the reason this book was so important.

The Women is the story of Frankie, a young nurse from a wealthy, patriotic family, whose brother has just left for Vietnam. Her home has a Wall of Heroes (veteran family members) and a comment by her brother’s friend inspires her to put her fresh nursing degree to use and enlist as an Army nurse. Frankie’s time in Vietnam leads her to find love and purpose, but is also horrific and traumatizing. The Women follows Frankie home as she tries to move on after being so changed.

The story-telling is beautiful, with vivid descriptions and gut-wrenching plot twists. The characters are beautifully human. Most importantly, I was introduced to forgotten heroes who deserve to be remembered. I’ll never think about the Vietnam War the same way. I’m a more compassionate and grateful for person for having read it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a reviewers copy. This review reflects my honest opinion.

If you are a Kristin Hannah fan, you will love this one! It was well written and had an interesting subject - the Vietnam War and PTSD. It did not get 5 stars from me because I found the romance aspect to be too predictable. The narrator was excellent.

Another great book by Kristin Hannah! As someone who doesn’t always love historical fiction, I really enjoyed this book! I received an audio version ARC by NetGalley, and was overjoyed when I learned Julia Whelan was the narrator. She is my favorite narrator and made this book extra special. Reading this gave me all the emotions, such a powerful topic that I personally don’t hear enough about. Highly recommend if you are someone who loves Kristin Hannah, Julia Whelan, historical fiction, or just love good books!

Kristin Hannah DOES. NOT. MISS.

The sheer volume of research she puts into every tiny piece of her writing boggles my mind every single time. You'd think I would be used to it by this point, but it takes me by surprise every time.

I loved this, from start to finish, full stop. Frankie McGrath may be my new favorite Hannah female main character. She's passionate, flawed, stubborn as hell, and a fighter even when she's in completely over her head.

As someone who wasn't alive during the Vietnam War, and recieved a very paltry overview of it in my years in school, this gave me so much more context to the war as a whole, and the impact it had on everyone involved (directly or indirectly) afterward.

Plus, you can never go wrong with Julia Whelan. This was just a big ol plate of YES PLEASE.

This is an important book for everyone to read/listen to. It was my first ever audiobook, which I loved because I could listen to while doing chores, but the content is amazing. This is a story about the Vietnam War and women nurses who were there, despite the mantra that “women didn’t go to Vietnam.” The story tells us that what these nurses suffered while in Vietnam was similar to the soldiers who were in combat- and they came home from the war with the same PTSD, the same issues of substance abuse, and being forgotten by the American public. I have not read any accounts like this and frankly, I am surprised that to this day, many of us didn’t really think about the nurses who were there. This story portrays the good, the bad, the trying times when they come home and no one can relate or even believe the women nurses who survived the Vietnam War. Bravo for writing about these very important facts.
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC. I am truly thankful as this book widened my understanding of the world.

Wow, wow wow! Kristin Hannah does it again. It's clear that she does a tremendous amount of research to bring her historical fiction novels to life and her hard work pays off every time. The Women deserves all of the amazing ratings and reviews I've seen so far. This will be a favorite of mine in 2024! Sometimes I struggle to follow along with historical fiction audiobooks, but Julia Whelan did an incredible job and it was so easy and engaging to listen to. Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for sharing the audiobook with me

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @macmillian.audio for the ALC of The Women!

◽️ 𝙈𝙮 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 ◽️
“𝙒𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙚𝙨, 𝙩𝙤𝙤.”

The Women is a moving, powerful, heartbreaking novel featuring twenty year old Frankie McGrath, who signs up to be a nurse in the Army during the Vietnam War, and comes home to a world she doesn’t recognize and that doesn’t recognize her. This story beautifully showcases the life of a combat nurse during wartime and after, when no one believed there were women in the war.

This story is so detailed with important real life events during this time period. The way every single thing was described really brings you to that time period. The war, protests, the memorial, the POWs… the book was well researched and thought out!

The PTSD described in this story and people not knowing what it was or that women could even experience that even as a combat nurse…. it was well written.

I loved the friendship between Frankie and her friends Barb and Ethel. They endured after wartime and they all were always there for one another, even when they lived across the country. I also loved the development of Frankie’s relationship with her parents over time, especially at the very end!!!

Ugh, the heartbreaking love stories in this one!! My heart broke for Frankie and her relationships. I wanted to punch one of the guys for Frankie in this story. I was happy at the end and wanting to know even more about Frankie’s future!

🎧 𝙉𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 🎧
Julia Whelan will immerse you in this wonderfully amazing and sad story! Once Julia started narrating this book, I didn’t feel like I was listening to a story, I felt like I was in the story. Her storytelling is smooth and seamless. Parts of the story where she yelled or cried out as Frankie did, were just so on point… I don’t know how to describe it other than an amazing portrayal of Frankie’s character.

🎧 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚:
🤍 Female character driven stories
🤍 Historical Fiction
🤍 War Stories (some graphic)
🤍 Strong female friendships
🤍 PTSD
🤍 Heartbreaking love stories

Kristen Hannah has written a very important book. She doesn't just tell you about the war in Vietnam, she takes you there. Her descriptions are vivid and emotional. The main character is a young woman who volunteers to be a combat nurse. Her return to the states is filled with the anti war hate experienced by the male soldiers but worse. Kudos to Kristen Hannah for sharing this story with the world. Many scenes brought me to tears. I hope it's not too late to acknowledge these heroes and heroines for serving our country. I was just a little younger than Frankie but I well remember the atmosphere at that time. The mention of music and the description of clothing and lifestyle help to immerse the reader in the time period. Job well done!

Thank you Kristin Hannah!
This book gives voice to the Forgotten Women who served in Vietnam. It is by far one of the best historical fiction novels I have read.
Twenty year old nursing student Frances "Frankie" McGrath decides to follow her brother into war, enlisting in the Army Nurse Corps and shipping out to Vietnam. Upon arriving she is overwhelmed with eye-opening atrocities but soon finds herself in the company of fellow woman who become her friends.
After two years of service little did Frankie know what was waiting for her at home. She was spat on by strangers, her parents were ashamed instead of proud of her and she was being told by everyone "there are no women in Nam". She had to assimilate back into society with no support, invisible in the eyes of her country. She had an extremely difficult time adjusting and this was a time when PTSD was just becoming known.
This moving and profound book tells a story of true heroism, courage and the power of friendship and love.
This is an exceptional story that will bring tears to your eyes as you become emotionally drawn into Frankie's life.
Julia Whelan's stunning narration enhances the story and brings it to life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy of this audiobook.

Another gem from Kristin Hannah the queen of historical fiction. I took off one star because the book started a bit slow for me in the beginning, and I had trouble with some of the time jumps while listening to it on audio (book might be better because you can easily flip back to the dates), but I was fully invested in Frankie's story. Hannah also did a great job with the supporting characters. From Barb to Ethel to Frankie's parents, they all positively contributed to Frankie's story. Julie Whalen as a narrator can do no wrong, and she was a joy to listen to.

I always love how Kristen Hannah can rewrite history by sharing the women's perspective of the time. This novel may be my favorite of her works yet.

I did-not-finished at 60% of the audiobook.
I wanted to like this book from the plot and themes it would dive into, but I could not get behind the characters and storyline of this. I was very intrigued for the first 30% or so but the plot points seemed too convenient and the characters fell flat for me. There are so many paragraphs of random information that didn’t tie into the plot, which left me forgetting what the point of anything was. The writing style didn’t give me a sense of emotion. While I enjoyed the historical aspects I learned from this, I think there are better ways to get this information than through this story.
Thanks NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and unbiased opinion.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the audiobook version of The Women by Kristin Hannah. Narrated by Julia Whelan (the best!) I didn't wanted to stop listening to this story of Frances "Frankie" McGrath, an idealistic young woman who enlists as a nurse in Vietnam.
Frankie, the daughter from a wealthy San Diego family, takes off for the war just as she learns that her beloved older brother, a naval officer, was killed by when his helicopter was shot down by enemy fire. Once she arrives, she quickly realizes how unprepared she is for the horror of war, especially this particular war.
Hannah does a heroic job of portraying the realities
of what the American troops faced in Vietnam, the foreignness of the landscape, the crushing heat and drenching monsoon season, the blood, the mud, the overwhelming deaths of men barely out of high school.
She also attempts to describe the horrific impact on the innocent Vietnamese people, including the children.
It is heartbreaking.
Amidst this chaotic landscape, there are the more personal stories of friendship, romance, and sacrifice.
Frankie is quickly taken under the wings of Barb and Ethel, two experienced combat nurses who teach her how to survive in Nam. Their bond is one of the best parts of this novel, especially as the women return home to an often hostile and unpredictable situation in America, where veterans are treated more like war criminals than heroes.
The novel is split into two halves: the war "over there" and the quieter but at times equally devastating war at home as the veterans face reentry into civilian life. I learned so much about this war, and the hardships faced by those who fought in it.
Could this book possibly have been a bit shorter? Yes, and is Hannah is known for doing in other novels, the miseries that Frankie must face seem a lot even for a combat nurse. But I'm giving this book a wholehearted 5 stars for its scope, the research put into it, and the story that will stay with me for a very long time.

“The Women” by Kristin Hannah, renowned for her masterful storytelling in works like “The Nightingale” and “The Four Winds,” delivers a powerful narrative set against the backdrop of the tumultuous 1960s in America. This novel intricately weaves together the personal journey of Frances “Frankie” McGrath, a young nursing student, with the broader canvas of a nation grappling with war and political turmoil. Frankie’s decision to join the Army Nurse Corps in the midst of the Vietnam War marks a pivotal moment of self-discovery and courage as she navigates the chaos and trauma of conflict, both abroad and at home. Through Frankie’s eyes, Hannah illuminates the often-overlooked contributions and sacrifices of women in times of war, offering a poignant tribute to their resilience and heroism. With its richly drawn characters and evocative prose, “The Women” is a deeply emotional and thought-provoking exploration of one woman’s journey and the collective experience of a generation.

I absolutely loved this book! It brought back so many memories of that time in my life. I was in high school when the Vietnam War was happening. So many of the boys that I was friends with were so nervous about what draft numbers they would be assigned. I was so relieved to discover that my own brother had gotten a very high number and that his hearing loss was significant enough to eliminate him from being sent to Vietnam. I remember that my friends and I had all purchased POW bracelets and wore them every day no matter what. The 1960’s through the 1970’s was a very volatile time. The spread of communism was a major concern, the assassination of President Kennedy was still fresh on everyone’s minds and then the draft was established for Vietnam and so many young boys were called upon to serve their country. As I look back now, especially after reading The Women by Kristin Hannah, I have to admit that I knew so little about what really occurred during that war, especially to the women who served so courageously.

Frances “Frankie” McGrath was brought up on Coronado Island. Frankie and her older brother, Finley, were as close as any brother and sister could be. Finley had just been enlisted by the Navy to serve his country in Vietnam. Frankie’s parents had thrown a party for Finley to celebrate his departure. During the party, Frankie found herself in her father’s office. Above her father’s desk was the “wall of heroes”. All the men in Frankie’s family that had bravely fought in a war were represented on that wall. It was that particular night that Frankie decided that her picture would also hang among the other heroes in her family.

Frankie had recently completed her nursing degree and was working in a hospital. She would volunteer to become a nurse in Vietnam. Frankie was discouraged at first when the Navy, Air Force and Marines told her that she needed to complete at least two years of training stateside before they would even consider sending Frankie to Vietnam, and then it was still doubtful. Not ready to give up, Frankie went to the army recruitment center and was met with positive results. Frankie was recruited by the army and was leaving for Vietnam in a couple of weeks. From now on, Frankie would be known as Lieutenant Frances McGrath. Frankie’s parents were not pleased with her decision. They argued that girls had no place in war. Why had she chosen to do this? There was no talking her out of it.

When Frankie arrived in Vietnam as part of the Army Nurse Corps, she immediately questioned her decision for coming to this country. She had not known what she was expecting but it was not what she saw. There was no easing her way into things. Frankie was immediately made a surgical nurse even though she had no prior training. Any amount of training, though, could never had prepared Frankie for the severity of wounds that she would encounter in Vietnam. They were gruesome and terrifying but Frankie had to make herself numb to the things she saw. Frankie had to learn how to assist the surgeon she was working with and hold the hands of too many dying soldiers. She never imagined that Vietnam would be this bad. Her two bunk members, Ethel and Barb, became her best friends and saviors. The three women developed the kind of friendship that lasted a lifetime. Frankie had originally signed up for one tour or a year’s commitment but near the end of her first year, Frankie knew she could not go home yet. They needed her in Vietnam. She had become an excellent surgical nurse. Even though Frankie was affected by the bombs, the many orphaned and injured children that were brought to the triage center and the numerous deaths she was made to witness, Frankie was proud of all the accomplishments and differences she had made in Vietnam.

It was finally time for Frankie to leave Vietnam and go home to Coronado Island. Both Ethel and Barb had been stateside for a while. When Frankie’s plane landed and she exited the plane, she was not expecting what awaited her. As she made her way off the plane, a large group of protesters were gathered. Frankie was spit at, avoided, called out for killing women and children and told to go back to where she came from. There were no “thank you for serving her country “ or any words of appreciation for her service. This was not anything Frankie could have anticipated. Even Frankie’s parents were embarrassed by her time she served in Vietnam. They would not recognize or honor Frankie’s time in Vietnam. Frankie had a hard time adjusting to civilian life. Every time she heard a loud noise she thought she was back in Vietnam under attack. Frankie was having difficulty sleeping without waking up from terrifying nightmares about Vietnam. The worst thing about being home was that no one believed her when she told them she was in Vietnam. If Frankie heard one more person say, “ there were no women in Vietnam “ she would scream. Not only was she there but she saved more lives than she ever expected to, lost too many friends and survived to come home. Frankie was not the young naive girl she was when she left anymore. Vietnam had changed her. Why did everyone Frankie came in contact with deny that women had served in Vietnam?

When I discovered that Kristin Hannah had written a new book I was so excited! The Women was such a moving book. I was totally captivated by the premise for this book especially since it explored the role of women in the Vietnam War. Never once, had I ever heard the mention of any women or any of their contributions in this war. I applaud Kristin Hannah for her meticulous research and for bringing these incredible, brave and courageous women to life and for telling their stories. The Women was about bravery, friendships, family, dangers, courage, PTSD, adjustments, acceptance, learning how to move on, substance abuse and the effects of war. I listened to the audiobook that was brilliantly read by Julia Whelan, one of my most favorite narrators. In my opinion, The Woman was one of the best books that Kristin Hannah has ever written. It touched all my emotions. I thought I knew a lot about the Vietnam War but apparently I was mistaken. The brave women who placed their lives in danger and gave selfishly to help the wounded have earned my respect and honor. Thank you for all you did and for all you suffered when you returned home. Kristin Hannah’s author note at the conclusion of The Women was inspiring and very informative. The Women was a true five star book for me and I highly recommend it.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of The Women by Kristin Hannah through Netgalley in exchange for an honest and voluntary review

This book changed my life! This is definitely one of my top ten favorite books. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes historical fiction!
"The Women" by Kristin Hannah educated me about a lot I did not know- about the Vietnam War and how women were treated during this time. I found it particularly interesting because I was born in '68 and the Vietnam War was 1955-1975, so it really is history that partly occurred during my lifetime that I didn't know much about.

Francis a.k.a. Franky McGrath is a nurse who volunteers to go to Vietnam. She is sent to the front lines and eventually does trauma surgery nursing for the army. The first part of the book depicts this time during the war and her service in it. We also get to know about her roommates, Barb and Ethel who become her truest friend ever. The second half of the book is after she returns home. Her father does not believe women can be heroes and is ashamed that she has gone to war. There are 2 true love stories in this book and a third serious romantic relationship.

The characters are all very well-defined complex people. The descriptions are detailed and easily visualized.
The story line is interesting and keeps moving along. I was really engaged by this book. I look forward to reading other books by Kristen Hannah, as this was my first and I'm very impressed by her writing skill.
Julia Whelan provided the narration with excellent voice acting for every character. She kept them apart. She voiced them with drama as appropriate. She kept a steady pace and it was an easy voice to listen to. I highly recommend this narrator for future audiobooks.

Thank you to Netgalley and MacMillan Audio and Kristen Hannah for providing this audio book in exchange for my honest review.

This is one of the most heartbreaking yet beautiful books I've ever come across.

Kristin Hannah makes you feel as if you are there - in Vietnam, back in the US being disrespected, struggling with life, all of it.

Frankie was both a strong and fragile characters. She enlists as a nurse thinking she will make her father proud - carrying on the family legacy. But it couldn't be further from the truth. Frankie isn't perfect. She doesn't make all the right choices. But she is real. Through her, Hannah gives us the reality of all the "Frankies" who served in the Vietnam War. And it is clear she has done so much research!

The female friendships in this book were probably my favorite part. And while I seldom cry while reading, this one got me.

Julia Whelan was amazing as the narrator!

It will be a top read of 2024 for certain! And maybe of all time.

Many thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for an ALC in exchange for my honest review.