I just finished listening to The Women, written by Kristin Hannah and narrated by Julia Whelan, and all I have to say is WOW!

I’ve been sitting on this audio, thanks to an advance listen from NetGalley, and now, I am wondering why I waited so long to listen.

This book was so, so, so, so good. And, as always, Julia Whelan knocked it out of the park with her narration. She is the absolute BEST narrator out there! 🤩

And, while this book is a work of fiction, I learned SO much about the Vietnam War and the women who served (yes, SERVED) in the war. I cried with these women as they endured so much during the war and cried with them when they reentered the “real” world after their tours.

I just loved Frankie. I had so much empathy for her — what she experienced before leaving for Vietnam, for what she saw and dealt with during Vietnam, and for when she returned to California.

Frankie just wanted LOVE - to love and be loved. I lost it when her dad finally showed that he was proud of her.

What a listen! I am by no means a history buff, actually the opposite, but this book was absolutely fantastic.

Do yourself a favor and read it or listen to it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced listen in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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LOVED IT! (Also because I LOVE listening to Julia Whelan!)

Wow! Kristen Hannah has weaved a story that will make you feel all of the emotions, all of the time. There are some really hard scenes/topics. I could only imagine what it would be like to read this book having lost someone in the Vietnam war, having loved someone who was there, etc. Please read with caution. I am voraciously looking for reviews from the generation of readers who were there, whether at war or at home. My beloved uncle was a Vietnam veteran who later passed away. I’ve heard bits and pieces from my family talking about the Vietnam war and about my Uncle Burt. But before he passed, I was too young to know the importance of his service. I’ve always had respect for it, of course. But reading this book affected me in a way I did not expect. I am deeply moved by the sacrifices of the men and the women in Vietnam. This book focuses on the women. As it should. The stories are breathtaking. And the way that our veterans were treated outrageous. One of the best parts of this book is the theme of friendship. In the way that Kristen Hannah does when she is at her best, she captures the imperfect relationship and intricacies of loyalty. Her characters are fallible, they feel very real. This is not an easy read. I found myself having to take deep breaths, and the imagery will definitely stay with me. Enjoy the historical part of it as far as the learning piece. I researched so many things that I just had vaguely heard about or never heard about.

Heads up- There were times in the first part of the book that began to feel cliché or very predictable. And some of the parts are a bit predictable, but in a way that makes sense. I just come from reading a phenomenal five star historical fiction book and I had very high hopes for this book from Kristen Hannah. So there were times in the first part where I was worried that it was just not going to live up to what I wanted it to be. So, if you’re feeling that way, when you read it, keep reading. This is an important read. It’s one that will stay with you and hopefully help educate many on the women of Vietnam.
Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Women is a book that I have now finished and can already tell is going to stick with me for years to come. I loved the author’s note at the end talking about her experience writing this book and that it took her more than 10 years to write. To be able to recognize and wait to write a book that is about such a heavy, serious topic was incredible and I believe it made this book that much better. The fact that the cities, bases, and hospitals were all factual took this book from a “wow, I liked this book” to a “what an incredible book” for me. It was well written, like all her works I’ve read so far, and the narrator for the audiobook was absolutely perfect. I have already recommended it to everyone I know and even my husband, being in the Air Force, is intrigued and has started reading it. This has got to be my favorite Kristin Hannah book by far.

4.5 stars - I’ve never read a book where the focus was on the Vietnam War so I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this book. Although this story is fiction, I learned so much more about the war, the women who served their country, and the struggles they went through returning home.

My heart broke for Frankie in this book. First she loves her brother, but then she loses two men who she loved and lost herself in the process too. Her relationship with her parents, especially her dad, was also so sad. When you’re struggling through PTSD the people close to you and who love you should be there to support you. And her parents let her down. It also made me so angry every time Frankie tried to get help and would just get turned away. I loved her lifetime friendship with Ethel and Barb, who were some badass women themselves. I’m so glad in the end she found herself again, and did what she needed to take care of herself and others who were suffering. Her reunion with Jamie at the end and how her father finally SAW her in the end were truly heartwarming.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for allowing me access to this book.

Wow! I don’t know if I can put into words how good this book was! I thoroughly enjoyed the story of Francis McGrath, and her journey as a Vietnam war nurse. This book was so well written. It had me laughing, it had me thinking, it had me smiling, and it definitely had me crying. What a great book!

Do not wait another minute to start reading/listening to The Women! The audiobook is beautifully narrated by the talented Julia Whalen! Kristin Hannah has again completely touched my heart and soul- The Women is definitely on my favorite book list! Truly and brilliantly researched and written! This story evoked quite a range of emotions-love, fear, anger, happiness, courage, grief and many tears. It left such an impression; one that will last a very long time! I didn't want the book to end and look forward to soaking up this story again and again!

Thank you Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for the advanced audiobook

My first five-star read of 2024, and I am admittedly (and weirdly proudly) stingy with that fifth star. As soon as I saw that it was on the horizon I knew I had to read it. And when I started seeing reviews pop up on social media, the vast majority were so good that I began to worry I'd be disappointed after so much hype, so I tried to ignore them and make sure I listened ASAP. I was not disappointed. With this book Kristin Hannah broke my heart, made me angry and nostalgic, she made me feel, and made me remember. I loved the main character, Frankie McGrath, with all her strengths and faults, and I loved the two women who helped her survive and eventually thrive, not only in the early months of her service in Vietnam, but in the difficult years after she returned home to a world she had difficulty understanding. So much of it isn't easy to read/hear - but it's most definitely important. And as for the audiobook - well there's nothing to say other than Julia Whelan's narration is perfection.
A little background that no doubt informs my feelings & opinions: The time period covered was my own "coming of age" era. Frankie McGrath, the woman whose journey represents all those women who served at that time, is only about 7 years older than me. But those seven years were important ones at the time. The year the POWs were released, 1973, was the year my husband graduated from college and received an Air Force commission, the year we married, the year he began his 24-year career as an Air Force pilot. We both wore POW bracelets in college and I still remember the name on my bracelet. In the early years of my husband's career, he served with several former POWs, as well as many other pilots who'd served in the war. I got to know their wives, as well as some nurses who'd no doubt served there. And yes, we heard some stories. So when Hannah says she did serious research, I believe her. It rings true for me.
My thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

Frankie McGrath comes from a proud Navy family where the men always serve their country. When her brother goes to war, she decides to do her part as a nurse. What she discovers in Vietnam, and after she comes home, breaks her heart, but it will change who she is.

This is Hannah at her finest: strong women, trauma, and significant historical moments. I loved every moment of reading this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. Kristin Hannah did it again! I have loved her in the past and continue to love her books now. She has a way to bring you into the story. I especially liked this story as it brings you as a woman into the war scene to think about what you would feel or do in Vietnam. Overall, a great read!

Kristen Hannah is back at it, writing real, nuanced women throughout US history, now landing in the era of the Vietnam War. I went into this book expecting the story of a cast of badass women nurses in Vietnam; this book was so much more. I was very impressed by the large scope that was balanced by dynamic pacing. I wish there was more in the author’s note about the intensive research that went into this book. I was shocked to learn the truth that so many people reinforced “there were no women in Vietnam” to women’s faces!

Julia Whelan is always a gift of an audiobook narrator and here is no exception. Injecting the dialogue with her characteristic warmth and depth of emotion, Whelan beautifully brings this evocative story to light.

Disclaimer: I received an audiobook ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Kristin Hannah is the queen of historical fiction, and The Women is right up there with her best. The story follows Frankie McGrath as she enlists as a nurse in the army during the Vietnam war. At first I couldn’t imagine how the story could be so long, but Kristin Hannah knows what she’s doing. Part 1 chronicles Frankie’s time in Vietnam and Part 2 is her return home and the aftermath that ensues. I found myself at the edge of my seat, crying along with Frankie. This one isn’t for the faint of heart, with many triggers of addiction and miscarriage naming a couple. If you love Kristin Hannah, and you’re ready for an epic chronicling the lack of support for women that served in Vietnam, go for it. I left this one sad, upset, but ultimately grateful that these women’s stories were highlighted. Also, Julia Whelan was the perfect narrator…she was Frankie to me. I’d definitely listen to this one.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

The Women by Kristin Hannah: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Format: ALC from MacMillan Audio

I feel like I’ve made it big time for getting this ALC! Huge thank you to MacMillan Audio for the ALC of The Women from NetGalley. The audiobook was done by one of the best, The audiobook was done by Julia Whelan. This was my first Kristin Hannah book and WOW, I understand the hype! Running to put her other books on my TBR now!

This novel told me a story that I know very little about. Although the Vietnam War was not that long ago, I don’t know a lot of the history. The Women is both informative and impactful in a way that only a truly well researched novel can be! In the author’s note (read aloud in the audiobook by the author herself!) Hannah explains why she was drawn to write about the Vietnam War. The idea first came to her in 1997! She cites many books & memoirs of first hand accounts, and collaborations with nurses and soldiers who served in the War.

Frances “Frankie” McGrath is our main character, and its impossible not to root for her. She’s a very young woman at the onset of the book, and we follow her life and experiences for decades throughout the book. A big portion of the book focuses on her time spent in Vietnam as a nurse, but the second half details her experience as a veteran after returning home from the war. The reader really connects with Frankie and the emotional, tragic, and sadly realistic journey that she goes through.

Overall, this book was perfect and an easy 5 stars from me. There is not one thing that I would change about it and I highly recommend it!

I love Kristen Hannah ‘s books however, I was a little bit reluctant to read this book in the beginning, because of the time period it was based in. The Vietnam war doesn’t typically catch my attention. I’m usually a World War II era fan, however, this book was incredible. It’s written into two parts. The first part is when the main character, Frankie, signs up for the Army to go serve as a nurse in the Vietnam War. Some of the scenes when she is working during traumas is a bit graphic, and very detailed, but accurate and necessary. It details all of the struggles that women faced during that time and how lowly they were viewed and portrayed as if they were unable to serve their country. The second part of the book is based after she completes her service and returns home. The struggle she goes through to come back to civilian life after the war and the complications that veterans face, especially women, after having served in a time where women weren’t considered important or having served in Vietnam at all. It’s a beautifully written book and the narrator is FANTASTIC. I recommend that anyone and everyone listen to this book.

This is a definite 5 star read. Frankie heads off to VietNam to become a nurse and runs right into the harsh realities of war. She forms lifelong friendships and suffers heartbreak, addiction and PTSD. This is one of those attention grabbing books that you hope will never end. This will be a 2024 stand out book!

Incredible. Powerful. Heartbreaking. Important. This novel examines the turmoil of the Vietnam War from the perspective of women who truly were there. I spent the entire story utterly hooked. I felt shock, pain, hope, and so much more throughout. In a vast literary span, these stories need to be told. We need to know more.

The audiobook is read by Julia Whelan. We all know how incredible she is. She brings voice to each character with emotional depth.

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and author Kristin Hannah for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The main character, Frankie, signs up to be an army nurse in Vietnam during the war so that she can be close to her naval academy brother who is stationed there. "I went to war to find my brother but instead I found myself." The story follows Frankie and her family pre war, when she decides to go and serve in vietnam, her time stationed at an army hospital during the war, her return home, and then her life in America post war. She vividly shares what Frankie saw during her time in the army hospital- severed limbs, shrapnel in body, helicopter attacks, holding soldiers hands as they breathed their last and more. She talks about her relationships with the other army nurses and surgeons nad what they did to survive emotionally and physically each day. When she returns from war no one acknowledges that she was serving in Vietnam and everyone assumes she is married to a soldier. She tries to seek out resources and she repeatedly hears "there were no women in the Vietnam War." What happens when someone she loves dies? What happens when her dad doesn't even acknowledge her as a hero? What happens when she asks for mental health help and she is told that she didn't fight in war. How much will Frankie do to have women recognized for the way she served? How will she cope with the playbacks in her mind of the war?

I fell in love with Frankies character through Kristin Hannahs writing of her. I loved her friendship with Ethel and Barb (the other army nurses she worked with) and the deep bond they formed.

I think a lot of people will think that the book dragged on (the second half is about Frankies life post war) and I can totally see how people wished it ended earlier. However I loved each part of her life so I didn't mind. Alt title: to all the soliders I've loved before

Thank you to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. This book is now available and I recommend you getting a copy!

This book absolutely wrecked me. From start to finish, I couldn’t get enough of the story and of the main character, Frankie. I found myself comparing Frankie to me, and we have so many similarities. She doesn’t care what others think, what the society norm is, but the approval of her parents still means the world. She’s tough to love and not quick to say love you. I found myself learning so much about this time of history, as there are not many books about the Vietnam war and I was not alive during it. I primarily read thrillers, but Kristin Hannah is one of the few that can bring me to read historical fiction. Her books are so captivating and the writing absolutely beautifully done. This book focuses a lot on coming of age, especially in war and extenuating circumstances, as well as love and grief and navigating PTSD when it wasn’t even a diagnosis yet. I did a lot of reading with the physical copy while also listening to the audio because Julia Whelan does such an amazing job. She is one of my favorite narrators and always has me looking forward to listening to books!

This was absolutely spectacular!
Kristin Hannah is always a win for me, but this is honestly one of her best. Raw, devastating, and deeply emotional—this book puts a spotlight on the often overlooked women who served in Vietnam. It delves deep into the darkness that all too frequently accompanies those who have seen the violence and devastation of war, as well as the ways society has turned its back on veterans and has ultimately failed them. But this is so much more than just a “war novel”… This is a story about the bonds of friendship, the empowerment of women, strength, courage and metamorphosis.

The beginning throws the reader right into the thick of the Vietnam War. (Be prepared for detailed depictions of war violence and graphic medical gore.) This section was so real and so powerful it gave me goose bumps and tugged at every emotion you can name. Kristin Hannah shows the skill of her craft here, and had me fully living inside the lives and minds of these characters in a way that only she knows how to do. Her extensive research and attention to detail shows, and helps immerse you completely into this tragic story.

But this book isn’t just about The Women—the unsung heroes of Vietnam. It is also about life in a post-Vietnam world. It speaks to the veterans who lost themselves; to their difficulties reintegrating into society; and to society’s resistance to try to understand (or even acknowledge) the horrors they experienced. It speaks to the alienation they faced, and to our government’s massive failure to help those of them who most needed support.

Kristin Hannah is at the top of her game here, no doubt about it. This is my 5th KH book and it’s right up there with my favorites, The Four Winds and The Nightingale. And I can’t forget to mention the fantastic audiobook narration… @justjuliawhelan is an expert at her craft and made listening to this an extremely enjoyable experience. 10/10 would recommend. Thanks to @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for the advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This book was another masterpiece from Kristin Hannah! It was beautifully done from a point of view we don’t hear often enough. Frankie was so raw and relatable, everything she went through was told in an elegant way. The narrator did a beautiful job with the authors words.

Rated 4.5 stars!

“𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝑽𝒊𝒆𝒕𝒏𝒂𝒎, 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒓.”

I was so excited to get a chance to listen to this book before it came out! KH is one of my favorite authors and I also loved the narrator for the audiobook so this was a big win. ❤️

The Women is set in 1965 and features Francis “Frankie” McGrath who has recently followed her brother by joining the Army Nurse Corps. Frankie will save so many men, but will also endure the pain of watching many more die. Fighting sexism even across an ocean, she gains quick nursing experience night after night with men flown in. Missing limbs, gun shot wounds, and so much more, Frankie not only attends to the US army, but also to the innocent farmers and victims of the Vietnamese people.

What started as a survival in ‘Nam, turns into a survival at home. She thought she’d be coming home a hero, but quickly finds out her service is shameful to others. By her family, her friends, and even her own country. Everyone wants Frankie to forget Vietnam, but she’s not sure she can.

This book pulled all of my emotions. I was filled with fury at the injustice she and her fellow veterans faced. The disgrace of our government sending citizens off to fight a war we continually kept losing and then lying about it. The betrayal of Frankie’s family and surrounding community who continually told her that “women didn’t go to Vietnam” and “this is for men who saw combat” made me feral. 😠

While sometimes Frankie’s character disappointed me, I loved her resilience and fight to be alive. KH provided a book that was well-researched, emotional, and thought-provoking.