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.

Kristin Hannah's books have been recommended to me repeatedly, but what sealed the deal on me reading THE WOMEN was that Julia Whelan narrated it. I would listen to her read shopping lists and instructions, and I’m glad I experienced her narration of this book. I understand now what everyone says about Hannah’s books being emotionally heavy and an amazing ride.

I’m a big fan of historical fiction, but this is my first Vietnam hf. I’ve read books in the era, but nothing so focused on the war. I learned new things, enjoyed the pacing, and fell in love with the characters, which this last one, for hf, is a big deal for me. In any book, I have to feel one way about the characters, but in an hf book, if I’m not emotionally attached, it becomes just a history book.

Frankie is a character that I really enjoyed following her journey. She was human and flawed, but she made choices to make herself happy at a time when most women stayed the status quo. I rooted for her and wanted her to succeed. And I loved her friendship group. Knowing there were strong women like Frankie and her friends in Vietnam makes me proud.

Would I recommend listening to this while incapacitated in bed with the flu for days? I would make sure you have a strong stomach. But Whelan’s narration is extremely soothing and makes for a great listen. Thank goodness for audiobook timers!

Thanks, Macmillan Audio, for the gifted audiobook!

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Content Warnings: war & war injury/trauma, blood, medical trauma, child death, alcohol & drug abuse, miscarriage, misogyny, racism, infidelity, ptsd, grief

First off a big thank you to Macmillan Audio, NetGalley, and Kristin Hannah for an advance copy of The Women! Happy pub week to this absolutely INCREDIBLE book!! I don’t even know where to start with this one, I believe it may start off slow for some but you must keep going and power through. I truly savored every moment of watching Frankie grow as a person, a coworker, a lover, and a friend throughout her time in Vietnam and also her time back home. I felt every emotion possible while reading this one and actually shed tears. It was absolutely amazing to read a story about the women in Vietnam as it seems like there isn’t much written about the topic. The narrator (ok but Julia Whelan can do no wrong) did an amazing job making you feel as if you were in the OR with Frankie. Can we also give an honorable shout out to her besties Ethel & Barb for being some bad ass women too! This is definitely a breathtaking and fantastic historical fiction book and I urge you to pick up your own copy!

I was intrigued by the perspective this would provide on American history—the premise of untold female war stories from Vietnam was interesting. I think Hannah accomplished her goal here but it was a bit tropey for me still in the cast of supporting characters. Would’ve liked more of Barb’s perspective and for her to be written perhaps in partnership with a Black author, she felt like an amalgamation of tropes instead of a full fleshed out character.

I listened to the audiobook read by Julia Whelan and was able to follow along without my mind wandering. I loved the voices of each character and Julia’s pleasant voice that was filled with animation. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook!

I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that was set during the Vietnam War before. I was curious to read the book because my dad and father-in-law are both veterans of the war and I had an uncle that died in Vietnam. His name is posted on the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington D.C. mentioned at the end of the book.

I enjoyed reading about Frankie’s journey during and after the war. I found the first half of the book to be much more exciting and interesting than the second half which focuses on Frankie’s life after the war. The writing was full of vivid descriptions that gave a full picture of what Frankie was experiencing at the time. I often felt sadness, anger, and heartache right along with Frankie. I learned a lot about the war, the beautiful landscape of the country, and the people that lived there. I loved the friendship and support she had with Barb and Ethel. They truly became sisters because of the events they experienced together. I was happy when Frankie was able to move forward in life and find the contentment she was looking for. This is an emotional read that opens one’s eyes to the mental and physical trauma of war and I can’t get it out of my head! I can’t seem to find the right words to express my thoughts and feelings about it. All I can say is YOU’VE GOT TO READ THIS BOOK!!!! It would be perfect for book clubs that are looking for historical fiction not set during WWII.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review!

The Women is a poignant commentary on war, military service, governmental transparency, race discrimination, gender discrimination, and ultimately mental health. I appreciated that the characters were flawed but lovable. The book challenges the reader to understand both sides of the divide between the American public in that time of turmoil. I loved it and will think of it for years to come.

An all time favorite author - I really am embarrassed to know so little about the Vietnam war. KH has opened my eyes and heart to the veterans that served and of course The Women!

Everyone has been saying how much they cried and I’m sitting here with dry eyes. Oops. Some of the romance was too unrealistic for me - in terms of outcomes. I’m guessing the publisher wanted a happy ending but I would have been okay with a different ending.

I was surprised so little of the book took place during the war. Really focusing on the after effects and that is so important. Kudos to the author and I look forward to hearing her talk at an author event next week.

My first Kristin Hannah novel!

This story was gut wrenching but incredible. I learned so much about the Vietnam war and how women played a part. I have gained some serious respect for veterans after reading this. It teaches an important lesson of empathy and how easy it is to turn a blind eye to something you don't understand. As well as how misinformation can destroy lives.

This is a heavy read. I don't typically read historical fiction because it can be filled with uncomfortable subject matter but that's exactly why it's important to read. I hope this novel opens me up to other important stories.

Thank you for the ALC NetGalley and St. Martin's Press!

Kristin Hannah’s story of American nurses in 1960s Vietnam packs an emotional punch. Common knowledge said there were no women serving in Vietnam. But there were. Frances (Frankie) McGrath changed the trajectory of her life when she joined the Army Nurse Corps to follow her older brother in serving the country. The Women is her journey of service to the country and the aftermath.

This is one of those novels when I wished to have time to listen straight through. Julia Whelan’s narration was perfect. She’s one of the top-notch narrators today and I never go wrong choosing audio when she’s on board. She brought the emotion necessary in this novel.

The author’s note and acknowledgment are read by Kristin Hannah. I appreciated the information.

Highly recommended.

Wow, Kristin Hannah has done it again. Right from the start, I was enthralled by the main character and her grit. Hannah knows how to write a female driven story so well which hits all of my emotions. I enjoyed the female friendships, found family, self discovery and ultimately the self acceptance. Julia Whalen never disappoints as a narrator as well. This will be one of my books of the year!

There were women in Vietnam.
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Nobody writes about the fragility of the human condition like Hannah. This book was anguish and hope, harrowing and heartbreaking. I lost track of the number of times I teared up. This woman has been brainstorming this book since 1997, and the mastery of the subject matter is on full display here.
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Frankie is a twenty-year-old nurse who joins the Army Nurse Corps in 1965 to follow in her brother’s footsteps and serve. She arrives in Vietnam and is immediately overwhelmed by the daily death and destruction. Through trauma and heartache, she forges an unbreakable sisterhood with two other nurses. When Frankie returns home, she is lost in the PTSD from two tours, in the public disdain for vets, and in the total rejection she feels every time someone says, “there were no women in Vietnam.” When all seems lost, her sister combat nurses are there to lift her up.
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Through it all, the women in this book find themselves in each other. Hannah pays tribute to combat nurses in this beautifully written book. The narration by @justjuliawhelan was perfection (as always). Thank you to @macmillanusa @macmillan.audio @stmartinspress for the ARCs and tote.
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The Women - Kristin Hannah
5/5⭐️
Pub Day: 2/6/25
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TWs: combat, addiction, loss, misogyny, PTSD, infidelity
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”Words were creators of worlds; you had to be careful with them.”
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“Had Mom always been a shadow woman, held together by vodka and hair spray?”
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“She felt like the last girl in a horror film, running for her life, but the danger wasn’t behind her, trying to catch up, it was inside her, trying to break out.”

The Women by Kristin Hannah is my new favourite of hers. I highly recommend it and the audio as well as the fabulous @justjuliawhelan narrates (y’all know I’ll listen to anything she narrates)

The Women follows Frankie as she enlists to become a nurse in Vietnam because “Women can be heroes too”. We follow as she creates bonds with people in Vietnam and the trauma and losses she endures as well. We get to feel everything Frankie does. When Frankie returns to America after serving her time, she realizes that people do not view women as heroes. That don’t even consider her a veteran and has to endure the cruelty all over again

Kristin Hannah has a way of making me take on every emotion of her characters. I swear I was crying for Frankie for the majority of the book and Frankie’s character will always be a part of me. I don’t want to go too deep and ruin the book for other.
The authors note and acknowledgements at the end sent me to into tears all over again. Kristin Hannah talked about how she wanted to write this story for a longtime but wanted to make sure she did it properly so she waited. She read first hand accounts of these women and talked to them and listened. The book went through a process to make sure it was as accurate as possible.

This will definitely be in my top 5 books of 2024. I highly recommend reading this one.

Another fantastic historical fiction novel by KRISTIN HANNAH.

The Women follows young Frankie McGrath as she joins the army as a nurse during the war in Vietnam to follow in her family's footsteps of military service. Frankie's experience in Vietnam is one of pain and fear, while also finding strength, friendship and love.

This novel depicts the often over-looked women who served in Vietnam, and the tumultuous country the veterans returned to. Frankie is a character you will be rooting for until the end.

As always, the audiobook narration by Julia Whalen was perfection.

"The Women" by Kristin Hannah is a powerful historical fiction novel with a strong female protagonist. Frankie, the main character, enlists in the Army Nurse Corps and this is her story.

This is a very important and emotional story about the men and WOMEN that served in Vietnam, and deals a lot with PTSD, women's rights, grief, love, friendship, and addiction. With her vivid imagery and detail I think Kristin Hannah did a really great job at portraying the heartbreak and devastation that took place during the war and you can tell that she did so much research.

I did not want to put this book down - it was so good!

I will definitely be reading more from Kristin Hannah :)

Infinity Stars!!! This was an absolute amazing story and incredible writing. I think this one will be with me for quite some time. I cried, I got so incredibly angry, I had my heart stomped on repeatedly and was shocked over and over and over again. I cannot gush about this book enough. I have been recommending it to anyone and everyone. I even wrote an email to my boss recommending it as a living book for the History teachers. Public school doesn’t usually incorporate living books, but I have in my science classes for years. It was worth a try in my book. I know it will be added to my soon to be high schoolers reading list once we get to that time period again.

The akwnoledgements discuss how she came to write this, who she spoke to, and extra books to read if you are interested in diving in further. I can tell you that I am all about grabbing those other books and learning more.

The audio: 5/5. She did an amazing job!

Kristin Hannah books never let you down. She has done some research into the Vietnam War and how the people who fought it had to face their country when they returned. It can be hard to read the grief. The Women should be read abby anyone who wants a new perspective on the era.

I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to listen to this book. The story provided a different view of the Vietnam War and the women who served in it. Not only did Kristin Hannah discuss parts of the war, but also what it was like for all who came home after.

The main character is Frankie McGrath who decides to enlist in the Army during the Vietnam War after the death of her brother Finley. Once Frankie arrives in the country as a surgical nurse, her bunkmates Ethel and Barb take her under her wing and show her the ropes. During her 2 tours, she cared for the wounded and improved her surgical skills.

When she returns home, she is surprised by the reactions she receives from her family and the American people. She finds it hard to find work and for people to believe she served in Vietnam. As she tries to re-enter society, her rage and grief become uncontrollable. Everyone tells her to forget about all she witnessed and move on with her life. This is not easy for her to do.

This is a historical fiction book that I will not forget anytime soon. I learned some things about the Vietnam War and American history. I highly recommend reading this book.

The book was well researched and Kristin Hannah mentions in her author’s note about How long she wanted to write a book about this topic but did not feel she could do it justice early in her career. I am glad she continued to pursue this topic.

Julia Whelan, as the narrator, does a tremendous job bringing the story to life.

Thanks to the author, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the audio copy. All opinions are my own.

I am a huge Kristin Hannah fan and The Women is so good that I’ve listened twice! It’s an incredible book that brings the reader deep in to the story. I cried and I worried and then I was sad when it was over. I deeply cared about the characters and I’ve been recommending this book to everyone!

Kristin Hannah's "The Women" is not just a poignant war tale; it's a gut-wrenching emotional rollercoaster that throws you headfirst into the turmoil of the Vietnam War. From the moment Frankie, a spirited young woman, enlists as an Army nurse in the shadow of her brother's death, you're thrust into a world of sights, sounds, and smells that Hannah masterfully paints with every word. But "The Women" is more than just a battlefield narrative. It's a story about resilience, the extraordinary strength women possess, and the bonds of friendship and sisterhood forged in the fires of war. The story extends to Frank’s mom who experiences own grief and growth. This book will make you laugh, cry and it is one that will stay with you for a long time.

I am normally not a fan of historical fiction at all but this book was so well written and executed I finished it in 24 hours. It is a masterful story of Frankie, a young woman who enlists in the military as a nurse during the Vietnam War. Experiencing Frankie's development before, during, and after the war was so enlightening. Beautiful character study and heartbreaking but triumph story, this is one of the best books I've read in a very long time. Highly, highly recommend!