Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of The Women. I will start by saying, if Julia Whelan can’t make a book sound good, then it was doomed from the start. I appreciate the careful historical perspective that Hannah applies here, and the first third of the book gave me hope of a solid finish. I loved this untold story of women in war, and I will seek to educate myself more on the veterans of Vietnam. I also appreciate the feminist push this book gives, as it felt genuine and meaningful to our characters However, the unrealistic nature of the healing process and the jolting timeline leave the reader confused and unsure how to understand the novel as a whole. I think the book could have been cut down significantly and that many of the relationships in the book were unrealistic and pointless to the overall arc. Without giving spoilers, I think the last 1/4 of the book will leave you disappointed and wishing for something different. I’m sure the Kristin Hannah fans will disagree with me, but if you take a look at the book objectively, I think you’ll realize that healing from trauma and PTSD does not immediately lead to the abilities that our protagonist was able to create on her own. This book felt rushed in some places and overdone in others. I would not necessarily recommend you spend the lengthy amount of time reading it.

Kristin Hannah does it again! Powerful characters with believeable relationships tugging at every emotion throughout this story! She should be proud of the spotlight she brings to the veteran women of Vietnam.

WOW -WOW, WOW Amazing! February 6 The Women comes out! Many thanks to Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for giving me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! Can I give a book 5+ stars! It is so well done and at the end the author’s note describes how all the time and research she put into the story works! Julia Whelan does an amazing job narrating the character’s voice and passion.

The story begins in the mid sixties and a family of war heroes are having a party to send their young son/brother off to serve in the Vietnam war. However when his sister, the main character Francis “Frankie” McGrath later enlists also as an army nurse her father tells people she is studying abroad in Florence! The book chronicles her journey as well as her return. You feel every emotion with her. The author did such an amazing job developing her character- so much research was done to allow the reader to feel her pain, frustration, exhaustion and heartbreaks while at the same time seeing her strength, grit and compassion. The friendship that Frankie, Barb and Ethel share is heartwarming during such an emotional story. Thank you for allowing me this advanced copy. Frankie will forever be remembered as a war hero in my eyes! “Women are war heroes too” This is a must read!

Holy Moly! Kristin Hannah has done it again! I think this is my favorite book yet! History, feminism, romance, drama….I want to read more and learn more about the Vietnam war. Thank you for writing such an incredible book! Looking forward to more!!!!

Kristin Hannah consistently writes amazing stories with strong female characters, and this is no different.

Frankie McGrath comes from a long line of Navy veterans. She joins the army as a nurse and heads to Vietnam to serve her country. She soon learns that Nam is much more gruesome than the newspapers let on and she will get anything but a hero’s welcome upon returning.

I was disappointed by how much of the storyline focused on Frankie’s love life and hopping through romantic partners. I feel like her struggles with combat and PTSD carried the story well enough without the love interests. That’s my personal preference. I loved the scenes in combat and how we watched her character grow day by day. Her tenuous and changing relationship with her mom and dad were also very well done and developed. The whole journey through Frankie’s life was heartbreaking but rewarding.

The narrator for this audiobook was perfect, and I’m so glad I chose to listen. Each character’s emotion range true in the narration. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced readers copy of the audio!

The story of Lieutenant Frankie McGrath, a young and naive new nurse drew me in right away. Wanting a life away from her sheltered existence in California, she endeavored to follow her brother in Vietnam and earn a spot on the family’s wall of heroes. Immediately overwhelmed by this terrible and bloody war, she rose to the challenge and evolved into a proficient surgical nurse. What followed was a heart-wrenching account of her time in Vietnam as well as her return stateside—the friends and men who would shape the rest of her life, the bitter attitude of a divided country blinded to the truth, and a significant lack of assistance for what we now know as PTSD. This was not an easy story to read, even so I was very invested in the lives of Frank and her loved ones. As a woman, nurse, and military veteran, there were so many aspects of Frankie’s story that I felt viscerally (one could nitpick some of these details, but I do not feel that it took away from the reading experience). Parts of this book made me angry (justifiably so), incredibly sad, and also deeply moved which is a credit to the author’s writing and passion for this topic. Grateful that this brought attention to an overlooked period in American history. Julia Whelan was an ideal narrator for this book.

"Women can be heroes too."

I will read anything Kristin Hannah writes and when I saw a new historical fiction, I immediately picked it up. Historical fiction is really hard to do well, especially books that span over a large period of time, and this is done SO well.

The Women follows Frankie, a nurse in the Army Corps in Vietnam. I didn't know a lot about the Vietnam war before reading this, but I learned so much more while reading, especially about what happened after. This book dives into the war, ptsd, trauma, addiction, mental health, love and friendships. Once I started reading, I literally could not stop. I felt all of the emotions Frankie was feeling, and this book pulled at heartstrings I didn't even know I had.

This book was an eye opener for me as to how many women were involved in the war, and forgotten about. Women seem to be so often forgotten, and I felt that this book really did women who served justice.

The Women will definitely be in my top 10 favorite books of the year. I made it my February BOTM so I can have a physical book on my shelves.

Thank you NetGalley & Macmillian for an advanced listener copy.

I fell in love with Kristin Hannah’s writing after reading Night Road in 2012, so last year after learning of its pending publication, The Woman instantly became my most anticipated read of 2024. It remained true to everything I’ve come to love about Hannah’s writing: themes of death, grief, love and hope are ever present, while emphasizing strength. And in the classic Hannah way, The Hobbit was referenced.

Emotions:
I somehow neglected to remember Hannah's expert writing skills and just how quickly she lures me into her story and plot, causing me to forget everything outside the book. I was transported, engrossed and tossed into the Vietnam War alongside Frankie, already shedding tears at 11%, 18% and 19% in. But 77% and 78%? Nothing prepared me for that. I bawled from 93% on.

Audiobook:
I often keep some anticipated books to read traditionally (without the audiobook in my ears), to sink into the way I did pre-Bookstagram; The Women is my exception. Hannah's unprecedented writing remained the same but with the added enhancement audiobook narration adds. This book ended up being my third in a row that Julia Whelan narrated, and somehow, she transforms herself like a chameleon with each book, each role taking her voice and tone to a different place. With this narration, it was not Whelan reciting Hannah's words, it was simply Frankie sharing about her life. The special appearance by Hannah was added enjoyment to my already amazing audiobook experience.

Stylistically:
The focus of this story was truly on Frankie’s time in Vietnam; the emphasis remained there with the utter horror depicted on page time and time again. Other aspects in Frankie’s life, although also dreadful, were skillfully edged around and instead remained in the shadows, allowing the true focus of Vietnam to become vivid in technicolour. There was a subtle shift as to how time was noted, showing Frankie’s character growth, however dismal at times. Each romantic chapter of Frankie's life had closure, but yet the ending was left optimistically open-ended.

The strength. The tenacity. The truth.

The Women.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for the complimentary copies to read and review.

The Women by Kristin Hannah, explores a moment in history that we have not seen in historical fiction - the role women played in the Vietnam War. I appreciated the viewpoint of our main character Frankie, as she follows her older brother into war, volunteering as a combat nurse as a naive and idealistic young 21 year old.
This is an era of history that we see infrequently portrayed. It's the beginning of understanding trauma and PTSD, when veterans could not get the help they needed after the war, and society treated them like pariahs. Even moreso for the women who could not receive the help they needed after the war.
One thing I really appreciated was the way the author keeps from giving Frankie a happy or easy resolution, just to appease the reader. Frankie goes through horrible things, and she must actually go THROUGH these things, no easy answer to her traumas and experiences.
I listened on audio through Libro.fm, and the narrator was fabulous. There are also moments of music from that era, and the narrator does sound effects very well.
Thank you to MacMillan Audio and Libro.fm for the advance listening copy.

I finished the audiobook in about a day. I could not stop, it was that good.

Frankie is a 21-year-old, volunteering to join the Army as a nurse during the Vietnam War. The story follows her while she is deployed and is an emotional ride with one account after another of the horrors of war and the resulting "reception" upon return. It details the veterans' struggles and Frankie's trying to fit back into their lives away from the war.

The story paints a clear picture and seems to have been well-researched. The story flowed easily and it was never slow or boring. Some of the love interest storylines were a bit predictable but didn't hurt the story.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advance reader copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Put this book on your must read list!! Kristin Hannah has written a beautiful story about the forgotten women who served during Vietnam. In this book we follow the journey of Frankie McGrath as she navigates her life during Vietnam as a combat nurse and how that experience changes her life. Although it is a fiction novel Kristin Hannah has done her research she explores all the complexities of being a Vietnam veteran and the hardship they met when returning home.

🎧THE WOMEN by Kristin Hannah is again expertly narrated by Julia Whelan.

Wow. Ugh. Oof. All the other possible gut punch descriptives.

I thought I had an idea what this book would be, but I barely scratched the surface.

Frankie goes to Vietnam to follow her brother and make her family proud. It doesn't exactly work out. Following her harrowing coming-of-age in such a brutal environment was intense. I fell in love with her friends Ethel and Barb. Then she came home to a world that had changed, and following this part of the journey was even more torturous. And I fell even more in love with Ethel and Barb. Women are absolutely heroes.

Hannah is known for mining the deeper emotional issues with her characters. While I cheered Frankie on simultaneously wanting to wring her neck, I always felt like I supported her, understood her, and wanted her to find her true strength. I was clearly a huge fan of the female friends. They brought in perspectives that gave the story added and needed dimension. Barb brought light to the Civil Rights fight that was also very important.

There were so many issues brought up in this story that space will limit me expounding upon; women's rights, women in Vietnam (I cannot believe people really thought there were no women there.), emotional ties in combat zones, birth control access, lack of support specifically for women coming home, PTSD, addiction, trauma, recovery, friendships, ... I could go on and on.

While this story had plenty of hardship, it also had hope. I was so proud of Frankie by the end of this story, and it made me think of how my attitudes toward others of whom I know nothing of their story, can affect them deeply. That is worded badly, but it matters how we treat others, even if we disagree with something in which they are connected. And we need friends. Deep, heart-friends to walk with us.

Whelan does an amazing job narrating. I loved listening and felt so many emotions come through. I will remember this book for a long time and now need to add it to my physical library.

Thank you @netgalley & @macmillan.audio for this ALC that will publish on February 6th!

I can't honestly say that this is a book that I enjoyed or want to ever read again. However, I can appreciate its place in historical fiction and the women whose lives it honors.

"She joined the army to find her brother and found herself instead."

"Don't tell me there were no women in Vietnam."

Review: The Women by Kristin Hannah

Heart wrenching and immersive. Kristin Hannah’s newest novel, The Women, is pulling back the curtain and giving the women that were in the Vietnam War a voice.

Ever since I picked up The Nightingale, I have been a huge fan of Kristin Hannah’s historical fiction. As a long time WWII historical fiction reader, The Nightingale introduced me to her beautiful writing, and then took me on a journey into 1970s Alaska, The Great Depression, and other time periods.

Her carefully crafted stories, immersive narratives, and complex yet relatable characters drew me into these time periods and their fierce female protagonists, and The Women is her newest achievement. It is a story not only of women who participated in the Vietnam War, but, through the perspective of Francis “Frankie” McGrath, Hannah also reveals the depth and breadth of emotion through service, return, and the too slow system of recognizing the effect of the war on those who served. She also describes and develops the deep camaraderie between those who serve together.

This story was a deeply moving experience that was further enhanced by the talented narration of Julia Whelan, who captured the beauty, the heartache, and terror with her amazing voice.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for this advanced listening copy. All opinions are my own.

Loved the book, and the narrator! Kristen Hannah is one of mt favorite authors and this one did not disappoint!

This was an amazing book that shed light on the sacrifice of women during the Vietnam war era. We often forget how far women have come and need to honor those who made that possible.

I would argue this is Kristin Hannah’s best book yet!

Another perfect story from Kristin Hannah! As usual, it had me bawling my eyes out at the end. Usually I avoid stories about war as they just aren't for me. This one grabbed my interest n the first page and kept it all the way to the very end. Perfect narration from Julia Whelan as always. A big win for me!

I am one who truly enjoys historical fiction. Kristin Hannah is one of my go to authors for this. There are too few stories of the women who served in Vietnam. I was sucked into the struggles Frankie had within this story. The feelings I had when I went from rooting for a character to wishing the worst for them. (Not Frankie) Highly recommend

I don’t normally read historical fiction but wow, this is the best book I’ve read in a while.

It’s focused on the role women played in the Vietnam War, something I knew very little about. This book is emotionally heavy but impossible to put down. I blew through it in three days and the story will stick with me for a long time. A must read! Cannot recommend it enough.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the arc.

It’s no secret that anytime you go to open a new Kristin Hannah book, you are setting yourself up to have your heart ripped out of your chest. She has a way of bringing to life her characters in a way that makes you care so deeply for them. She also brings to light aspects of our history that isn’t always the forefront of knowledge.

With The Women, I honestly never really thought about the complete trauma that the medical doctors and nurses go through during war times. The atrocities that they saw day after day after day during Vietnam had a major impact on their psyche once home and I appreciate that Hannah didn’t just write this book during their service but after and how it impacted their lives forever.

Definitely recommend, but make sure your headspace is right before starting because it is incredibly sad.