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.

This is, for me, simply a must read. Kristen Hannah tells the story of forgotten heroes. So many Americans saw the Vietnam War through the lens that was focused by the government- how were we to know the suffering and sacrifice that our veterans faced? Frankie's story gives us a glimpse into the realities of the battles suffered by so many- both in-country and at home. Thank you for this story of one woman's struggles to find her path after military service.

There are almost no words for this story. Kristin Hannah is a masterful story teller and an artist with her words. I learned so much from this book. Heartwrenching and eye-opening, this book kept me on the edge of my seat. I was rooting for Frankie!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting access to this audiobook.

"The Women" is set in the 1960s and 70s during the Vietnam War and it follows Frankie, a young nurse who decides to enroll as a nurse overseas to help the soldiers. It chronicles the ups and downs of her life during this time period.

Throughout the novel, there is a lot of strong character development. Kristin Hannah's writing is so descriptive it feels like you are there with Frankie.

Julia Whelan does a fabulous job at narrating as always.

While some parts of this book are hard to read, I believe that this book should be on every woman's reading list in 2024.

The Women will be released on February 6th 2024

The Women
by: Kristin Hannah
narrated by: Julia Whelan; Kristin Hannah
Macmillan Audio
release date: Feb. 6, 2024

The Women is simply a masterpiece of historical fiction and women's fiction. Hannah writes with passion in the story of Frankie, a young woman who enlists in the Army Nurse Corps during the Viet Nam War. Frankie's life is forever changed when she leaves her home on Coronado Island, California to serve her country.

Julia Whelan truly delivers an outstanding vocal performance in her narration of Hannah's story.
With highly charged emotion in so many scenes throughout the book, Whelan presented it all vocally. From tenderness to terror and trauma, she immersed the reader in the full range of feelings and atmosphere.

Hannah clearly did her research for the story, revealing all of the rawness and horror concerning the war and Frankie's role in it. She takes us there directly into the pain, the fear, the courage, and the battles in and out of the war zone. The character and relationship development of Frankie and the women in her life are rich. The power of female friendships and loyalty are taken to a very high level. I won't forget Frankie, one of the most memorable characters I have read about in a very long time. The book deserves all of the recognition received both now and in the future.

Thank you to Net Galley and Macmillan Audio
for an advance listener's copy. My review is my own.

Thank you, netgalley, for this exceptional book. Like the author I too was a grade school kid during that era. This book resonated with me on so many levels.

My brother was drafted, another enlisted both were treated so poorly for their choices. The father in this story was similar to mine, Vietnam wasn't talked about in our house.

Thank you Kristin Hannah for shining a light on a part of history people still don't want to talk about.

"The Women" by Kristen Hannah is an absolute masterpiece! The compelling narrative, rich character development, and emotional depth make it a captivating read. Hannah's storytelling prowess shines, weaving a tale that resonates with the complexities of female relationships. A must-read for anyone seeking a powerful exploration of love, resilience, and the strength of women. Five stars without a doubt!

Thank you NetGalley for gifting me this amazing ARC. Kristin Hannah is the queen of fiction. I have read everything by her and this might be my new favorite book, It is so well done. Researched and gives you all the emotions. And the audio was perfect.

This was my first book by Kristin Hannah and wow. I binged this book so fast and I was just invested into the story and the characters from the very beginning. I also usually don't read historical fiction, but I might have to start.

Thank for for allowing me to read this book early with an arc! I have never read a book about the Vietnam War before. This was so interesting to hear about the conditions that people lived in during the war when they were overseas. It was also crazy to hear about how the people in the United States acted during wartime. Hearing about Frankie when she got back from the war was absolutely heartbreaking. I couldn't believe that her family didn't care about what she had done and that people thought that she didn't need help because she was just a nurse. Or the people who didn't even believe her that she was in the war in the first place.

Kristen Hannah is a great writer of tales about events from the past and my favorite author.

Her new book is set in California, Vietnam, Virginia, and Montana. Let's start with Frankie, who is 21 years old, is sad because her brother is in Vietnam with the military and she misses him a lot. She joined the military because they can take her to her destination quicker than any other department. This area is in the middle of a war.

She finished visiting Virginia, California, and Montana, and now she's struggling. It is often discussed how hard it is to adjust to life after leaving the military. She faces difficult things. She is looking for help, but is turned down because she is a woman and has not been in a fight.

She traveled a long way to take care of her mental health, but finally, she gets better and uses her experience well in the end. She became really good friends with Ethel and Thorn, and they will be friends for a long time because they understand each other's experiences. They would stop everything to be with her when she needed them the most.

Narrator: She made the story very exciting. Loved her voice! Five and five strong starts for the audiobook. Thanks to the publisher for this arc in exchange for my voluntary and honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Kristin Hannah for the audio copy of The Women.

I was fortunate to read a copy already and wanted to try the audio copy as well. This is such a captivating story and it really opens my eyes to what the veterans went through during this time. Thank you Kristin for writing such a moving story!

Kristin Hannah has outdone herself. I'm not traditionally a fan of wartime historical fiction (don't come at me, but all the WWII stories feel the same to me). The Vietnam War setting was totally different (obviously) and I was so enthralled --- horrified, but enthralled. Experiencing the war (and the aftermath at home) through Frankie's journey was somehow both emotionally devastating and empowering in the best way. I cannot recommend this book enough! (less)