Member Reviews
From the very first page Kristin Hannah has you hooked with the life changing story of the women who committed themselves to their county and the scarf ices made in the face of war. Love, loss, friendship and family The Women has it all. A devastatingly telling that will leave you emotionally invested.
I love love loved this book. I am a big Kristin Hannah fan to begin with and she does a wonderful job of making historical fiction come to life. The women of the vietnam war is not something I knew much about, I certainly didn't know about the treatment they received after coming home from the war. So this was heartbreaking and at times very hard to read, but I think it is a very importn story to tell. I liked Frankie as a character and loved her friends as well, I wished we got to hear a little more about their stories as well instead of focusing so heavily on Frankie's life but I still loved it overall. I enjoyed the narration of the audiobook and it was easy to listen to.
I am definitely the minority here. While there is a lot to love about this book, it is probably my least favorite Kristin Hannah book,
Incredible. This story and the narration are at the top of my list for this year. Kristin Hannah is such a talented writer. I’m on a quest to read all of her books and this one was my favorite so far.
Thank you for an advanced copy of this audiobook.
Another great book by Kristin Hannah. Definitely a recommended title to either read or listen to. I look forward to more of Kristen's novels.
Of all of Kristin Hannah's books, The Women is by far my favorite. I loved, and appreciated, getting to read a story about Vietnam from the perspective of a woman who served. Hannah's storytelling is unmatched and narrated by Julia Whalen just brought out that much more enjoyment of the story for me. The Woman follows Frances "Frankie" McGrath and her fellow nurses who served in the Army Nurse Corps during the height of the Vietnam War and the experiences they had upon returning. I shared this story with my grandma who was a nurse for over 40 years. While she didn't serve in the Army Nurse Corps, she could vividly remember the surgeries detailed in this novel and the treatment of those who served in Vietnam. The Woman is a must read for everyone and a reminder that we must do better for those who sacrifice everything to keep others safe.
Once again, Kristin Hannah made me feel the entire spectrum of human emotion in one book. Every single emotion I can think of - grief, joy, disgust, betrayal, fear, contentment, etc. - I felt during this book, and her ability to accomplish this will never cease to amaze me. I've learned that I need to space out her books so that I have time to fully process them before moving to the next.
As for this story, it was brilliant. She offered such a unique insight into the Vietnam War, and particularly the experiences of the women who were there. I learned so much about history, which is often neglected in more mainstream sources.
Overall, I am awestruck at just how much this book has impacted me.
This book was so amazing! I knew going in that KH would rip my heart out and stomp all over it, but I didn’t expect how epic the journey would be. This is my favorite KH book to date! It took me months to finish it only because I’ve had loved pass away this year and grieving and reading this book at the same time was too much.
I cried from beginning to end. (I’m a crier though so normals may not have the same reaction 😂) If you’re a crier, like me, have a box of tissues ready. I am from a military family and have experienced boot camp myself, so my feelings for this book are soul deep. ❤️. I think KH captured this time in our US history so accurately and vividly, that even those who aren’t criers will feel deeply for this story as well.
I loved this friend group of women! They were so strong, brave and supportive of each other.
Absolutely an amazing book! Highly recommend!!
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to this book.
I knew very little about how the women who served in Vietnam were treated. Really moving portrayal of sisterhood and bravery - and I learned a lot (per usual with any Kristin Hannah historical fiction). Some of the drama was a little too predictable but overall, this was still so good.
Julian Whelan is a brilliant narrator. And so the story begins with her alluring voice quality and character voices. So many layers to this novel. It is a history lesson, a study of deep friendships and family members, finding oneself in a world that is often unaccepting and so many layers fall one upon the other. The first part of the book, taking place in Vietnam, was often times hard to listen to. Yet, so wonderfully described with pain, loss, and sorrow. I could go on and on but my suggestion is to read it. Kristin Hannah has evolved from her former style of writing. I always love her books but this one takes her craft to a new and wonderful level of being there. It is life in a bottle. A bottle with cracks and spills that is glued back together only to crack again. Read it.
Kristin Hannah has a way of writing so well, and so poignantly. I always feel like I learn so much from them, and this one is no exception.
I loved this book, and felt so understood reading it.
The Women by Kristin Hannah
Publication date: February 6, 2024
Date read: January 31, 2024
Audiobook read by Julia Whelan
Women can be heroes. When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path. But war is just the beginning for Frankie and her veteran friends. The real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America, to angry protesters, and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam.
I'm not going to be the first person on the internet to recommend The Women, and I know I won't be the last, but I'll start this review out by saying that this is one of the best books I've read so far this year.
Books about war are nothing new, and books about women serving in war have been popular in the past decade, so it's not like this book is presenting anything unique... on the surface. The thing is, this book presents war in a way that I haven't really seen it portrayed very often, which is the day to day, mundane aspects of war. As a nurse during Vietnam, our main characters see the horrors of war from the sidelines, which means a lot of routine interspersed with horrible death and pain. It very much reminded me of M*A*S*H, one of my favorite television shows (despite being set in Vietnam rather than Korea, the vibe is very much the same).
What this book then did - that I was not expecting - was to take our main character out of the war halfway through the book and send her home, only to deal with the horrible way that Vietnam veterans were treated once they got back to the United States. In many ways, at least for me, this half of the book was harder to stomach than the half set in a war zone. The way that veterans were treated, especially female veterans, was so heartbreaking. It's certainly not an easy book to read, but I can't recommend it enough.
Hannah did an incredible job with her characters as well. The main character was wonderful - she went through so many stages of believable character development throughout the story. I could have read another 200 pages about Frankie. The secondary characters were also very well-written. The likeable characters were deep, realistic, and fun to follow (Frankie's fellow nurses, a few of the doctors and other side characters). And the horrible characters were more than just two-dimensional villains - they had arcs and reasons for doing what they did, even if their reasons were unthinkable to the reader. (I'm not going to say who the unlikable characters are, but they are there, and they are immensely dislikable).
Finally, I'm sure this book is wonderful in any format, but I can't say enough about the narration by Julia Whelan. I've listened to many audiobooks by Whelan, and the thing I love is how versatile she is. She can do everything from romantic comedies to war dramas and anything in between, and it's all believable. She's by far my favorite in the audiobook world.
Overall, this is one of the best - if not the best - books I've read so far this year. It is by no means an easy read, and I had a severe book hangover after I finished. (I also finished reading it just after midnight and had to sit up for about another hour before I relaxed enough to go to sleep.) So I always tell readers that they need to be in the right mindset for this one. But despite the difficult subject matter, it is an amazing read that I would recommend to everyone.
Rating: 5/5 stars
Content warnings (a lot): war, death of a loved one, gore, descriptive medical procedures, alcoholism, PTSD, sexism, negative treatment of veterans, miscarriage, addiction, drunk driving, suicidal ideation, forced incarceration
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.
I really enjoyed listening to this audio but unfortunately the audio from Netgalley stopped halfway through the book. Thereby, forcing me to wait until the book was released to the public. I was then able to finish the audio via my local library.
Hannah is one of my favorite authors. Her books are always written well with attention to detail. There was much tension and angst between her characters in this story.
The novel portrays the life of female nurses during the Vietnam War and follows the nurses after they left the service. Life was difficult and tremulous for the nurses after their tour ended.. The nurses found that their service to their country was not even recognized upon returning to the states. A very emotional story with all the feels.
I recommend this book most highly. I was gifted an advanced audio version from Netgalley, the publisher and the author. I enjoyed the narrator. I leave this review in exchange for the audio version of the book.
The narrator was engaging and kept me listening.
I love Kristin Hannah's books and this was no exception.
The characters were so well written, I really disliked some of the characters!!!!!
Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction.
“Women can be heroes.” When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these unexpected words, it is a revelation. Raised and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on being a good girl. But in 1965 the world is changing, and she suddenly imagines a different path for her life. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, Frankie impulsively joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path. What comes next is the chaos of war and the unexpected trauma of coming home, portrayed by beloved author Kristin Hannah. Unlike Hannah's other novels, I found more telling rather than showing in this narrative, which was disappointing from an author of this caliber. However, Julia Whelan's stellar (as always) performance of the story is really impressive. Readers who are captivated by The Women should definitely check out Home Before Morning by Lynda Van Devanter (1947-2002), a memoir of the author’s experiences as a combat nurse in Vietnam. It’s an unforgettable book that really reveals how much of Kristin Hannah’s fiction is rooted in reality.
Absolutely the best book that I have listened to or read in 2024. Having grown up as a child during the Vietnam era, I remember the news report the daily discussion of casualties and the stigma of young men being drafted and going to war. Listening to the main characters point of view her impressions as a nurse as a woman they really had a home for me. I love this book. I love the author Kristen Hanna, and this will be one of the most recommended books that I talk about this year.
This is such an epic audiobook bag Hannah and Whelan. It’s raw and heartbreaking over and over. I loved seeing the women’s side of the war effort
Thank you @Macmillan.Audio for the ARC of The Women, which is out now!
It’s taken me a long time to put my thoughts about The Women into words, but the gist of it is Kristin Hannah’s writing stays with you long after the book is finished. The Women was phenomenal and Julia Whelan was the perfect narrator to bring Frankie’s story to life.
This book is not for the faint of heart. It is gruesome in its detail, but imo Hannah would’ve done the women who served a disservice by withholding the unique brutality of Vietnam. The war, the women, their feelings - all of it was so realistic and horrific and moving. It’s hard to think that this part of history was real.
The depiction of PTSD, lack of resources, and confusing transition back to civilian life is so well written. It’s heartbreaking. This book is heartbreaking, but I also learned so much.
I thought I had a decent understanding of the Vietnam war and the political and social climate at the time, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. I had no idea women served in Vietnam. I had no idea that returning Vets weren’t celebrated especially not the women. I had no idea.
Overall, I loved this book. It is arguably one of the best books I read in 2023.
Kristin Hannah does it again with another thoroughly engaging work of historical fiction. The Women takes place during the tumultuous days of the Vietnam War. My husband and I listened to this on a road trip, and the miles flew by.
This is the first book that I have read by Kristin Hannah, and I was curious about her writing. I was not disappointed. I loved that it was set in San Diego and that it focused on strong women overcoming some pretty awful things. I'm not sue that the main character was consistently believable - I kept asking myself if she would really do some of the things she did - but aside from that, this is a fine story about courage during wartime (Vietnam) and even greater courage coming home after the war. This story also gives a voice to a wonderful group of women - Army Nurses who served along-side the men, but were not recognized for their service until many years later. It is also a marvelous coming-of-age story as we follow restless Frances, from her wealthy entitled life to Vietnam and beyond. It is also a story of enduring friendships forged under impossible circumstances.