This is a deeply affecting account of Frances "Frankie" McGrath, a young, newly graduated nurse in 1965. Her brother heads off to fight in Vietnam, and Frankie decides to join the Army Nurse Corps to serve her country as well. What she finds there and what she experiences after she gets home are nothing like she could have anticipated.

Kristin Hannah has done it again. I became emotionally enmeshed with Frankie, Barb, Ethel, and everyone else in this story. This tale is not for the faint of heart. There are many vivid descriptions of war and its aftereffects. Hannah has obviously done a great deal of research to communicate the experiences of these heroic women.

I have no firsthand knowledge of Vietnam, and yet this book touched me deeply, made me angry, and made me very sad. It's not an easy read, but I think it's a vital one if a person wants to know more about what happened during and after the war.

I listened to this book as an audiobook narrated by the wonderful Julia Whelan. She captured every nuance of Frankie's fear, joy, pain, determination, and heartache. From the time Frankie steps foot into Vietnam as a very green new recruit until she visits the dedication of the Vietnam Memorial, her physical and emotional journeys are chronicled.

Again, this is such a fantastically written book. I was captivated from the beginning and now can't wait to recommend it to others looking for a richly detailed novel about a part of history that is often overlooked and ignored.

Thanks to NetGalley for this advance Listening copy of The Women. I have already reviewed the ebook of this title so will copy that here and add my opinions for the audiobook.

Julia Whelan is my go-to narrator for great audiobooks, so in the first opening bits of the audio version, I knew she was the perfect choice. Of course I love the pacing of the book and I love her voice for female characters. She needs some work on older male voices, for me, but with all of the books she narrates, I can lay back and immerse myself into the novel. Excellent. Here's what I said for the ebook. 5* again.

August 2, 2023
Thanks to NetGalley for this advance reader copy of The Women in exchange for a fair review. These opinions stated here are of my own. This review will appear on Goodreads.

The author explained that she came up with this idea in her early days as a writer but she put it on hold so she could mature enough to tackle the subject matter. I am glad she did.

I was a toddler during Vietnam but had a brother old enough to serve. I didn't understand anything going on, but remember the news and the discussions around the dinner table. I knew about Nixon, Jane Fonda, and the Hanoi Hilton. I am old enough now to really read about it and comprehend what America went through in those dark days.
The Women chronicles mainly one woman, trying to find her father's respect, trying to survive a war, and trying to integrate back into society. The book is nearly 500 pages but doesn't feel like it at all. It moves really well. I usually read so fast but wanted to savor this one, as if reading it quickly would somehow disappoint on the other side. I mean, I'd have to wait another 3 years for a first time reading of a Hannah book!
Hannah's books are far from cheery - so pack your emotions and a few tissues. Hannah taps into the emotions of family, friends, longing, love, loss, heartbreak, and hope. You'll learn a few things. You'll laugh and cheer and yell and sob. It's a powerful read.
There are trigger warnings that have to do with war and everything that goes along.
There is language but if I was in a war, I would swear like a sailor too.
The book clubs in my library system will be fighting over this future best seller.
Cue the music from Miss Saigon, the Broadway musical, who's playbill cover resembles this book cover. Dance like it's the last night of the world.
4.5 rounded up to 5*

Another great book from Kristin Hannah. This story is captivating from the start and I really enjoyed listening to it. There were many times I could not find a good place to stop listening to it and managed to finish this book quickly. I love the story and the era (1960's). I would highly recommend to anyone looking to escape into another time/story. Wonderful!

This book is truly eye opening to the younger generation aka millennials of how women were treated and valued after Vietnam.
Being a daughter of a veteran who served in Vietnam, I realized now why everything was kept so quiet and no one wanted to talk what happened.
Following “Frankie” through her journey before, during, and after her service was an honor.

Thanks to Netgalley for this advanced reader copy and the opportunity to review it.
The Women is an easy five stars! Kristin Hannah is a master storyteller, but even for her The Women stands out as an exceptional novel. In 2024, we don't hear much about Vietnam -- most people don't even know why we fought in Vietnam. The vets are often forgotten, the women most of all. Frankie's story is at times terrifying, at times gut wrenching, at times uplifting. I found myself driving to work, listening to the audiobook,and sobbing. Frankie, Barb, and Ethel represent the women who fought in Vietnam, and who struggled with unimaginable deomons when they returned home. A masterpiece!

I'll start this review by admitting that before reading this book, I had never considered the fact that there were indeed women who served in Vietnam. And after reading The Women, I can't stop thinking about it. Kristin Hannah's new book is a must read. It's a beautifully told story, and is matched with the perfect narrator in Julia Whelan. Hannah takes the reader to Vietnam - not just the horrific wartime scenes we're familiar with, but also descriptions of the beaches and other things often left out of movies about this time period. The story of Frances McGrath follows her from being a wide-eyed innocent to a grown woman who's witnessed the horrors of war and survived more loss than most. Her quest for her father's approval is one that will no doubt resonate with many readers. While the story is about war, the real gem in this book is Frankie's relationship with her best friends - two "ride or die" women who always have her back. I've lost count of the people I've told about this book, and will most certainly read it again at some point.

Audiobook: Narrator - Julia Whelan
Ms. Whelan did an amazing job of bringing this story from the pages and straight into my heart. Her narration was such that I failed to recognize her as narrator as she brought each character to life in unique and diverse ways. Her voice coaxed me in and kept me there. Rarely have I experienced a performance such as this.

What an amazing story! This was so much more than I was expecting. I knew this author would keep things authentic, but holy heck, I never realized how it was going to send me on an emotional roller coaster. The scenes written here were so vivid I ached. I felt the agony, the struggle and the complete desolation these characters experienced. And oh my, their strength, not only for themselves but for the women standing next to them. This is a story that will stay with me forever.

Heroine POV
Triggers are as expected in a tale of war, destruction and death
While there are a few elements of romance, this is not a romance

I wanted to get this audiobook because I have listened to the Four Winds by Kristin Hannah in 2021 about the Dust Bowl. I enjoyed that book and was very impressed by her ability to take you into the historical context and have you experience it from the first person narrative. In "the Women," the author takes us to 1960s Vietnam, where the naive and idealistic central character Frankie joins the army following her brother, much to her conservative and affluent family's dismay. This was not what women did back then. Frankie has to grow up fast in an environment completely foreign to her.

Not only the book is skillfully written by Kristin Hannah, it was also narrated by Julia Whalen who is my favorite narrator and does a wonderful job here. The fans of Hannah and Whalen would enjoy this book. If you are going on a long family reunion trip and want to bring one book to remind you that you are not in the worst situation, this may be it.

Because I was so excited about a new Kristin Hannah's book, I didn't pay attention to the subject of the book (Vietnam War) nor the cover that looked recycled from Miss Saigon. It is such a heavy subject matter and I felt it could be interspersed with more humor, or better yet, to include Frankie's mother's story to have the reader understand her situation to give it more dimensions to the story. As is, it was a misery porn, as important it is to be told. It also could be edited down - at 15 hours, it is too long to experience the trauma as a reader - to the point I wanted to put it down. I also felt that the title "the Women" didn't really fit the book. I also wasn't sold on her romantic interest, which made the book less interesting as a whole to me.

If you are sensitive to certain triggers, I would definitely search trigger warnings before picking up the book.
As heavy as it is, this is an important story to be told, and I hope to read more from Hannah in future.

An advanced copy of this audiobook was provided courtesy of NetGalley and Macmillan Audio in exchange with my review. My opinion herein is my own.

I would listen to a grocery list if Julia Whelan narrated it. I would listen to a compilation of all my flaws and everything I've ever done wrong in my life if it could be in her soothing voice. So, obviously, her narration of "The Women" was perfection.

Women were in Vietnam. This is a fact that has been overlooked for generations. I, myself, was ignorant of the fact. "The Women" follows Frankie, a nurse, as she navigates the Vietnam war and her return back in the world. She struggles desperately trying to assimilate back to civilian life, including the mental health issues that so many veterans deal with. She struggles with not being taken seriously and having her experience in the war downplayed or dismissed entirely. Hannah did a fantastic job of bringing the reader through Frankie's complicated feelings about the war to her journey from self-destruction to healing.

I was unable to stop listening to this book. I had one headphone in at all times--while making dinner, parenting young children (oops), while commuting. I cannot recommend it enough. This was another dynamite Kristin Hannah/Julia Whelan pairing.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ARC of "The Women" in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Many, many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the latest historical fiction novel by Kristin Hannah, perfectly narrated by Julia Whelan - 5 stars!

It's 1965 in sunny California, and Frances "Frankie" was raised by conservative parents to always do the right thing. Military service was always important to their family too, with her dad having a "hero's wall" in their home. Her brother was off to war and an off-hand comment by one of his friends that women could be heroes too spurs Frankie to enlist as an army nurse. In the blink of an eye, she's in Vietnam and totally out of her depth. Her two nurse friends, Barb and Ethel, keep each other going through the daily trauma. We follow Frankie throughout the war and on her return home, where suddenly she is anything but a hero.

I could not stop listening to this audiobook once I started and was totally engrossed in Frankie's story from start to finish. This is a visceral, emotional, thought-provoking, beautifully written and researched story. It's certainly a testament to all the women who served in the Vietnam War who were never acknowledged or supported. It's still so sad to think of all the veterans returning home from war who were ridiculed and hated, forced to battle their demons on their own. I loved the special bonds forged between the women and how they were always there for each other. For those of us growing up in those times (my dad was in Vietnam and I still have my POW bracelet), the book is full of nostalgia and transports you back to those turbulent times. I can't stop thinking about this book - Kristin Hannah has again created a masterpiece. Highly recommended - will be on every top 2024 book list for sure.

Keep the tissues close!

This book wrecked me. We follow Frankie, a spoiled/entitled girl with a family with a hero's wall. One night, she's told, "Women can be heroes too," and decides to join the Army as a nurse. The story follows her hardship, loss, and life at home after the war.

This book focuses on the women of Vietnam and what they went through, how America treated them, and the sacrifices that were made. I appreciate the detail and research that Kristin Hannah did before writing this book - down to noting that women weren't allowed to wear pantyhose.

This has got to be my favorite Kristin Hannah book thus far.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for an advance copy of this book.

I heard there is talks about making this into a movie. I can't imagine anything could be better than this as an audiobook!
The narration was perfect! I loved the story. What more can I say?

The amount of research done highlighting the forgotten generation(s) and women’s contributions is astounding. I adore Kristin Hannah’s writing and ability to derive a story from a historical moment in time. Frankie might not be the most enjoyable character as she is frequently self-centered, spoiled, and entitled. However, she was realistic, we saw her raw struggles with war and then the aftermath. This is a heavy topic and a much needed story to be told to highlight veterans who never received the love and respect that they deserved.

I do wish the story would have had multiple perspectives from different women who fought in the Vietnam War instead of primarily focusing on Frankie. Also, there was heavy foreshadowing at times making the story predictable.

Trigger warnings: PTSD, attempted suicide, affair, greusome injuries, death, heartbreak, addiction

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Kristin Hannah can be counted upon to deliver an engrossing novel. This book joins Home Front, also by Hannah, as the best two books (out of 15) that I've read so far this year and is among the top 20 books I've read - ever. It is a story filled with real-life situations, emotions, relationships, and reactions. It's a tale of human beings, living in chaotic times, finding their way to satisfaction and fulfillment in their relationships - personal, societal, romantic, and familial. Those who lived through this period of history know that the era had many nuances of meaning that have been overlooked and simplified by the passing of time; but this author did a magnificent job of fairly depicting much of the complicated political and societal conflict the Vietnam war generated among Americans and the chaos that brought into their lives.

Who doesn’t love a good Kristin Hannah story? Once again she doesn’t disappoint! I love that I could listen on my long road trips. Made me feel like my time in the car as nothing. Once again, she writes a captivating story that you won’t want to turn off! Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for my advance copy!

Read if you like:
🧑🏻‍⚕️ Nurses/Medical Professionals
⚔️ War Stories
⏳Coming of Age Stories
👯‍♀️ Friends that become Family
💞 Complicated love stories
💔 Heartbreaking Plots

This was my first book my Kristin Hannah, and now I am wondering why I’ve waited this long to read one of her books despite having several on my shelves.

As the wife of a Navy Veteran and Nurse who is planning to enlist in the reserves once he completes his Nurse Practitioner program this one hit me in the gut so many times and made me thankful that my husband during his past service while he went on several deployments was never in a war zone.

This book was gripping and truly sucked me in and the romance elements and friendships truly brought the story even more to life with the human elements of love and loss, and feeling as though people that haven’t experienced the trauma you have just won’t get it no matter how much you wish they would so you could feel less alone.

I also really enjoyed that the story spanned time before, during, and after the MC’s time serving in the Nurse Corp for the Army in Vietnam and felt so well researched and the authors note and acknowledgement truly showed the dedication that KH took to endure that this story was told in a way that honored the women of the Vietnam war.

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for my ALC that I absolutely binged and will be thinking of for a while to come!

Wow.

Kristin Hannah is such a provocative writer or historical fiction. As someone who was not alive during the Vietnam War, I learned quite a bit while reading The Women. This novel painted such a vivid picture of a space other than "field combat", leaving me uncomfortable and emotional while I read. The raw treatment of the soldiers returning home, the constant brush off of the women of Nam, and the warfront hospital scenes unfolded in captivating layers.

Frankie was a character with an unbelievably nuanced personality and an incredible character development. However, if this novel had given us just Frankie as an Army Nurse, I don't think it would have packed the punch it did. Thankfully, we were gifted with her two best friends, Ethel and Barb, creating multiple views on the war, the soldiers, and returning home. The three together were a perfect package.

The relationships Frankie went through in the novel's entirety were painful -- not just romantic, but also familial and friendly. Honestly, I took away a star based on this element...I understand the path that the author took, but it took away a piece of the story that I needed.

I devoured this novel.

Special thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and MacMillan Audio for providing me with a digital/audio review copy of this novel in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Huge thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and the author Kristin Hannah for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook before it's release date for my honest review. In one word... brilliant. This book has left me truly speechless. Admittedly I knew nothing about this topic and it was so educational and eye opening. I felt like I was with Frankie throughout the entire journey and felt so deeply for everything she went through. Kristin Hannah is and always will be one of my favorite authors. Kudos to her for another spectacular story. This book will forever be one of my favorites. (Posted on Goodreads as well.)

Kristin Hannah is such an incredible storyteller. I love how much work she put into learning about the history to make this book as true to the facts as possible.

Frankie decides to become a nurse in the Vietnam War after her brother enlists. She discovers her love of nursing, but wasn’t ready for her return and how people respond to her sharing her experiences.

Like all Kristin Hannah novels this one will likely make you laugh and cry.

#netgalley #TheWomen

𝙒𝙤𝙬!

This book will be one that stays with me for a very long time.

Kristin Hannah can tell a story that has you so fully engrossed from the first words on the page. Her characters are filled with so much depth that you cannot stop thinking about them days, weeks and even months later.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 is one of those stories.

Hannah takes us back to the mid-sixties during the Vietnam War. In 1965 the world is changing, Frances “Frankie” McGrath decides to follow her brother and enlists with the Army Nurse Corps and is shipped off to Vietnam. She quickly learns the true horrors of this war and every day becomes a battle of life and death.

War was just the beginning for Frankie and her war veteran friends, as they return home to a divided America, angry protesters and people who want to forget Vietnam.

This book covers many heavy topics with graphic depictions of war, death, politics, communism and PTSD. The way in which these women and Vietnam War veterans were treated was just absolutely appalling and heartbreaking.

Frankie learns very quickly that she is being forgotten along with her fellow nurse corps friends. When they tried to reach out for help, they were told they weren’t there (in Vietnam) and didn’t serve, and was offered no help as they struggled with the aftermath left to their own devices.

But through it all these women banded together. Determined to have their voices heard for themselves and the men who sacrificed so much for their country.

While a work of fiction, Hannah writes this story with such vivid descriptions you are left feeling such a connection to these characters.

A story of found family, deep friendships, determination and courage, 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 is a book not to be missed.

"𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙖 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙬𝙖𝙨𝙣'𝙩 𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙮𝙚𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙞𝙩.
𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙖𝙣 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨 - 𝙬𝙚 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚."

I can safely say this will be one of my favourite books of the year and I cannot wait to grab a hard copy for my forever shelf.