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.

I can’t express enough how emotionally exhilarating and draining reading a book by Kristin Hannah is. And she’s done it again with this one. The story centers around Frankie McGrath, a young, idealistic woman who volunteers to be an army nurse in Vietnam. The first part of the book describes her experiences ‘in country,’ the friends she makes, the atrocities she sees and the horror of it all. But despite all that, Frankie thrives there as an accomplished OR nurse. Things change, though, when she returns home to Coronado Island in California. She is not only disrespected by civilians who are adamantly against the war - but also by the vets themselves who do not consider her experience the same as theirs (a man’s).

Heartbreaking and stunning, this was a look at a time period and slice of history I knew nothing about. It was infuriating and beautiful - I found myself rooting for Frankie every step of the way - whether it was in love, in fighting her demons or in finding herself.

Thank you so much NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy and giving me the chance to review it honestly.

When I tell you that this book ripped my heart out right from my chest… it did just that. I was fortunate to have received this as an ARC and an ALC and I will be getting myself a finished copy to keep on my shelves FOREVER. I cried too many times to count. Although this story is fictional, the struggles were real and are still real for vets to this day. I can truly appreciate all of the research the author had to have done in order to write this story. This story is heartbreaking, raw, and real… an easy five star read. I loved our main character, Frankie. She was inspiring, tough, and flawed… you know, human. I can’t remember the last time a book had me pouring tears from these tear ducts of mine. Oh wait!! Maybe it was Nightingale, also by Kristin Hannah. The ending of The Women absolutely wrecked me in happy tears. Kristin Hannah, you are an incredible artist and story teller. Thank you so much for gifting us with your talents. I’d also like to praise Julia Whelan for being such an incredible narrator and truly bringing this story to life. When I wasn’t using my own eyes to read these pages, I was listening to Julia put her heart into telling this story, and both ways completely ruined me in the best of ways. I honestly think this might be my favorite book of 2024. The Women by Kristin Hannah is out 2/6/24 and trust me, you need this book in your life and on your shelves.

Happy reading!!

This is an emotionally charged page-turner from the viewpoint of a young nurse, Frankie McGrath, whose life is forever changed by the Vietnam War. The story is heartbreaking as the horror of the war comes alive through Hannah’s beautiful writing. Her characters are well developed and their fear, pain and hope are palpable. A dramatic and vividly detailed telling about a little-known aspect of the Vietnam war. I would definitely encourage everyone to read this book as it truly will give you a new perspective on the horrors of war.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio who provided me with a copy of this book. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Man oh man can Kristin Hannah write! I mean, from the second I started listening to this I was completely and utterly transported back in time. Learning about the experiences, the terror, the grief of the Vietnam war was so powerful. There were moments I didn’t breathe for the visceral fear I felt for the people who served and for the innocent civilians caught in the middle of a brutal battle. I’m so grateful to Hannah for writing something that opened my eyes to what happened over there and also to the way veterans were treated upon their return.

This is an incredible book and the audio, done by Julia Whelan, was phenomenal. Thank you Macmillan Audio for the alc via Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Perfection. Everything we’ve come to expect from Kristin Hannah. Thoroughly researched details that help us learn about a different time and place. Every time the author starts to earn the reader’s trust, she pulls the rug out from under us. Trauma, heartbreak, discovery. I cried for Frankie and kept rooting for through all of her questionable choices. The Women is exactly what Historical Fiction should be.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I think this book is going to be the best of 2024! I cried multiple times throughout this book. Kristin Hannah writes beautifully. She's not afraid to take the ugly and gritty aspects of humanity and history, and write about it. She is one of my favorite authors, and this book did not disappoint. It was so beautiful, so heart-twisting, and so gut-wrenching. I have a new perspective on Vietnam and what the Vets went through there, as well as when they came home. I absolutely loved this book. It will be one that I buy for my personal library.

This book and its characters will live with me for a long, long time. The way Kristin Hannah draws readers into the hospitals, helicopters, and rural villages during the Vietnam War is mesmerizing. Hannah continues to be a favorite author of mine.

Kristin Hannah...we all know can do no wrong.

This was truly so deeply moving and impactful. I don't know that my words can do this justice, but you must read this. Pick it up and devour it. Yes, you'll cry. Yes, you'll feel broken, but isnt that what we love and crave in a KH book?