If this book isn’t on your radar, it should be. It releases February 6, and will undoubtedly soar to the top of the bestseller list, and for good reason. This book reinforces Kristin Hannah’s role as one of the queens of telling the stories of 20th century women.

Frances (Frankie) McGrath comes from an American family with a strong history of military men, but she believes women can be heroes too, and so she enlists as a combat nurse in the Vietnam War. And while the experience of war is more violent and emotional than Frankie could ever have imagined, the real challenge is waiting for her when she comes home to a family who won’t acknowledge her service, a country divided over the war, and Army supports that won’t recognize her as a veteran because of her gender.

Kristin Hannah never shies away from hard topics, and this book is no exception. It needs to come with a long list of trigger warnings, from war violence to PTSD, miscarriage, attempted suicide, substance abuse, this one runs the gamut of heart-wrenching topics. If you can handle it, this one is worth the heartache and every tear you will undoubtedly shed.

I listened to this one on audiobook, and @justjuliawhelan does a phenomenal job with the narration.

A huge thanks to @netgalley for the advanced listener copy.

This story beautifully covers Frankies life first as a Vietnam nurse and second through the trials and tribulations of returning home after war. The story covers PTSD, found family, rocky friendship, family relationships and fighting for your country… and that’s not even half of it! It is a lot packed in a novel.

The relationship between Frankie, Barb and Ethel through their time in Vietnam and after returning home was beautiful and powerful. They could be actually one of my favorite trio of characters that I’ve read in a long time.

Kristin Hannah has such a beautiful way of making you feel all of the feels. Every book I’ve read by her is so different, but makes me feel the same and has moved me in such a drastic way… The Women is no different. She is a masterful storyteller!

Thank you so much Netgalley & Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read this ARC. Friends, get your hands on this book when it is released February 6!!!

This is the historical fiction story of Frankie, a well-to-do, fresh out of nursing school, naive young woman who enlists with the Army during the Vietnam War. It takes you through her experiences and relationships during the war as well as when she returns, trying to adjust back into civilian life and cope with society's misconstrued views towards her involvement in Vietnam.

The story broaches subjects that may be triggers for some including familial issues, love and loss, wartime monstrosities, alcoholism, substance abuse, civil unrest, tactical herbicides and miscarriages, PTSD, treatment of combat veterans, and women deployed to combat zones, but not recognized as veterans.

This has been my ABSOLUTE favorite story so far this year! It took me on an emotional roller coaster and I had to stop a couple of times to process those feelings before I could continue with the story. The plot twists left me yelling at some of the characters and screaming out loud! I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the audio arc in exchange for an honest review.

I could not have been more excited to get my hands on this audiobook! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

The narrator of the audiobook did a fantastic job. I did not want to stop listening! Kristin Hannah has a way with weaving stories that are dark and yet compelling. I don't think I have ever been as emotional reading a book. I can't wait to bring this title to my book club's attention.

I was so grateful to listen to this audiobook of The Women. Kristin Hannah is quickly becoming my favorite historical fiction writer.

This journey back in time to The Vietnam war and the sacrifices these women made will really stick with you. Frankie has served 2 tours in Vietnam as a nurse but when she comes home, nobody will recognize her service. This book will definitely take you on an emotional roller coaster and shows how our veterans paid the price not just in Vietnam but when they came home as well.

Kristin Hannah has done it again with her newest historical fiction novel. This book has it all! Love, heartbreak, strong female characters and friendships, and a happy ending for our girl Frankie who overcomes so much. This book was easily a 5 star read for me.

This is one of those books that irrevocably changes you. I laughed, I cried (I mostly cried), I felt joy, and I felt immense pain and sorrow. Hannah transported me to a world in our not-so-distant past where women and veterans were disregarded, if not disdained, and where women veterans "didn't exist." I've never had such raw and real emotions to a book before, and though there were times I felt like I needed to set it aside to emotionally heal, I could never step away for long.

The Women is broken up into two parts. The first part was my favorite (though take that with a grain of salt because the entire book was flawless) and absolutely wrecked me emotionally. I truly don't think any work of fiction has brought me to tears more. If you need an ugly cry, pick this book up stat.

Frankie - our protagonist - volunteers as an Army nurse and is almost immediately shipped to Vietnam to serve. Underprepared, over-privileged, and completely out of her depth, Frankie quickly realizes that not only is Vietnam is a sink or swim and literally do or die environment, but also that the American people are being lied to about the war. The horrors and atrocities she sees are unfathomable and the brutal honesty with which Hannah conveys wartime is commendable.

Interlaced with the agony that is the first part is so much joy, love, friendship, and hope. And while I could've used more of this at times, the novel feels authentic and genuine and likely speaks to too many vets' experiences overseas.

The second part was agonizing to read in a different way. Returning from war a different person, Frankie is faced with horrific discrimination and disdain for her service. When people aren't actively hostile toward her, they are minimizing her experience - first telling her "there were no women in 'Nam" and then saying "but you didn't see combat."

The perspective Hannah brings to the Vietnam War is both eye opening and heart shattering. I love that she is finally shedding some light on the heroic women that served in Vietnam and made such an impact on so many lives. I also love that Hannah didn't shy away. She didn't shy away from the brutality, the gore, the horrors, the cruelty, the mistakes. She didn't shy away from the truth. And in that hard truth, she validated thousands and will educate so many more.

Julia Whelan is the narrator of The Women on audio and if you haven't had the pleasure of listening to Whelan narrate, this is an exceptional place to start. She is transportive. Her voice is perfection, her acting is perfection, and she elevates any and every role she plays. Every character's voice was flawless and unique and never overdone.

Again, this is a book that has changed me. Even emotionally gutted, I needed it and craved more time with it. It's a book I was ready to start again as soon as I finished and though I'm not big on re-reading, may actually do so just so I can experience it all again!

There are a lot of trigger warnings in this book but they are all relevant and necessary to the story. Please do not be dissuaded by ugly tears or by the trigger warnings! I promise it's so worth it!

A huge thank you to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for the copy. This is one I'll definitely be buying for my shelves as well.

I’m wrecked by this book but I’d gladly read it again after I’m done picking up the pieces. Kristin Hannah knocked this out of the park. She handled the topic(s) so well. It’s more than just about the Vietnam war. It has loss, friendship, POW’s, orphanages, the effects of coming home, PTSD, America’s stance on the war, the wars media treatment, love, family, and so much more. I could not stop listening to the audiobook and I will be purchasing the hard copy to share with anyone who questions my reading choices, because this is Hannah’s best yet.

THE WOMEN review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

“Women can be heroes too.”

🩺This. Book. Omg 🥹😭 I put off reading this one for a couple of weeks because I had a feeling it would emotionally devastate me and it sure did. 🥲 As a huge fan of both historical fiction and books that make me sob, I looooove Kristin Hannah’s books. This might be my new fave from her?! Definitely in the top 3!!

🩺Here is a summary of the plot:👇
Frankie’s family has always admired the bravery of soldiers who fight to defend the US. Her dad even has a “hero wall” in their house of pictures of their family members who have served in the military. Frankie wants to be a hero too, so she enlists in the Army as a nurse during the Vietnam War. But she soon realizes that most people, even her fellow soldiers, don’t think that the work these women are doing is heroic. They’re not on the front lines, so are they even making a difference? But the treatment she receives from her fellow soldiers is nothing compared to the way the rest of America is treating the Vietnam vets.

🩺I was sobbing not even 5% into this book. As someone who has a brother in the navy (just like Frankie) I was not emotionally prepared for the beginning of this book. I cried so many time throughout this story but especially at the end. There were also so many moments where I had to sit the book down and stare at the wall because I wasn’t expecting the plot twists?! I looooove books with a strong female lead and Frankie is one of the best main characters in a historical fiction book that I’ve read!

🩺This will definitely make my top reads of 2024! I will read anything Kristin Hannah writes and need another book from her asap. 🥹

🩺Huge thank you to @macmillan.audio for my advanced copy of this one! It publishes February 6th and I highly recommend picking this one up!

I was so excited to receive the audiobook arc for this story. I love Kristin Hannah and this one did not dissapoint. It struck a nice balance between drama, saddest and hopeful. There were parts of the story that were pretty depressing, particularly the second half when our main character returns home from the Vietnam war, but she did a good job of maintaining a glimmer of hope. I loved the relationship between the women, how strong their friendship and support were for each other. There were moments I gasped in shock, and one moment in particularly where I am pretty sure I cursed out loud. My only complaint was the book was pretty long but the end seemed to wrap up so quickly. I suppose it is a good sign when you feel like a book could have been longer and you wanted more story/details

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the ALC.
I have been sitting with this review for a few days now because I don't know how I am going to adequately explain how much I loved this book and how important it is. Hannah tackles the topic of the Vietnam war, and the aftermath - especially on the women in this book. I was drawn into Frankie's story right away - from her sheltered upbringing, to having no idea what war meant, to struggling to reacclimatize to civilian life while everyone around her wouldn't acknowledge what she'd been through. I was never taught about the Vietnam War, so I applauded Hannah in her ability to capture such history that made me dig deeper into the horrors that were going on during this time. There's always such depth when it comes to her writing, and I felt it in every aspect of this story. I think this is such an important story to be told, and I hope it gets into the hands of so many readers because this is history that needs examined, especially when it feels like some of it is running parallel to current events. This is also a book about the power of female friendship, familial issues, and longing for love. There is a lot going on but each thing is balanced beautifully. It's a story I know I will come back to in the future.
Julia Whelan is the perfect narrator for this kind of story - and she performed this story so well.

This was my first Kristin Hannah book, and it was good. It would have been great if it had been less predictable and had ended sooner. The plot seemed never to end. Every bad thing that could happen just kept happening to our main character, Frankie.

Speaking of Frankie, she was just an okay character. I liked her in the beginning until she just kept making terrible choices. I guess it makes sense that she was this way because of her PTSD and the trauma she experienced from the war.

I loved Frankie's friendships with Ethel and Barb. They were great characters; I wish we could have spent more of the book with them. A not-so-great character was... spoiler?... Rye. I hated him. But he left a good quote in this book: "Women can be heroes too."

This book's best part was its first half, when Frankie was still in Vietnam. The story started to drag on once she returned home. She just kept getting sucked into different romantic situations that I didn't always like. The author did a great job describing the events that took place in Vietnam, and it was full of action. The book was also really good at making me feel so many different emotions. All I know is that Frankie belonged on that hero's wall.

Narration Notes: I love this narrator (Julia Whelan), and she helped make the story more enjoyable.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martins Press, for my first-ever arc!

Good book overall but a little too much politics for my taste. Really enjoyed parts of it though.
I usually enjoy Hannah’s books. I was hoping for another epic journey, it was good just not fantastic.

Frances “Frankie” McGrath is a nursing student when her brother goes off to Vietnam. The words of her brother’s friend, “Women can be heroes, too” resonates with her. Frankie’s conservative parents have expectations; however, the expectations for their daughter are different than the expectations for their son. Frankie’s parents are blindsided when she suddenly joins the Army Nurse Corps to follow her brother.

Frankie quickly realizes that the realities of Vietnam are very different than the life she left behind on Coronado Island. She’s thrust into a very different kind of nursing than she is used to. She makes fast friends with Ethel and Barb, other nurses who will continue to support each other long after they are back on American soil.

The role of women in times of war are not something we hear a great deal about, especially wars where women were not active on the frontlines. The continuous comment of “there were no women in Vietnam” speaks to the ignorance of many, but if that is what people are told, that is what they believe. We learn through Frankie that trauma comes in all shapes and sizes and affects everyone differently.

I knew very little about the war in Vietnam prior to reading this book since I’m Canadian, although I wrote a paper on Maya Lin in university and how she designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

I will definitely recommend this book to others. I also enjoyed Julia Whelan as the voice of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to an ALC of this novel. #NetGalley #TheWomen

Frances “Frankie” McGrath was raised Coronado Island, California by her conservative parents. In the beginning of the book, she is a twenty-year-old nursing student living at home with her conservative, country club member parents. After her older brother goes to Vietnam, Frankie recalls the words of one of his friends “Women can be heroes, too.” , Frankie joins the Army Nurse Corps and after training, she is sent to Vietnam to work as a nurse. What she sees and experiences is shocking, traumatizing, heartbreaking and ultimately life changing. When not treating the horrifically injured soldiers, Frankie has formed close bonds with her fellow nurses. Bonds that will also change her life. Upon coming home, Frankie is shocked by being spit on, yelled at, and told repeatedly that women were not in Vietnam.

I was shocked to learn that the Nurses who provide medical care to soldiers were not considered Veterans even though they signed up with the Army. That they could not go to the VA for help with PTSD. It was appalling and heartbreaking.

Besides the beautiful writing, I loved how Hannah showed the strength of female friendship. How the women supported each other and formed a family unit amongst themselves. This was one of the highlights for me. They lifted each other up, loved each other, accepted each other’s faults, celebrated their strengths, and when everyone else was letting them down, they knew they could count on each other.

This book also shows how PTSD affected nurses, doctors, and soldiers. How many self-medicated with drugs and alcohol. This book also depicts scenes of great bravery, political upheaval, war protests, the effects of PTSD, self-medication with drugs, friendships, family dynamics, sexism, and growth.

Thank you to NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

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.”

Frances “Frankie” McGrath is a young Southern California girl, raised in a conservative household with a history of service to their country. Her sheltered upbringing would never suggest she serve, as the women of her family make the hero’s wall in her father’s office by marrying an officer. But when her older brother, a naval academy graduate, heads to Vietnam, Frankie wonders whether she is brave enough to follow him. She already has her nursing degree, and a war would have her finally doing more than holding a hand or changing a bedpan, especially with the Army Nurse Corps, who are desperate for candidates.

Frankie’s introduction to nursing in a war zone is a baptism by fire. She literally faces a mass casualty on day one. With the help of fellow nurses Ethel and Barb, Frankie finds her footing and her purpose in Vietnam. These two women from completely different walks of life support Frankie has she finds her footing. Frankie, who has led a privileged life on Coronado Island, learns far more than new nursing skills in ‘Nam. She learns about humility and sacrifice while also gaining independence and a new level of empowerment. Unfortunately when her time is up and she returns to the States, Frankie faces a nation that wants nothing to do with their veterans, and doesn’t acknowledge the women who served at all.

The Women is a coming-of-age story during an incredibly divisive time in America. Frankie’s experience exposes a country with discordant views and no where near finding middle ground. The open hostility Vietnam veterans like Frankie faced is shameful. Kristin Hannah does an excellent job of relaying the experience of veterans who served in a new kind of warfare and came home with far less than a hero’s welcome. She also does an excellent job of showing how PTSD, a new diagnosis at the time, affected many veterans lives post war. The amount of research and care taken with this story is evident. Once again Kristin Hannah does not disappoint. The Women has already been optioned by Warner Brothers to be turned into a film, one I for one cannot wait to watch.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and of course the author Kristin Hannah for the advanced copy of the audiobook. The Women is out on February 6th. All opinions are my own.

I always enjoy a Kristin Hannah book and this is no exception. Highly recommended

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was both excited and apprehensive to read this book. My apprehension was mainly due to the story being focused on the Vietnam war. I was born in the 60’s, so the War was part of my growing up. Fathers, uncles, family friends were a part of the war so I knew the stories and they were not good.

However, being a Kristin Hannah super fan, I KNEW this book was going to be phenomenal. And the fact that she focused this book on the women of the war, even better!

This story is unbelievably well researched and the depth of the characters, the relationships and the descriptive detail will take you on an emotional roller coaster.

I received the audio of this book which was narrated by the
amazing Julia Whelan. This woman can do no wrong and she was the ONLY choice for this incredible story.

I think this book should be a MANDATORY read for all women, no matter their age. A little history, perspective, humility and insight into what our mothers, grandmothers, aunts and friends did to shape our country.

No surprise that this was a 5⭐️ read/listen for me. I will be buying a physical copy to have on my shelves. Publication date: February 6th

Thank you @kristinhannahauthor for creating this story, @justjuliawhelan for bringing this story to life and to @macmillionaudio @netgalley for the ARC

4.5-stars.
Kristin Hannah is a great dramatic writer. Her work is filled with a characters emotional turmoil. It is hard not to feel the character. I thought The Women was not any different. Following Frankie through her time in Vietnam and then dealing with the aftermath was intriguing. I feel like her life in Vietnam was not surprising, but the aftermath of what she had to deal with was eye-opening. I never understood/knew/realized how discarded the women were. I did find the second half of the book a little repetitive. I know Frankie was having a hard time with re-integrating back into the "real" world after war, and that was expressed well, but her constant back and forth felt rushed. There was an extreme low, followed by a sudden high what felt like out of nowhere. Then the low came, which made sense, but then the high seemed a little too "neat," like the low wasn't maybe as bad. That's not necessarily a negative, but there came moments where I felt like maybe the high was too easy and sort of took away from the low that just occurred. I think the last 10% of the book did a good job bringing all those high and lows together and it made a little more sense especially given Frankie's age and growth/understanding/learning needed at that time of her life. Either way, great read and Julia Whelan is an awesome narrator.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the arc.

Fantastic! When I pick up a book by Kristin Hannah, I know that I may not like the characters (or agree with their decisions) but that I will get swept away into a story that will not let go until the very end. This was no exception. Frankie has hard a tough time with PTSD after Vietnam and help was hard to come by. I had no idea the struggles the nurses (and other personnel in Vietnam that didn’t see combat) had upon return and the spotlight the book shines on their service and sacrifice, only to be told they were less than once they sought help. I had hoped there would be more focus on the other two nurses since the title alluded to more than one point of view. Highly recommended for a wonderful story of friendship, strength, resilience, and learning from your mistakes.