*Thank you to Macmillan Audio and St. Martin’s Press for providing this audiobook for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.*

Wow. WOW. This book blew me away to such an extent that I literally had to take a couple of months to move on and get this review written. Kristin Hannah is one of my favorite authors, so I knew I would be requesting this book from NetGalley. When I saw that my favorite narrator, Julia Whelan, would be reading the audiobook, I immediately requested that version. To say I was thrilled to be approved is an understatement.

I’m sure you’ve all heard about this book by now. Kristin Hannah is, without a doubt, one of the most reliable and talented authors of our time. The Women is another incredible and moving novel to add to her list. It exceeded all of my expectations.

This historical fiction book tells the story of Frances “Frankie” McGrath, who follows her brother’s lead and joins the Army Nurse Corps to serve in Vietnam. Frankie has no idea what awaits her in Vietnam, and the danger, destruction, and heartbreak take her by surprise. But what’s waiting for her and her fellow veterans as she returns home may be an even harder battle to fight.

I learned more from this book than I learned in any history class growing up. Finding out what awaited Vietnam veterans back at home was absolutely heartbreaking. If you’re looking for a heartwarming – and, at times, heart-shattering – book, I cannot recommend this enough. I laughed, cried, swooned, and even seethed. As with Kristin Hannah’s other novels, and as is to be expected by the incredible Julia Whelan, this book is an emotional rollercoaster of the best kind. I highly suggest taking the ride.

Frances “Frankie” McGrath is young, naive and privileged when, nearing the end of 1966, she enlists in the Army to serve in Vietnam as a nurse.

Her older brother, Finley, is serving in the Navy, and Frankie wants her own place on the “heroes wall” in their family’s home on tony Coronado Island, California. But reality soon kicks her in her pristine white nurse’s cap: Finley is shot down and killed, and life as a nurse in a mobile hospital near the front lines is an endless stream of horrors.

That’s just the beginning of this tale of tribulation from Hannah, the justly acclaimed author of such books as “Firefly Lane,” “The Nightingale” and “The Four Winds.” If you’ve ever seen an episode of “M*A*S*H,” you’ll recognize the bloody hospital scenes, minus anything approaching a laugh track. And Frankie’s troubles only multiply when she returns to the States, shunned by much of society and turned away when she seeks help at the Veterans Administration because “no women saw combat in Vietnam.”

Eventually, there’s redemption. But the whole thing feels more like a comprehensive research project on the lives of American nurses in the war than the exploration of a character’s life, thoughts and feelings that makes up the best novels — including Hannah’s own top work. Everything about Frankie seems emblematic of what nurses in Vietnam saw, did, thought and felt, instead of feeling like she’s a free agent living a life.

One redeeming feature of the book is the reading by Whelan, who always impresses with her creation of well-rendered characters, both male and female, young and old. Performing as Frankie, as her conflicted mother and father, and as fellow nurses and best friends Barb and Ethel, among many others, Whelan shines again.

I was so grateful to be granted early access to the eaudiobook edition of The Women as the book was on my TBR for 2024, and highly anticipated. The narration and listening experience were top notch. I did have the opportunity since to read the physical book, and am conflicted on which I enjoyed more. I gave the eaudiobook a five star rating and it will be in my top 2024 reads.

What an important story the book tells. Of course there were women serving in Vietnam.! Didn’t many of us grow up watching MASH? Shedding light on this denial by so many Americans, military personnel, and communities brought home another aspect of how challenging these times were for women.

I found the story highly engaging and at times, emotionally wrenching. I haven’t been a fan of some of Kristin Hannah’s other books, and was very engaged and genuinely enthusiastic about this reading experience. The characters were believable, although some were highly unsympathetic, and the storyline well laid out. It was a very fast read and I highly recommend it as an eye opening experience about this period of history.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for access in exchange for this impartial review.

Thank you Net Galley for the #alc.

Frankie was told once that Women can be heroes. After her brother Finlay is deployed to Vietnam, she decides to enlist as a nurse so that she could make a difference. Optimistic that she and her brother could serve their country together. Before she can leave the life that's expected, her world is literally split apart when she finds out her brother was killed in the war. With little life or nursing experience, Frankie is thrown into a war zone, and her world is literally, physically, mentally, and emotionally upended.

Befriending Ethel and Barb, nurses in the Army, Frankie quickly becomes a nurse who can serve under the most terrifying and brutal conditions (war). I can hardly imagine how such ravaging devastation, death, injuries, and Mass-cals anyone could endure.

Frankie has lived a somewhat sheltered life, but she believes in doing the right thing. She fell in love with a Dr named Jamie but discovers he was married. She respects his marriage and keeps him at arms length as a beloved friend. Later, Frankie encounters the guy who tells her women could be heroes, too. This relationship in the face of it all becomes a catalyst for Frankie, one that gives her hope for life after she returns home.

What I enjoyed most about this book is the way Hannah centers THE WOMEN. Often, books about war don't include the doctors, nurses, and other women who were very present in some of the most pivotal and ugly parts of human history. How the country they put their lives on the line to serve, erased them, disregarded them, saying women weren't in Vietnam. I never really considered it before this book. The PTSD they suffered and tried to navigate on their own, the way they were told to forget about it and moved on. The shame they felt, the loneliness, and self medicating to get through the day with alcohol and/or drugs. It's completely unacceptable for people to be treated in this way. For them to navigate all of this on their own. And the government's denial and outright lie ls about what was really happening in Vietnam.

My heart goes out to the many veterans and their families, broken lives and hearts.

An epic tale told with emotion and conviction by the very talented Julia Whelan. While the story dips ever so slightly in the middle, Whelan managed to keep me engaged the entire time. She conveys emotion and different character tones well and she had excellent pacing. This book is a top seller for a reason - definitely a story that will stick with you long after the ending.

Loved this book so much! Kristin Hannah is an incredible storyteller who invites her readers into her stories through her characters. Frankie is a young woman full of hope and heroism, who finds herself in a world she doesn’t always recognize: watching Frankie lose and find herself in this novel was a worthwhile journey.

Thank you for this gifted copy #Netgalley. The following is my honest and unbiased review. This was a fantastic historical fiction. I loved the first-person narration and letters between the female friends. There were a surprising number of twists and jaw-dropping moments that kept me so engaged and connected to the characters and their lives. I felt a lot for the main character and everything she went through in country as an army nurse. The raids and bombing scenes were visceral and instrumental in conveying the aftereffects of war, but also the disappearing of war women, who were gaslighted, shamed, and denied services upon returning home. I knew nothing about the context of returning WWII vets versus Vietnam vets and this story taught me about the unfair and unkind treatment towards those returning from Vietnam due to the evolving political and moral issues surrounding the United States' participation in the war. I loved listening to Julia Whelan narrate, as always. Highly recommend.

This was my first Kristen Hannah read and I now know why she has so many fans.

This book was an immersive historical drama with an incredible main character. Frankie was such a clear and engaging young women perfectly exemplifying a very specific transitional time in America.

Well researched, realistic, approachable yet hauntingly violent and bloody. Frankie, a nurse who volunteered to join the Army during the Vietnam war, is subjected to generational trauma, misogyny and lies by her lovers and her government. Her growth is beautiful to witness, I could not look away.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance listening copy of this highly anticipated historical audiobook, performed with her usual
excellence by Julia Whelan.

I had difficulty finishing this book. Most likely, one of the book groups I regularly attend will select it as a monthly read and as I do not like to attend the groups without finishing the title, I will give it another go.

Many people comment on her settings and plot, but his was more a character driven story which is usually to my taste, just not hrer. Perhaps it was the time period revealed in this story that did not cinnect with me.

As always, Julia Whelan was quite good at revealing mood and emotion.

Ok this story got me in the #feels today. It’s a chilly quiet Saturday afternoon. The weather is moody as all hell and so am I. I actually listened to this on audio bc HELLOOOOOOOO it’s done by @macmillan.audio with one of my all time favs @justjuliawhelan !!!
This story started off with a very green new RN barely 18 deciding to follow in her brother’s footsteps (and family’s footsteps) to be a #hero by serving her country in the war of her generation : the #vietnamwar …. Much thanks to @netgalley for making this available and for @macmillan.audio for allowing me to listen to their wonderful production of the fantastic story by @kristinhannahauthor ❤️❤️ In addition, thanks so much to @stmartinspress for sending me this early copy. I always enjoy Kristin Hannah’s books, but this one OMG hit me so deeply I have to tell you that I was sobbing at the end when her dad called her peanut and said what he said??!!!! (Not a spoiler) I mean… 😭 for real tears … loved this book for SO many reasons. This author has such an amazing way of building a character throughout the story, by making you CARE about them, making you feel what they’re feeling and cringe at their tragedies and cry for their triumphs. Sure Frankie McGrath was just a green, wet behind the ears kinda gal when she flew off to Vietnam, barely a trained nurse for the Army; but as this book shows, so MANY KIDS were the same - unprepared for what they got - unprepared for the unfair treatment when they returned. I was an oblivious kid in the 70s, but I never heard my parents or anyone I KNEW badmouthing veterans. Ever. As an older teen I’d heard stories of ppl being disrespectful to vets and it made me sad. War movies always gave ME shell shock; my mind wouldn’t have been able to handle anyyy of it. Not handling the wounded either like so many women and men did, sometimes while under fire or shelling themselves. I’m so glad this story gave a voice to the women of vietnam, the children & innocents that were destroyed; and the ones who fought for our country even when they had no clue and were scared to death. Highly recommend, 5 star story it will stick with me. 😭❤️😭

In this intimate historical drama, Kristin Hannah pays tribute to the often overlooked women who served in the Vietnam War. Hannah captures the resilience, sacrifice, and unspoken stories of these remarkable women. She made us fall in love with the women, and we cheered, feared, and grieved with them. Despite war’s ravages and post-war struggles, “The Women” stands as a powerful testament to their courage and friendship.

What an amazing book! Once I started listening to it I could not stop and I finished it in 2 days. I fell in love with Frankie and her friends Barb and Ethel and my heart ached for all that they went through. There are not enough books that depict what those who served in the Vietnam War went through. This is definitely a 5 star read for me and it is officially now my favorite book by Kristin Hannah!

Julia Whelan is a wonderful narrator and was perfect for The Women!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: 06 February 2024.

No surprise, another masterpiece by Kristin Hannah! Wow. I loved this. While historical fictional isn’t typically my go-to genre, I found the historical aspects so fascinating and engaging! There was little to no info dumping; I was just experiencing the time period through the eyes of rockstar of a character, Frankie McGrath. Talk about a powerful female MC, wow! The suffering and trauma that this character endured was painful and heartbreaking to listen to, but oh so captivating. And narrator Julia Whalen never disappoints! Kristin Hannah has a way of sucking you in and never letting go until the very end. Not only do I feel like I’ve learned a little about a period of history through her books, but her stories are never predictable. The turns the story took left me enthralled and craving more.

Thank you so much to Kristin Hannah, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the advance listening copy in exchange for my honest review! Out now, this one is a can’t miss for historical and contemporary fiction readers who want to be transported to a different time!

This book is amazing! Kristen Hannah creates a story that is often sad but always tempered with strength, friendship, and hope. The action scenes in Viet Nam are fast-moving, realistic, and at times over whelming. The tough, but poignant stories of the soldiers being treated by the nurses, partnered with the stories of friendship between the women, round out the toughness and gives the story an overall theme of hope.

When the story switches to the home front and and tumultuous times of America during the Viet Nam war, the author tells the story through the eyes of women affected by the War, but without preaching or being militant.

Wow what a book. While this was very overhyped and widely popular, I still wanted to read it and had very low expectations. Overly hyped books tend to fall short in terms of plot and pacing, but this book was so good. It was unlike any I’ve read, especially since I don’t normally read historical nonfiction. I really liked how the entire book wasn’t centered on Vietnam per se, but life afterwards. I was wondering how many chapters would be devoted to her time serving as a nurse. I could’ve used a few more chapters but it was not a deal breaker. I think it was a realistic portrayal of life for women during that horrible time. It was a bit frustrating how Frankie was unable to get help and that point felt a little too extended, but it was probably pretty accurate even if a tad frustrating because times like that now are definitely not the same. The ending was good and I was definitely surprised by a few characters that came back into the picture. Overall this was a great book and I’m glad I gave it a chance. Did I cry? No. But I was fully invested. And the narrator did an amazing job, as always.

⚠️: graphic description of war, death, injuries, PTSD, mental illness, substance abuse, miscarriage, adultery

This was my first Kristin Hannah read. I KNOW I KNOW GUYS BUT BEFORE YOU GET THE PITCHFORKS OUT, HEAR ME OUT… historical fiction is not usually a genre I read and I tend to try to stay farrr away from tearjerker books that will destroy me.. both things which Kristin is very well known for.

But when Kristin announced she was coming out with this book, as a female service member in the U.S. Army myself, I could absolutely not pass it up.

This book is touching, heartbreaking tribute to the women and men who served in Vietnam, the severely traumatizing physical and mental challenges they faced, and the long-term struggles they faced after they came home for many years to come. I ugly cried so many times and I learned so much. The book was truly a gift and a reminder to humanity, Kristin.

I decided that for such a heavy topic and so long of a book, I would listen on audio. I absolutely adored the narrator (the queen Julia Whelan of course) and the 15 hours on this book were over in the blink of an eye.

I did like the ending (mostly). The first 75% of the book was an incredibly solid 5 star read for me, but most of the last 25% fell a little flat, so I’m rating 4.5 stars rounded up overall.

Thank you so much to Kristin, MacMillan Audio, and NetGalley for the advance listener’s copy!

This is a real tear-jerker!! If you thought you’ve read tragedy and heartbreak, think again. This book will break you until there is nothing left to break. One of her best works yet! Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read in exchange for a review!

What a fantastic book! The story was amazing & the writing phenomenal. I felt all the emotions reading this book and I loved to have a historical fiction book set in time other than WW2.

Wow, this audiobook was amazing! I know so little about the Vietnam War. It is crazy to me how the soldiers were treated upon their arrival home. There were definitely times I needed to wipe my eyes, because my heart was broken for Frankie and the other women.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to this book.

I've made a point to read all of Kristin Hannah's books published since The Nightingale. She is a masterful storyteller and this novel about the nurses who served in Vietnam sheds light on a time in American history that I knew very little about. I recently read about PTSD becoming a medical diagnosis in another book, which stemmed from research involving Vietnam War veterans, and did not occur until 1980 - well after the events of this book. The lack of support available to Frankie is shocking by today's standards.