WOW!!! Thank you netGalley for this ARC!! This book is a must read! I want people to read it, so I can discuss it with them. This will definitely be my Book Club pick when it comes around to my turn. It Comes out February 6th.

This book is way up there in terms of five star books that I’ve read. I feel so lucky that most of the books that I read are pretty darn good. These great reads are because I get fantastic recommendations from my job,my customers, my coworkers, and my book loving friends. Kristen Hannah outdid herself with this book. And that saying something because she is a great author. This book will have you feeling all the feelings, have a tissue close….

I just finished listening to the audiobook and I’m numb. I experienced so many emotions and shed so many tears over this moving and important story that took too long to be told. It made an extra powerful and personal impact on me because this was my generation. Yes, I was the exact age that Frankie was back then. I don’t remember men being patriotic and wanting to go to war. I only remember the fear and panic of young men who hoped to qualify for the various deferments in order to avoid going. I can acknowledge what Frankie said about girls, how we were programmed to attend college to become nurses, secretaries, teachers, or for the Mrs. degree. I remember that it was years later before I learned that a former high school buddy was killed in combat and how I bawled when I found his name on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.

Kristin Hannah beautifully told this story about the McGrath family’s pride in their son Finley’s graduation from Annapolis. A huge party gathered together to celebrate his send-off to war. However, when sister Frankie graduated from nursing school, wanting to follow her brother to Vietnam as an army nurse, her family was ashamed. Her father even lied, telling people that she was studying abroad.

I could never understand why those who returned from Vietnam weren’t honored and praised, but instead were confronted by protestors in airports who antagonized and yelled hateful things at them. There are still so many homeless Vietnam vets today who have struggled all these years because of the effects of war and the reception they received. It wasn’t until after the war ended that the returning POW’s were treated as heroes.

Frankie’s story was surely not the only one about how women were traumatized. She had gone to war to find her brother. Instead, she found herself, but not until after she suffered with PTSD and addiction. She struggled getting help from the VA, and was always denied and told that no woman were in Vietnam. No one acknowledged their importance nor how they also suffered. How ignorant and disrespectful was that, I ask you?

There were actually over 10,000 women who served in Vietnam in different capacities as nurses, medical personnel, military intelligence and air traffic controllers. There were also many civilian women who were there. Just because they didn’t carry weapons on the front line didn’t mean that they weren’t traumatized by the death and tragedy they were consumed in. Frankie learned surgical procedures, treated men who had lost limbs and held their hands as they died. Their living conditions were horrible, but she kept some sense of sanity with her close friendships, namely Barb and Ethyl, both who maintained extreme importance long after the war.

There’s too much else that I didn’t touch on, such as the romantic hurts, but this is a must-read, powerful story. Kristin Hannah obviously did extensive research before writing and Julia Whelan did a beautiful job with her narration.
I am so grateful to have been awarded an ARC by NetGalley and McMillan audio.

Through the lens of one woman’s story, Kristin Hannah underscores the impact of women during Vietnam.

We meet Francis “Frankie” McGrath in 1966 during the farewell party for her older brother Finley, who is to serve in Vietnam. Shortly after, rejecting the traditional plans of her conservative parents and imagining a different future for herself, she enlists in the Army Nurse Corp and follows her brother to war.

Immediately, Frankie’s life is thrust into a reality painted by the chaos of war, the incessant din of gunfire, and the blood-drenched, endless hospital shifts that eventually shape her into a skilled surgery nurse.

While in Vietnam, Frankie falls in love, faces the devastation of loss and heart break, forges lifelong friendships, and reshapes her world and place in it as a result.

The second part of the novel shakes the ground beneath her once again, as she returns to a country divided and a life markedly different. There is no gratitude for her service, no real belief that she—along with other women—were even there. And while the world is intent to dismiss Vietnam, Frankie, like so many others, finds herself utterly broken and lost.

Through Frankie’s story, Hannah takes us on an extraordinary journey that’s deeply evocative and sobering—one that explores everything from the massive loss of life (on both sides) in Vietnam, to the political division the war engendered, to both the physical and psychological scars Veterans struggled with upon their return to a country defined by protest and a hostile dismissal of their sacrifice.

Through rich details and cultural signposts, Frankie’s story felt intimate, transportive, and all consuming. I couldn’t put it down, even as tears streamed down my face in parts particularly difficult to read.

There are so many reasons I have loved this, and all the Kristin Hannah books I’ve devoured. One of those reasons is that her stories stay with me long after I’m done. They’re steeped in compelling histories I yearn to learn more about, and I always spiral into them in the aftermath of reading.

I can’t recommend this book enough. I listened to the audio version (narrated by Julia Whalen) and it’s amazing.

5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 For THE WOMEN by Kristin Hannah, narrated by Julia Whelan.
PUB. DATE: FEB 6, 2024
Such a poignant story and so well researched! The narration is also one of the most amazing I’ve heard.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC of this audiobook.

It should be one of the best books in 2024.
It’s the story of Frankie McGrath, a 20 year old who joins the Army Nurse Corps to follow her brother to serve in the Vietnam War but returns home with a PTSD, a broken heart and no compassion from her parents.

It takes you on a roller coaster of emotions as she struggles with alcoholism, drugs, depression, etc.
The cast of characters is well developed and interesting as they are as vibrant as flawed.

That audiobook kept me up for 2 nights and during a couple of long drives. I cannot recommend it enough!

This was beautiful and heartbreaking- I am convinced it’s as good as The Nightingale, Kristen Hannah’s best book in my opinion.
The topic? The Vietnam war, especially the women who served in it.
I was sucked in by the main character Frankie, and I could see myself in her at the beginning of the novel. The first third is about her experience as a combat nurse in Vietnam and the last two thirds about her experience, similar to many other Americans, returning to the United States villainized due to her service.
There were so many things I didn’t know before- Vietnam is not the most popular topic for historical fiction- and I feel as if I learned so much. I’m already telling everyone to read this book.

Wow, what a rollercoaster of a beautiful book. Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ARC. I knew I was in for it when I was crying a quarter into the book. The story of Frankie and her fellow war nurses in Vietnam and their experiences and struggles after coming home were beautifully portrayed by Kristin Hannah. In a time where women were not allowed in combat, and their contributions were overlooked, this book pays homage to their extraordinary efforts in wartime. This book quickly became my favorite KH book and is a must read for anyone in 2024!

Kristin Hannah's latest work, "The Women," is another exquisite addition to her repertoire, showcasing the author's dedication to thorough research and heartfelt storytelling. This poignant novel not only immerses readers in a compelling narrative but also serves as an enlightening exploration of the Vietnam War and the often-overlooked women who played significant roles during this tumultuous period. For those seeking a gripping story with a rich historical backdrop and characters that linger in the heart, "The Women" is undoubtedly a worthy addition to your reading list.

A resounding 4.5/5

Kristin Hannah is an absolute gem at writing historical fiction. You can always tell she does her background research to do justice to the time periods and historical events.

The Women is a perfect example of this. Throughout the book, I was transported back to the Vietnam War and could almost see myself in the situations the characters were struggling through. Her writing is truly immersive.

It is a must-read for those who love historical fiction.

This was my first Kristin Hannah book, and apparently I have been living under a rock.

This book tells the heartbreaking story of Frankie and her friends who were combat nurses through the Vietnam War. The book follows them through war time and after their return home.

I had the opportunity to read along while I listened to the audio. The narration for this book was what brought Frankie to life for me. The tone, voice inflection and everything else was absolutely perfect. The growth and change that Frankie experienced was so perfectly captured in the narration as well.

Frankie's character felt so real to me. How she was treated upon her return home was just as heartbreaking as the horrors she faced while serving in Vietnam. On top of returning to no one supporting the war, the soldiers or their service, Frankie had the addition of everyone claiming there "were no women in Vietnam" and the VA refusing to help her.

How much pain and sorrow can one woman face without breaking? Because Frankie saw it all. My heart broke for her over and over again.

At it's heart, the book is about overcoming hardship, friendship and family.

I am a huge fan of Kristin Hannah’s books, so I was so excited to get my hands on her newest one! I did enjoy this book a lot, but it took me awhile to get into it, and I almost DNF it. The beginning was so slow, I felt like it dragged on. The book was also way longer than it needed to be.

But, what I did enjoy about this book was learning more about the Vietnam War. I also really liked learning what it was like from a women’s POV. I feel like that’s not something people think about a lot. I also loved the female friendship in the book. The trio of friends was a main part of the story, and I loved that! If you’re a fan of Kristin Hannah’s books, I think you’ll enjoy this one! Be sure to check it out.

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kristen Hannah has done it again. The Women is a heartfelt story of the women who served in the Vietnam War at a time where the country denied their service and treated them with dishonor. The first half of the book tells of the intense scenes of the medical camps in Vietnam and the second half portrayed the struggles of the nation and these women trying to move on with their lives. The main character, Frankie, is real, strong, and flawed. She grapples with generational trauma, PTSD, addiction, and grief all before she turns 29 years old. I was born in the 60s, and my father was in the Air Force in the war. Since I was so young during this era, I don’t remember first hand events described other than what I learned from history books, but this story seemed to bring my parent’s experiences to life. I was shocked and cried and laughed. The references to the music of the era only strengthened the story and brought meaning to the way society felt during this time. My father never talks about his time in Vietnam and after reading Frankie’s story, I can completely understand why. War is horrible in everyone’s eyes, but to give yourself, your life, for a country and war that wasn’t supposed to happen only makes the experience more heart wrenching and sad.

Thank you Kristen Hannah for creating this book to bring a new light on the women who “never were in Vietnam”. Thank you Netgalley for providing me with the advanced audiobook.

Finally, if you can listen to this story on audio, I highly recommend it. Julia Whalen is the narrator and she is the queen of audiobooks. 5 stars is just not enough.

The Vietnam War is taboo in my family, much like I assume it is in other American families. My grandfather, who served, won't speak of it, and my grandmother claims to not know much of his time there. This book, while fiction, helped to shed some light on what may have actually happened in that period of my grandparents' lives. It is rich, full of tragedy, eye-opening, and empathetic. Keeping in the vein of Ms. Hannah's specialty, it is also thoroughly engaging. The characters are relatable and lovable, and the events are shocking. Historical fiction lovers will rejoice in the fact that, once again, Kristin Hannah has delivered them a masterpiece. Paired with the queen of narration, Julia Whelan, this book checks all the boxes and leaves nothing to be desired. I cannot recommend this new Kristin Hannah novel enough. Thank you to Ms. Hannah and the publishers for allowing me to listen to this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

To say I love Kristin Hannah’s writing would be an understatement. She brings characters to life, and her writing illicits such strong emotion.

In The Women we get to hear about the women who were in Vietnam through army nurse Frankie McGrath’s story. After her big brother enlisted she followed suit. Through her story we see the violence of war, death, love, loss, grief, alcoholism, PTSD, drug addiction, depression, miscarriage and so much more. She seeks help, but is told there were no women in Vietnam. Yet she was there. She held the hands of soldiers as they died, she became an incredible surgical nurse, she risked her life to serve her country. When she returned, she found her parents had lied about where she was. They honored the men and forgot the women. Society looked down on her for being a part of the war when she returned home too. This caused Frankie to spiral out of control with no one to help her. Except for her two best friends, who were also nurses in Vietnam. The friendship they forged was unbreakable.

PTSD was not well-known about during this time and we see the violence the Vietnam war caused. Such raw emotion is brought out in this book and is written in such a way you truly feel every bit of it. An easy 5 stars for me!

Thank you to NetGalley, author Kristin Hannah, and Macmillan Audio for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review. It was narrated by Julia Whelan, who has quickly become one of my favorites.

Pub Date: February 6

You know that feeling after you finish an amazing book and you feel almost in shock, like you need to just sit and keep thinking about it? I’ve been feeling that since I finished this audiobook. I think The Women just became one of my favourite books of all time.

Frances “Frankie” McGrath just wants to prove that women can be heroes too. When her brother ships out to fight in the Vietnam War, Frankie enlists as a nurse to follow him overseas into a war that’s in full swing, and nothing like the news was reporting in the States. Frankie is thrown into the deep end, with a never-ending string of casualties to treat while navigating friendship, love, and hope under the constant threat of the active war zone around her. Once Frankie finally returns home, she is faced with a very different America than she had left behind. Through ups and downs, Frankie must figure out who she is in her new post-war life and how to keep surviving.

This book drew me in immediately and had excellent pacing - I didn’t ever want to stop listening! The audiobook narrator was excellent. Captivating, poignant, joyous and heartbreaking, The Women is a masterpiece bringing the spotlight to an important side of history that's often left out of the conversation.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for providing this ALC!

I’m not a big historical fiction reader, but for whatever reason I simply cannot get enough of Kristin Hannah and her particular ways of emotional manipulation! This one focuses on the involvement of women in the Vietnam War and the ways their contributions were erased. The whole thing felt so cinematic and I loved how realistically flawed the characters were.

This book pulled me from the start! This is a powerful story about the women that served their country in Vietnam. It breaks my heart that they came home without a hero’s welcome. I was a child during that ti e so I didn’t see first hand the horror of that war. I do remember praying for the soldiers serving at dinner and at bedtime. I hope this generation will study and remember history so it’s not repeated. I can’t wait to handsell this book!

Oh wow!!! This book!! 😭😭😭
Kristin Hannah did it again and with so much emotion. I was hooked from the very start. I knew this would be a five star read. I got that feeling of excitement and I couldn’t put this one down. She was able to capture the realness of you feeling like you were there. She drew you in and you felt it every single thing that happened.

Be sure to read the authors note at the end.
The narrator was fantastic!!!

Kristin Hannah is an incredible writer and Julia Whelan is the best at her craft! I could listen to Whelan read all day, her voice is like butter and makes the audio so smooth. She has a special knack for making each character distinguishable.

“The women had a story to tell even if the world wasn’t quite ready to hear it, and their story began with three simple words. We were there.”

The Women follows Francis “Frankie” McGrath along a span of nearly 20 years. We experience wartime with Frankie as an Army combat nurse, sometimes gruesome, and it feels oh-so-real. We have a front row seat to Frankie’s fierce friendships with Barb & Ethel and the trio’s work, families, passions, love, loss, and despair. It seems a lot of people don’t know about the women of the Vietnam War, and with Frankie’s pride and perseverance, she is here to tell their story.

Kristin Hannah is a master of descriptions, her words can fill your head with clear images. Every detail is laid out for us. Hannah has a way with making each character come to life on the pages. There are many in this novel so perfectly woven in and out of Frankie’s life. Hannah takes us on a journey to get to know Frankie so intimately, and because of this, this is a character and book that will stick with me for a very long time.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced listening copy.

Another great book by Kristin Hannah. This book is about women in the Vietnam War. Conflicted main character with PTSD after returning from war. Had to maneuver war, love, friendship while at war. Also had to deal with the negative consequences of societal frustration with this war. The love story was a bit predictable at the end.

ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved the narration on this book! Julia Whelan does a fantastic job voicing the characters and I enjoyed the ending note from author Kristin Hannah! The story itself is incredibly touching and so well developed, I felt like I was right there in Vietnam with Frankie! If you like historical fiction and stories of love and war, be sure to check this book out!