There will be so many amazing reviews for Kristin Hannah’s latest epic story of the women during the Vietnam war, and I’m adding my praise as well. Hannah is probably the best storyteller of historical fiction we have today and the depth of her characters has us remember them long after the pages have ended. “The Women” is a love letter to the 10,000+ women who served “in country” during a tumultuous time, their service often forgotten or disparaged within months of their return to the United States

We have a main protagonist, Frankie, a 21 year old whose cruel father tells his country club buddies that she’s “studying abroad” in Florence, but who is continually supported by her best friends and fellow war nurses Ethel and Barb through grief, terror, heartbreak, PTSD, addiction, and recovery. As awful as the scenes in Vietnam are, the second half of the novel, Frankie’s homecoming, is as gut-wrenching as the first part.

This excellent story is tempting to put down at times in order to take deep breaths. Julia Whelan, the audiobook narrator, will keep you going when it seems too hard to read. Whelan gives so much life and emotion to Frankie — you get so invested in wanting things to be better for the main character. Without a doubt, 5 stars for the novel and amazing narration. “The Women” will undoubtedly be at the top of all the best books of 2024 lists.

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES Henry has green eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO The flowers of Kauai and Coronado are deep contrasts to the jungles of Vietnam.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you Netgalley for an early release copy to read. I read this book in 2 days, I couldn’t do anything but read it. I love historical fiction, and women in the military during the Vietnam War I knew little to nothing about.
The story captivated me from the beginning. It was very well written, researched and told. It’s right up there with The Nightengale. This is my first 5 star read in a long time.

Easily 5 stars. I was grateful to receive an audiobook and it was done beautifully. A heartwrenching story about the women in the Vietnam War. It will be hard to find someone who doesn't love this book. Thank you Kristin Hannah, for the obvious amount of time, research and emotion you put into this story. It needed to be told.

The Women by Kristin Hannah is an incredible story of the brave women of the Vietnam War. This historical fiction describes the challenges of the era through the perspective of a nurse in the war. We follow the journey from the time she is at war to the struggles she faces as she rebuilds her life after returning. It is well written and captivating. Makes you want to know what happens next and makes you think about the struggles of this point in history.

Kristin Hannah is able to takes us through a great journey through history and takes us back to that time of the Vietnam war through an often untold perspective. This story is informative yet emotional. It is historical, yet also a story about love. Highly engaging and recommended read for anyone.

This book was so unbelievably good. I am still reeling almost a week later. I can’t get my head straight. Easily the best Kristin Hannah book I have read, and the best historical fiction book I’ve read in a long, long time. Hannah has outdone herself, and I’m glad she took her time with this book and made it the best it could possibly be.

The Women is a historical fiction book about a young woman, Frankie McGrath, who signs up to be a nurse in Vietnam, without knowing the full scope of what her life would be like once in country. This is the story of her war experience, and also follows her as she returns home to a nation that is hostile towards not only Vietnam veterans, but in denial that women were even there.

I loved everything about this book. It’s historical importance, the characters, the rawness and naked truths that it deals with, and the ending 🫶🏼 which I was more than pleased with.

The audio, read by the great Julia Whelan, is excellent and I highly recommend it.

This would make a great book club pick, and I couldn’t stop thinking about how good this would be for helping to engage students learning about the Vietnam War in my history class! 👏🏻👏🏻 Thank you @kristinhannahauthor for this masterpiece.

Thank you @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for the early release copy 💕

Look 👀 for this amazing book on February 6th. I’ll be the woman in line buying 20 copies.

I am not a fan of pop fiction, so take this review accordingly.

I ask myself, who am I to criticize a successful author? As a librarian and former bookseller, I know Hannah is extremely popular with female readers, a fact that puts me off reading her books in the first place. I have read only one other, The Nightingale, and thought it was average. For a break from the current flood of WWII women’s fiction, I thought I’d give this a try. I commend the author for putting so much research into this important topic. However, the work as a whole is trite, predictable, and melodramatic. Poor Frankie endured every conceivable experience and aftermath of war. I am reviewing the audio version, and couldn’t wait to be finished. The narrator was good with the women’s voices, but listening to the men was painful.

In the pages of this thought-provoking novel, readers are taken on a poignant journey through the lens of a woman navigating the complexities of life's inherent unfairness. The author's writing is not merely a narrative; it's an immersive experience that intricately weaves together the threads of injustice, resilience, and the relentless fight for what is rightfully deserved.

The detailed prose paints a vivid picture, enveloping readers in the protagonist's world. From the highs to the lows, the author captures the essence of the woman's struggle, making it palpable and relatable. The immersive storytelling allows readers to feel the intensity of her battles and the weight of societal challenges.

Yet, as the narrative unfolds, the sudden shift in the main character's mindset towards the conclusion adds a layer of complexity. The desire for more exploration into her brighter days becomes a lingering thought, a yearning for a deeper understanding of her transformation. The nuanced portrayal of the protagonist's journey creates a sense of empathy, leaving readers contemplating the broader implications of gender-based challenges.

The strength of the book lies not only in its exploration of the harsh realities faced by women but also in its ability to prompt reflection on the resilience required to overcome such adversity. The narrative serves as a mirror, forcing readers to confront the societal norms that perpetuate inequality and the unwavering determination needed to challenge them.

In conclusion, this well-written and detailed novel is a compelling exploration of the struggles faced by women, offering readers a profound reflection on the intricacies of life's inherent unfairness. While the sudden shift in the main character's mindset might leave some wanting more of her good days, the overall impact of the narrative lingers, provoking deeper contemplation on the fight for justice and equality.

Hannah has a way of carrying us into unknown territory of very well known historic events.

Most women in war stories I’ve read revolve around WWI and WWII and more recently, the Outlander series gives us our fictional heroine,Claire, who is a nurse throughout history.

When I think of the Vietnam War, I think of music and hippies, a lose-lose war, flowers and Forrest. At the forefront of The Women is Frankie, a young, high society girl who decides to make her family proud and serve her country. Her experiences there are not unique to what one would expect knowing anything about war but it’s after the war that brings the most unexpected tune. At least for Frankie.

I was shocked and devastated throughout this novel, not so much at things we didn’t know how to diagnose at the time but the complete, absolute denial of what women saw and experienced vs what men in combat saw and experienced. I wasn’t prepared for her post war spiral experience but I can’t imagine it going any other way with the severe lack of support in all directions. An isolating and painful read.

Kristin Hannah can draw character like nobody else. Her latest novel, The Women, tells the story of Frances “Frankie” McGrath, a young woman from an upper middle class family that follows her brother to Vietnam, serving as an army nurse. Frankie is a character that will stay with me long after I read dozens of other novels, and this experience is made even more memorable by the talented Julia Whelan, the voice actor that narrates the audio version. My thanks go to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for the review copies. It will be available to the public February 6, 2024.

Frankie is twenty years old when we meet her, and her family is throwing a party for her big brother and best friend, Finley, who is leaving to serve in the U.S. Navy. Kennedy is in the White House, and most Americans still bear an implicit trust in their government. But Frankie is worried about Fin, and doesn’t like that he is about to put himself in harm’s way. He reassures her, “It isn’t dangerous, Frankie. Trust me. I’m a Naval Academy graduate, an officer with a cushy assignment on a ship. I’ll be back in no time. You’ll hardly have time to miss me.”

Frankie completes her nurse’s training, then signs on to join her brother, but before she is even packed, the telegram arrives. Finley is dead; killed in action.

The plot itself is unremarkable. Yes, war is hell; yes, friends die. And yes, a married man that sees an attractive, vulnerable American woman in a place where they are scarce, will lie like a rug in order to get close to her. But in Hannah’s hands, every joy and every sorrow are real and visceral, because we believe.

Frankie serves as a combat nurse at the front, and works in every possible hard situation. Sometimes the lights go out during surgery because a bomb has fallen; at one point her sleeping quarters is bombed and has to be rebuilt. She works for days on end without sleep when it’s necessary. And the trauma follows her home.

My only quibble with this otherwise outstanding story is the emphasis Hannah places on the abuse of returning troops by the public. She brings in the old saw about them being spat upon and called baby killers, even though an easy search confirms what I remember: this is mostly myth. Just as women weren’t really burning bras, most troops were not greeted with abuse. It’s true that the wildly patriotic parades that greeted the troops that returned from World War Two are not there for these men and women, but then, the Korean War vets didn’t see them, either. Historical fiction should honor history, not rewrite it.

With this caveat, I recommend this book to you. Do read it; it’s a damn fine novel. But do so critically, because you can’t always believe everything you read.

I always love a book where the author narrates. This is no exception. Then, in addition to an author narration, you also have Julia Whelan! Chef’s kiss. This novel is right up there with my all time favourite Kristin Hannah book, The Nightingale. The story of Frankie’s, Ethel’s, and Barb’s experiences in Vietnam serve to shatter the falsified narrative that there “were no women in Vietnam”. Further to this, Hannah examines the impact of trauma on the body, mind, and spirit as Frankie returns home to a world she does not recognize. One that does not fully see her, either. It also celebrate, as so many of Hannah’s books do, the important roles that female friendship play in uplifting and healing. I highly recommend listening or reading (or both) to this excellent piece of historical fiction.

4.5 stars

Kristin Hannah has done it again with The Women; it is a fabulous read with plenty of twists to keep the reader engaged while accurately reflecting history, women’s roles in Vietnam and the soldier’s experience of returning home. The impact of death, familial relationships, PTSD, and the lack of awareness of women in Vietnam are all addressed. I particularly appreciated how PTSD was represented and managed throughout the book as well as mental health care. I feel like this book addressed the Vietnam War and women in a very different way than other books written about these issues.
Narration for the audiobook is wonderful too. Well done!

This extraordinarily fantastic new novel from Kristin Hannah shares the moving and little known history of the women who risked their lives and served as front line nurses in the Vietnam War. Julia Whalen narrates with perfection, and her resonant voices for different characters sweep you along into the lives of brave women fighting to save lives and then coming home to be vilified for being part of an unpopular war and deeply damaged by what they experienced among the gore of the thousands of wounded and dead.

Frances “Frankie” McGrath, volunteers as an army nurse in the Vietnam War during the late 1960’s, idealistic about serving her country to fight off communism as well as earn to her place on her father’s “Hero’s Wall” of men in their family who fought for America across its various wars. Frankie’s a “good girl” secluded and educated in Catholic girl schools, who’s had no exposure to life outside her rarified, privileged social circle on the southern California coast. But after her only, fun-loving, rambunctious older brother Finley gets shot down shortly after getting deployed to Vietnam, Frankie considers taking her nursing training and putting it to use in the war. At age 19 and with little experience, only the Army will enlist Frankie, who joins and then has to contend with the horror of her wealthy parents at what’s she done.

Frankie literally gets air-dropped into a run-down, poorly staffed, rat-infested, moldy war hospital where endless waves of severely wounded and dying soldiers arrive by helicopters. Frankie’s shell-shocked, but a quick learner. She survives thanks to the fierce support and close friendship of two fellow nurses as well as being taken under the wing of a surgeon who teaches Frankie how to be an exceptional surgical nurse. Frankie re-ups for a second year and moves further into the jungle and the front lines. There are romantic entanglements, the dangers of men far away from home looking for sexual flings, boozy officer parties and spontaneous getaways, and the oppressive heat and unrelenting deaths to contend with in the hospitals.

The second part of the novel focuses on Frankie’s return to America, the hostility to Vets by a hippy, peace movement condemning both the war and those served in it. The Vet services don’t recognize or try to serve the PTSD of women who served, and Frankie descends into despair and drug use. It’s so powerful, so poignant and so moving that when Frankie finally gets to touch the Vietnam Vet memorial put up decades after the war in D.C, you’re misting up alongside her.

Like all of Kristen Hannah’s novels, you get immersed in a slice of history you know little about and come away profoundly moved. She’s created such a tribute to women who did not fet the national recognition and thanks they deserved.


Thanks to Macmillon Audio for an advanced listen of this novel.

Thank you to author Kristin Hannah, Netgalley, and Macmillan Audio for this advanced reader copy of The Women (audio) in exchange for my honest opinion.

We often hear stories of the soldiers of Vietnam, brave boys and men who were drafted or joined to support their country in wartime. We also hear how they were mistreated upon return to the States, spat at and yelled at, disrespected, and ridiculed. We hear about the PTSD and hardships they faced upon returning as well, the repercussions of a Government that failed them. And yes, this is all horrible and horrifying. But we never, ever hear about the women who were there, in combat, healing and repairing soldiers, being their confidants as they lay near death. We don't hear how they were in harm's way day after day to aid these soldiers. Listening to this historical novel on the subject was emotional and heartbreaking and made me so mad in so many ways. I want to thank Kristin Hannah for shedding light on these women, the Vietnam Veterans that are so sorely overlooked.

This book is about a young girl who believes, thanks to the words of her brother's friend Rye, that she, too, can be a hero on her father's wall of heroes, family members who had been to war. Her brother Finley was just killed in Vietnam, and being a new nurse she wants to go over there and make her mark, make a difference in the world. After enlisting in the Army her father can't stand to look at her, her mother is distraught but supportive. So starts the story of Frankie, as she embarks on a journey beyond her wildest dreams - and nightmares. She wasn't prepared at all to see the soldiers coming before her with limbs missing, and gaping wounds in chests and abdomens. She wasn't prepared to close these wounds or perform a tracheotomy, but she learned and became one of the best combat nurses in Vietnam. She also learned a thing or two about being a woman in war: don't trust the men who tell you lies. She meets many men in Vietnam, but two steal her heart, two men who are already spoken for. Once returning to the States after two tours, she finds herself in the throws of trying to find her place in life after all the death and turmoil she witnessed and endured. This story takes you along with Frankie as she rides the roller coaster of mental health illnesses and heartbreaking realizations about her loved ones.

Read this story with a box of tissues nearby. It's an emotional roller coaster, but it doesn't relent, you are sucked in immediately and won't want to stop reading! Hannah has completely taken her readers to the past when the United States was split and people were a danger to themselves, constantly reliving their nightmarish past while they were in a war, with no knowledge of how to treat these veterans with the mental health medicine and practice they so badly needed. She revisits this tumultuous time with descriptions of headlines that we all know and have read before and brings it to life through the eyes of Frankie and her comrades. This was a well-thought-out novel that was delivered beautifully.

The audio is amazing, Julia Whelan (my favorite narrator) is perfect for this story. She creates voices for the characters that are easy to identify and her cadence is spot on, as always.

Fantastic reading experience and absolutely loved, loved Julia Whelan as the narrator for the audiobook. Her way of drawing you into the story is amazing!

Thank you MacMillan audio for the gifted audio copy!

I alternated between the print ARC and the audio ARC of The Women.
Great story that needed to be told. I'm glad I requested both formats and thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and listen to this title.

The Women is a novel of my generation, and although I never served in the military, Kristin Hannah brings the Vietnam War to the forefront and brings back my many memories of that era. Perhaps because an aunt had served as a nurse in WWII, I was aware that women served in this war too; it always seemed odd to me that the women who served in Vietnam were overlooked time and again. In her new book, The Women, Hannah changes that through her story of Frankie McGrath, an Army nurse. Hannah highlights the two wars that Frankie waged: the war during the war, trying to save the lives of men who were wounded in the fighting just after their injuries, and the war against the memories that traumatized her after her return stateside. Frankie's brother, who was killed in the war, was honored on her father's "wall of heroes," photos of family members who had died in war. But, just as the man who spat at her in the airport where she had landed on her way home from her two years in-country, her father was ashamed of her, too. He lied to his friends about where she had been (studying art in Florence) and it took the deterioration of her life in the years following her return, to change his mind. Throughout both wars, Frankie was supported by the unquestioning love of her two best friends, fellow nurses Ethel and Barb, even as she bought into lies that men told her, suffered a miscarriage, probably caused by her exposure to Agent Orange, and gave in to addiction. Frankie's mother also provided support as she could and after the realization that Frankie was not the 'good girl' she thought she had raised. As readers of Hannah's work have come to expect, her, writing brings her story and Frankie to life vividly and the extensive research she did for the book is apparent. I both read and listened to this book and am appreciative of Julia Whalen's wonderful narration. Her voice echoed in my ears whenever I read words on the page. Add The Women to your reading lists. Library readers will be eager to read it as will book club members.

Frankie McGrath comes from a long line of war heroes in her family, and when her brother Finley enlists in the Vietnam war she decides she wants to join him as a combat nurse. Newly 21 and just graduating with her nursing degree, she’s inexperienced in life, work, & in love, but she wants to be with her brother and find more purpose in her life than the traditional expectation of women in the 1960s.

Frankie experiences actual hell in Vietnam, as expected, but she also makes incredible life-long friendships, and falls in love. However, war-time is not real life, and with every day feeling like it can be your last… decision making skills can be greatly affected.

With masterful storytelling from KH I learned so much about the Vietnam war I never knew, and my heart is shattered. I didn’t know about so many of these events and that’s just talking about the historical aspect of this book.

The fictional part??? The romance, relationships, friendships + family conflict? Phenomenal. I bawled my eyes out very early on, absolutely fumed, was shocked from the twists (like jaw dropping twists) and eventually felt at peace by the end.The way KH took me through a myriad of emotions, ripped my heart out, shred it into tiny pieces, and then put it back together is nothing short of brilliance.

Julia Whelan absolutely knocked this out of the park with her narration. Her style, tone, ability to alter her voice to sound more masculine, inflection, emotions, and pacing are all top tier. I cannot wait to listen to more of KH’s books on audio now that I see she narrates like all of them!

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan audio, and St. Martin’s Press for the ALC & ARC! This publishes on 2/6/24!

There is no doubt that Kristin Hannah knows how to write about war. Her novel, The NIghtingale, has been wildly popular. I enjoyed Winter Garden, another story set in a difficult war time, even more. So, no surprisse that this latest book is an excellent one.

Here Hannah turns her eye to the Vietnam War era. Interestingly, this time period echoes loudly to today when the U.S. is once again experiencing much division, posturing and an inability for people to listen to one another.

Hannah tells her story thorough Frances Grace (Frankie) McGrath. She is the daughter in a family that venerates men and the bravery of the military. While Frankie is expected to be a “good girl” and to marry, the expectations are higher for her brother. 

Readers learn early on that Frankie’s brother died in Vietnam. Following his death, Frankie, who is a trained nurse, wants to make a difference. She somewhat naively works her way through the military branches until the army accepts her and sends her to Vietnam.

Hannah does an outstanding job of bringing the country to life. Readers will feel the scorching heat and drenching rains. They will find that their heart rate rises at the sound of VC attacks. The scent of blood, the anxiety of being an inexperienced medical provider, the hooch, the officer’s club-all of these and more feel so real.

Frankie does not live in a vacuum. She becomes very close to two other nurses. She also is attracted to Jamie, a surgeon. These characters and many others become known to the reader. 

Readers are aware that there were many who protested the war. What happens to Frankie when she returns from the war zone after her service? Slight spoiler…it will not be easy.

Here is a compelling read. I found Hannah’s last few books to be good but I think that this one is so much better. The Women is not an easy read but it will sear itself into its audience’s heart and mind.

I wish that this book had been given a more distinctive title, not because it isn’t apt but because I think that, it could easily come out lower in any kind of search engine request than it should. It is a book that cries out to be read.

It is probably clear by now that I give this novel five stars.

Note: I alternated between listening to the book and reading it, one of my favorite ways to stay connected with a story as I go for a walk. The narration is superb. Whelan gets the tone and emotion of the story just right.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for this title. All opinions are my own.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for an advance copy of this book.


I wish I could give this more than 5 stars!! Amazing. I had never read a book that took place during Vietnam War.

I was so invested in the main characters, Frankie, life This was a great story written by a talented storywriter!

LOVED IT!!!!!

I finally read my first Kristin Hannah books in 2023, and immediately asked myself why did I wait so long? When I saw an opportunity to get my hands on her newest book early I jumped at the chance and I am forever grateful for this advanced audio version of The Women.

This book starts off in 1965 and follows Frances (Frankie), 21 years old and full of hope, as she joins the Army Nurse Corps and serves in Vietnam. The story is about women in Vietnam, their sacrifices and experiences, but also about strong female friendships, returning home to a divided America, the general place of women in the 1960s, mental health, heartbreak, and trauma.

I learned a lot while reading (I did not know much about the Vietnam war itself or how Americans felt about it) but mostly I just felt for Frankie and imagined her story being one of many similar tales. I felt hopeful and innocent like her at the beginning, sad, scared and horrified at times, angry and desperate at others. My heart broke alongside hers over and over again. About a month after reading it now, and I still don’t have the proper words to explain it and how it made me feel, but I am still thinking about it all, about Frankie, about Kristin Hannah’s note. This story will stay with me for a long long time.

As usual Julia Whelan does a phenomenal job of narrating and made the experience even better for me. I highly recommend the audio version.
It was also easier to read with my ears while crying with my eyes.