I received this book as an ARC & I was so honored to read it. As usual Kristin Hannah has done it again. I will forever be recommending this book. This novel gave me hope, broke my heart, made me cry multiple times, and empowered me.

Kristin Hannah shows readers a side of history that you won't read in textbooks at school and you surely won't be seeing on mainstream media. While this story itself is a work of fiction, KH brings out the raw emotions of loss and redemption in war times.

Frankie McGrath joins her brother in Vietnam as an army nurse at the early age of 17 & completes 2 tours. Along the way she finds her purpose & two best friends: Barb & Ethel who help her piece herself back together time and time again. This book proves that friendship is everything.

There is not enough words to describe how amazing this book is. It is historical fiction, but a fascinating novel about friendship & a love story for the ages.

My favorite quote: "That was the starting point and ending point in life. Love; the journey was everything in between.

Thank you Kristin Hannah for giving a voice to women in history.

"3 words: we were there."

Kristen Hanah gives you what you have come to expect from her writing: Complex characters (imperfect and believable, with fears, flaws, strengths, and, in the end, growth), and a storyline that is weaves the time period and dynamic relationships almost effortlessly. I enjoyed the perspective and the history lesson and especially appreciated the changing relationships between her friends and with her parents.

Occasionally, for me, the ending of Kristen Hanah’s novels feel rushed and don’t match the complexity of the rest of her novel; not so with this one. It has been such a pleasure to read along as she develops her craft as a writer.

Julia Whalen reads the audio for this one and really brings it to life.

Thank you McMillian audio and NetGalley for this copy.

Kristin Hannah’s “The Women” opens in the 1960s, with Frankie’s father hosting a party to proudly send his son off to fight for his country. His picture is going to go on the “Hero’s Wall” of his office, a display of how the men in the family have served their country. Unfortunately, Frankie’s brother dies in combat, and Frankie, desperate to win the approval of her father, volunteers as a Vietnam war nurse. Coming from a sheltered, upper-middle class background, Frankie grows up quickly under shellfire, tending to multiple casualties, taking care of wounded villager allies, fending off the advances of male soldiers, and losing people she had come to care about.
When her duty ends, she returns to the United States with her war service unrecognized. The war was considered a disgrace by the public, and anyone who had taken part in it was vilified. To make matters worse, her parents saw her war work as shameful and unladylike, and they lied about her whereabouts while she was away. Frankie suffers from PTSD and tries to get help, but she is constantly told that “women weren’t in Vietnam” and that her experiences were not real.
This is an amazing story that focuses on numerous social issues from that era, including friendship, love, duty, trauma, and betrayal. It describes a time in the United States that I lived through as a child and teenager, but was unaware of how the women who had gone to war had been ignored, both in terms of what they had accomplished but also in terms of receiving the physical and psychological support they needed. This may be my favorite book by Kristin Hannah to date, and the narrator of this advanced audio copy was a magician in bringing the story to life. Julia Whelan is a narrator extraordinaire! Many thanks to Net Galley for giving me this experience.

A very powerful story, like all of Kristin Hannah's novels. I feel like this one for sure needed to be written, especially with everything that women are currently fighting for in this world, the right to freedom and to be created equal. Such powerful characters and messages within the book.

Fantastic book. This is going to be well loved in 2024 and beyond. I thought the narrator did a great job. I liked the characters and the storyline. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This story, WOW!! Remembrance matters! The treatment of our Vietnam veterans was abhorrent and it is unfathomable that the women of the war were not even recognized for so long. As difficult as this story was at times, I truly enjoyed learning about this part of American history. Kristin Hannah does an excellent job of immersing her readers into the story while providing real historical context. She really shined a light on the always crucial need to take care of our veterans upon their returning home from fighting for our country.

I didn’t love Frankie’s character arc, not because it wasn’t well written (it was) but because I didn’t want her to experience any more heartache and pain. I was satisfied with her story’s resolution.

Thank you Kristin Hannah, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advanced copy of this audiobook! The sound quality was excellent, and the narrator, Julia Whelan, was familiar and pleasant. She brought the characters to life in a heartfelt way.

The Women is Kristin Hannah's Vietnam War book about the experiences of women during and after this war, and it's one of her best works to date. Readers can expect the same blend of historical fiction, strong female leads, and emotionally charged events she so often gives us in her books, but this time, it's all just a bit more impactful. (I'd rank it third after The Nightingale and The Great Alone.)

In The Women, Hannah excels at covering just about every major issue surrounding the Vietnam War in a very realistic way, all through the eyes of Frankie, a duty-driven young American woman, who follows her brother to the War by enlisting as a nurse.

There, the realities of war are more horrific than she ever could have imagined, and she copes by entertaining a few male suitors as she saves lives. Back in America, however, not only is she not deemed a hero but she's discarded and mistreated as a veteran.

This affects her physical, mental, and emotional health and demands a reckoning. The reader walks away with both a comprehensive understanding of the controversial nature of this War and a profound respect for the women (and men) who served in it.

With its complex characters, historical events, and themes of war, love, grief, trauma, health, friendship, femininity, and more, The Women is an excellent read.

❤️𝙱𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠❤️

👩🏻👩🏻👩🏻👩🏻

📄: 𝟺𝟾𝟶 𝚙𝚊𝚐𝚎𝚜
🎧: 𝙰𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚘𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔
👍🏻: 𝚈𝚎𝚜 𝙸 𝚆𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚁𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚍
🗓️: 𝙵𝚎𝚋𝚛𝚞𝚊𝚛𝚢 𝟼, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟺

𝙴𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚍𝚒𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚘𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚜𝚘, 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎.....
*𝚂𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚆𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚗
*𝙷𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕 𝙵𝚒𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗
*𝙶𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝 𝚂𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢 𝚃𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐

Historical fiction is normally not my jam but Kristin Hannah writes such moving masterpieces that it’s hard not to enjoy. I do think it was easier to listen to for me since it’s a longer book. Lots of emotions in this one!

5+ Stars!

Kristin Hannah is the queen of historical fiction. This was a great way to start my year of reading! Everyone should read this book!! You'll learn so much!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc copy of this book in return for an honest review. I only request books that I think I will love, and this book was no exception.

“The Women” is the story of the women who were in Vietnam. Majority of them were nurses, and this book follows the story of Frances “Frankie” McGrath as she set off to war because she believed women can be heroes too.

The first part of this book takes place in Vietnam. The way Kristin Hannah can transport her readers to the location in her books is magical. I felt like I was in the hospital and operating rooms with Frankie during her tours. I could imagine the smells, the horror, the pain and exhaustion everyone was going through in order to save lives. This part of the book was brutal, but it pulls you into the story and won't let you go.

The next part of the book is when Frankie returned home after two years of service and how the country was a changed country. This was before my time, but I could again still imagine myself at the riots and protests. She was spit on and yelled at when she got off the plane. Her parents were ashamed of her service and told everyone they knew she was studying in Florence. Frankie found it tough to find employment, and her friends shunned her when she mentioned the word Vietnam. She was told to forget about it and move on, but Frankie was reliving the nightmares and experiencing PTSD (something that didn’t even exist at that time.) When Frankie tried to seek out help at VAs and through therapists, she was told to move along because women weren’t in Vietnam. She turned to alcohol and pills and had a hard time accepting love.

The last part of the book was about Frankie’s healing process. This book shows what millions of people experienced not only physically during the war but also emotionally. Some of the themes that are tackled are: PTSD, suicide attempt, alcohol addition, homelessness, and cancer. There are parts in this book that felt a little long, but I honestly don’t know what I would have cut out. Everything felt so important to the story. So much research went into this book, and I felt that in this last section of the book.

The characters in this book felt real. Barb, Ethel, Jamie, Rhy, and of course Frankie. If you want a book that shows character growth; this is the book for you. Francis was raised by conservative parents in an upper-class neighborhood in California. She attends a Catholic school, but when she returned, she spirals out of control and finds relief in alcohol and pills. She finds comfort with a man who is a married father who promises things he can’t deliver. She wonders if life is worth living. She is angry…so, so angry. The character you meet in chapter one is not the same girl you will cry with in the last chapter of the book. I can promise you that. This book is a character arc masterpiece.

I have my copy pre-ordered and ready to add to my collection. I highly suggest this book to historical fiction readers! But I honestly think everyone should read this book. I learned so much and I think this is an important book for everyone to read.

I finished this book last week, and a day hasn't gone by that I haven't thought about it. This is one of the most impactful and emotional books I've read. I laughed, I got angry, cried, I WEPT.

I find it hard to write a review for a book like this. It is extremely impactful and I still haven't quite had time to come to terms with it and get my thoughts together. All I can say currently is that if you are looking for a book to sink into and immerse yourself in, one that will shake your foundations because it is based in reality in all its horrible truths - then this is it. A deeply meaningful commentary not only on the Vietnam War and the often-overlooked role of women within it but also on death and loss, trauma and PTSD, and addiction and recovery. All within the framework of relationships - familial relationships, female friendships, romantic relationships, and how these relationships form the basis of how we live our lives.

I don't often buy books that I have already read, but I can see myself buying this simply so I can re-read it, annotate it, and lend it to friends and family to read. The audiobook was exceptionally done and fully recommend it to anyone interested in that format.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced listener copy of this book. All opinions are my own, and I am providing this review voluntarily.

Absolutely amazing! This was stunning, moving, emotional, and beautiful to listen to. The stories of the women who served in Vietnam were profoundly moving and gut-wrenching. I felt every emotion, joy, sorrow, love, and grief with the characters in this book. I am well aware that it is just January, but this may be the best book of the year!

I am in awe.
This is the first book I’ve ever read from Kristin Hannah, given I’ve always been drawn to her stories.
This book here! Is absolutely stunning and grabbed attention right from the beginning!
This audio book truly was amazing and I highly recommend both the book and audio versions.
Frankie is an amazing young lady that is so excited to make her family proud, they all have a history of serving the country.
She is thrown right into combat.
So much happens
Love
Loss
PTSD
Family
And
Betrayal
If u want that special book to give you that 5 star feeling! This is for you
I just reviewed The Women by Kristin Hannah. #NetGalley

I listened to this book which is narrated by Julie Whelan….one of the best audiobook narrators around!!! It was an awesome listen!!!

This book will go on my list as one of my favorite books ever!! I was totally absorbed right from the start!! This book is so well written and will make you continue to read and not stop for anything!!

Readers will follow Frankie for 20 years…to Vietnam as a nurse to her return to the US and her life after. Frankie goes to Vietnam as a 20 year old nurse and she is not at all prepared for the horrors of war. She will get thru it like we get thru a lot of things in life…with a little help from her friends. She will become lifelong friends with Barb and Ethel. They are there for each other for life.

After Frankie returns home to CA after the war, she is not treated well at all!! People do not agree with the war or agree that women were even there!! Frankie struggles with so many things…ptsds, alcohol addiction, drug addiction, low self esteem. How will we find her way back???

I loved this book so much even though it is tough to read!! I loved THE FOUR WINDS too!! Kristin Hannah is able to make the words jump off the page and stay with you!!

This book releases on Feb 6 and you will want in your tbr pile right away!!!!

Kristin Hannah novels and Julia Whalen narration are always a winning pair, and The Women was absolutely no exception. After living an idyllic and sheltered life for the first twenty years, Frankie McGrath decides to shake up her life and join the Army Nurse Corps in Vietnam to follow her older brother Finn. She is as green as they come and is immediately faced with the harsh realities of war. Frankie befriends two other nurses, and together they brave each day and the harsh living conditions together and form a friendship that will last a lifetime. Frankie deals with many tragedies in Vietnam, but making it home alive is only the beginning of the hard road Frankie will face. With many Americans against the war and believing "there were no women in Vietnam" her life back home may be just as hard as her war life. Kristin Hannah tells a beautiful and heartbreaking story that was so insightful on a war and the story of women in Vietnam that is not as well told or well known as many other wars.

Trigger Warning:
War, Death, Medical Trauma, Miscarriage, Alcohol Abuse, Drug Abuse, Suicidal Ideation

Kristin Hannah knocks it out of the park again. This is the third Kristin Hannah book that I’ve read, and I continue to be amazed by her storytelling.

Throughout this book, we follow Frankie through her two tours of duty, the loss of her brother, friends, and lover. We see her struggle and work towards rebuilding her life. Frankie, and her fellow Army nurses, fight for the recognition that they have earned through their service.

This book really has me all up in my feels. Its heartbreaking knowing how realistic this story is. Having worked with veterans for the past decade, I’ve met people with these stories; people who have been or are working to get their lives back together.

This is not an easy read, but it was beautiful in a certain way.

Wow, Kristin has done it once again! Broke my heart, put it back together again, and left me with a desire to learn more. Before this book I did not realize I had never considered the women who voluntarily gave their service during Vietnam. Why is it something we don't collectively talk about as a society and country? We happily celebrate the brave women who served in wars before and after. This book gave me so much to ponder and a greater appreciation for veterans of ALL wars.

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

Omg this book. I loved everything about it. Kristin Hannah is the historical fiction G.O.A.T. I loved getting to know each of the characters. I loved the exploration of the effects of the Vietnam War on the veterans (especially the female ones). Not enough words to gush about this book.

Master storyteller Kristin Hannah returns following The Four Winds with her latest powerful novel, THE WOMEN. A beautiful, searing, coming-of-age historical fiction of a young woman's journey as a nurse in Vietnam set in a dangerous time with a divided nation in a man's world.

WOMEN CAN BE HEROES TOO.

CORONADO ISLAND, CALIFORNIA 1966:
Twenty-year-old Frances "Frankie" McGrath's brother is leaving to serve in Vietnam, and later, she is inspired to enlist as an Army nurse, much to her parent's rejection of this idea and non-supportive. She has always idolized her older brother, Finley.

She grew up in the idyllic world of Southern California (a well-bred young lady) and sheltered by her conservative parents, who put appearances first. She has always prided herself in doing the right thing.

After all, the Army is no place for a woman, or so her parents and community say. Frankie is determined to be a good nurse, make her way, and learn a skill.

At first, Frankie is overwhelmed but soon finds that in war, people respect her and her surgical skill set, and she learns much and finds purpose.

The author takes us inside the hospital wards, the dorm rooms, the gentleman's clubs, the long hours, the devastation, the poor conditions, the sickness, death, the soldiers, their families, and the stories of the war. But soon, this becomes the norm for Frankie.

She is drawn to a man she works with, a doctor, but does not act on the impulses. She thinks he will never be back after a tragic event.

Then, her dead brother's friend shows up and enters into an affair, and he is not honest with her. When it is time to come home, she feels out of place at home, where the usual day-to-day things seem unimportant after what she has seen and experienced.

From life to death, she sees the brave, the broken, the lost, the dying. She hears about the families back home. She does what she can to help save lives.

The world is full of unrest, and America is divided. The lives that were lost in Vietnam, the protestors, and those who lost their families in a war did not matter.

Suffering from PTSD, she ups and enlists again, drawing her back into service. Her parents think she has lost her mind. Her parents are dysfunctional and unsupportive. She feels at a loss; however, she has the support of the two dear friends she met while serving. I loved the women's strong friendship.

When speaking of heroes, no one mentions a woman from the war. But women are heroes, and they are often overlooked and not honored.

THE WOMEN is beautifully written, haunting, and an essential tale of women—their courage, sacrifices, friendships, loss, forgiveness, pride, and bravery, whose service has often been forgotten.

I think for those of us who lived through the Vietnam War, all rings true, and for those of us experiencing the pandemic and all the service workers who gave of our time and their lives to help others.

I appreciated and enjoyed reading the Author's Note, the dedication, and the remarkable women and their stories that were shared from serving in Vietnam during the war and their treatment coming home and postwar struggles.

Thank you, Kristin, for telling this remarkable and inspiring story. Even though the world thinks there were no women in Vietnam, they indeed were, and the services they rendered will not be forgotten.

I loved the three words: WE WERE THERE!

THE WOMEN is a must-read, meticulously researched, emotionally charged, rich in character and place. It is ideal for book clubs and further discussions.

AUDIOBOOK: I had the pleasure of reading a digital review copy and the bonus of listening to an audio copy narrated by the fabulous Julia Whelan (a favorite). I highly recommend the audiobook that made the story come alive. It was exceptional!

Top Books of 2024! I have read all of the author's books—a long-time avid fan and this is one of her best!

Much gratitude to St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for a gifted ARC and ALC for honest feedback. #SMPInfluencers

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Feb 6, 2024
My Rating: 5 Stars +
Feb 2024 Must-Read Books
Feb Newsletter

“In this crazy, chaotic, divided world that was run by men, you could count on the women.”

My FIRST TOP read of 2024 is THE WOMEN. 🥹
I shouldn’t have been surprised; my heart strings were pulled right away at 4%. The story is so beautifully gut-wrenching and heartbreaking, but also hopeful. With articulate writing and IMPECCABLE character development that only Kristin Hannah can master. I’m still thinking about these characters. 🫶🏽 There’s nostalgia, music references and true friendships.

The way in which Kristin depicted the struggles of life after war and Frankie’s battle with PTSD was very real and all too accurate. He path through self-destruction, discovery and growth left me feeling so sad but hopeful for her. The shame and guilt she carried. It infuriated me the way Frankie was treated stateside, constantly hearing “there were no women in ‘Nam.” THE WOMEN were silenced. She was every bit the BADASS nurse; courageous, compassionate, highly intelligent + competent, BRAVE. Yet she had to scream for help; help that almost never came. I have an even greater respect for our veterans after reading the experiences of the soldiers and nurses. ❤️‍🩹

In part 2, there’s a chapter that will TAKE YOUR BREATH AWAY!! 🥹😭🫶🏽 I was *almost* hoping for it; even messaged my friends saying “imagine if KH did this…” She did. And then, she breaks our hearts AGAIN. I wasn’t ready for that even though I knew heartbreak was coming. Over and over AGAIN.

One thing I’ll say, I can only wish to be as brave a woman + nurse as Frankie was. She may be a fictional character but, oh so REAL in my eyes. I’m forever changed after reading THE WOMEN. Thank you @kristinhannahauthor for capturing that moment in history AND for showcasing one the most empowering and selfless professions we know. ❤️

The audiobook narrated by @justjuliawhelan is pure GOLD. 👌🏽

Frankie's family are quintessential American patriots; her father's "Hero's Wall" proves that. When her brother goes to Vietnam, Frankie, a nurse, decides to follow him over there. She wants to make her straight-laced father proud. From her first day in Vietnam, she is thrown into both the worst and best times of her life. Finding the best of friends, love, and losing some of that, as well, throws Frankie into a tailspin when she gets back stateside. With a country that hates her when all she wanted to do was serve her county, a family in shambles, and her friends across the country, she finds life hard to deal with. Navigating life after war isn't pretty.

This may be the best Hannah book I've ever read, and I've read a lot! Grabbing me from the first page, and aided by the always-amazing narration of Whelan, I wasn't able to put this book down, nor have I been able to stop thinking about it. With her amazing character development, a storyline that is engrossing, and emotions from the heart, I am so glad I started out 2024 with this book. The first book of the year is a 5-star read!