From almost the first chapter I was hooked! I love that we get a women's view of the Vietnam war and of what it was like coming back after that experience. During the war, I couldn't stop listening, the author really didn't sugar coat this part which I loved. I'm glad we got the ugly truth about what went on in Vietnam but also the ugly truth about all the lies reported back home. I loved the relationships and friendships Frankie made during this part of her life. I also loved how raw things were when she returned home and how obviously we know she has PTSD even if that wasn't even a diagnosis during that time. I have to say there were a few things I didn't love about the story after she got home and was trying to figure out her life that felt a little "easy" for this author. I mean things that happened that I saw coming a mile away and that were just too coincidental. But that didn't make me love this book any less! The ending made up for it! As always with Kristin Hannah books, I finished it unsure if I was happy or sad for the story but feeling like she really did her research and gave us a great view into the life for a women in Vietnam and the world during that time.

It is no surprise that I LOVED the narration for this audiobook. I think Julie Whelan is fantastic at pulling me into the story and making me forget that it's not the character telling me the story.

I'm not even sure where to begin with this. Wow. Just wow. Every time I pick up the latest book by #KristinHannah I am convinced there is no way she will yet again connect to the deepest part of my soul. And yet every time I am proven so very wrong. The Women has taken a part of me and left a part of itself within my core. My dad was a multi tour Vietnam veteran. His years in country - although years before I was even a thought - have shaped so much of my childhood and the person that I was to become. So much of Frankie's story felt like going home as a family member. The rage, the confusion, the nightmares, the silence. Those traits defined my childhood and I'm sure many just like mine. It wasn't until my dad passed, from service related injuries, that I even knew about the medals that he had earned. I take my history, and look at Frankie, and all I can think is WOW. It is horrifying to think of the Women who weren't even given the space and respect to even try to heal, let alone move forward. Thank you Kristin Hannah for bringing this story to life, for bringing light to a subject that is still quiet decades later. I am in awe of this book and the real life Women who gave so much and got nothing in return.

Thank you #netgalley and #macmillanaudio for allowing me the true book honor of listening to the #arc

5 stars

I'm thinking Kristin Hannah wakes up, sips her coffee, cracks her neck and knuckles, and thinks as she sits down at her laptop, "Hmm. Prepare to have your hearts ripped out even more brutally and frequently this time, Readers..."

This is my fourth Hannah book, and while I'm always certain she can't outdo herself, for my purposes, she has again with this most recent effort.

_The Women_ centers on Frankie (nee Francis) McGrath, a young nurse from Coronado Island. Her father's heroes' wall has always been apart from her, and as her brother Finley prepares to go to war, she's told a well-timed anecdote that makes her realize that she, too, could be on that wall, and that she feels the pull to serve.

As is always the case with Hannah's work, readers go all in with Frankie. We watch her suffer, love, grow, exceed everyone's expectations and also disappoint them, and work through many horrifying and contradictory experiences. For many readers, her encounters will seem unimaginable. An unexpected highlight for me throughout this read is the power and vital nature of friendship. In an effort to remain spoiler-free, I won't add any details about that here, but this motif, along with the more expansive discussions of shared experience and community, make for some of the most heartrending and memorable moments in a book that absolutely bombards readers with, truly, ALL the feels.

I had outrageous expectations for this one and they were still far exceeded. Special props to the audiobook, which features a well-known and very successful narrator who really make Frankie come to life.

Kristin Hannah has done it again, and I can't wait to see who/what gets her attention next.

Hannah is an incredible author, and she wants again brings history to life in this story about the women who were involved in the Vietnam war. Women whom history seems to have forgotten.Frankie is a young nurse in 1965 when she goes against her conservative parents and signs up to be part of the army corp of nurses in Vietnam. While this is Frankie story, it’s also the story of the thousands of other women who have risked their own lives to help others during war times. Sadly, history has forgotten their sacrifices but Hannah does a remarkable job bringing them to life

5 Stars!
This is hands down the best book I have read all year! Kristin Hannah has done it again. This book is one that you just can’t put down. I was so immersed in this book and learned so much about the Vietnam War. I was just a baby but growing up had heard a lot of the stories about how the soldiers were treated when they came home. I even wore a POW bracelet in the 80’s. I wish I still had it so I could look up the name of the soldier on my bracelet. But this book….this book is about the women who served and what they dealt with. I don’t think I will ever forget this book.

Thank you @stmartinpress @macmillan.audio @netgalley for a copy of this book. Hannah does it again with an amazing story. This one is on Frankie and spans over many years starting during the Vietnam war. The story sucks you in from the first chapter. I love that this book showed the effect of war from a perspective of a female nurse. There is so much heartbreak but so hope as well. I love the friendship between Frankie, Barb & Ethel. Julia Whalen did a great job brining Frankie's personality to life. I felt her anger, the frustration and her joy.

After listening to "The Women".......
this woman is wearing her "Welcome to Outlier Island" shirt.

Although "The Women" was not for this woman, I applaud the author for showcasing the role that female combat nurses played in the Vietnam War.

WHY IS THIS WOMAN WEARING HER "WELCOME TO OUTLIER ISLAND" SHIRT?

1) The book's pacing (especially in the beginning) was slow and the book was waaaaaay too long.
IMHO, this 15-hour audiobook easily could have been 10 hours. (471 pages!)

2) I had trouble relating to the female protagonist. Every single guy she met fell in love with her. (Huh?)

Yes, I realize that there were few American females in Vietnam but I still felt that the author's portrayal of her protagonist was unrealistic.

I listened to the audiobook read by Julia Whelan who did an outstanding job with the narration.

Since this is an "outlier review", I urge everyone to read all of the 5-star reviews for this book.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

5⭐ (audio) I listen to a lot of audiobooks, and Julia Whelan is one of my favorites. She is a true storyteller, and with her narration, it's so easy to get lost in the story. With so many narrators, it feels like someone is reading a book. This feels like living the story. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

5⭐ (story) When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these unexpected words, it is a revelation. Raised on idyllic Coronado Island and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing, being a good girl. But in 1965 the world is changing, and she suddenly imagines a different choice for her life. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she impulsively joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path.

As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of war, as well as the unexpected trauma of coming home to a changed and politically divided America.

Everything written by Kristin Hannah is gold. I love her writing, I love her characters. I love the history she imbues into her stories with so much research and detail. I will read anything she writes.

The Women is beyond gold, it is a diamond. I've read many a historical novel about war. This one made me feel like I lived it. You will live through the trauma with Frankie, suffer and drown in it. Bring your tissues. What a tribute to unrecognized veterans, to the unseen heroes. Kristin Hannah has done it again. This will be one of the biggest releases of 2024. Beautiful. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of the audiobook (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this audio ARC. This book absolutely blew me away. I quickly became entrenched in the story and was rooting for the MC from day one. Kristin Hannah caused every emotion in this book and did such a good job painting the trauma and after effects of war.

5 stars easily!

5 brilliant ⭐️ The Women is the highly anticipated latest novel by Kristin Hannah and, like her previous books, it delivers on every level.

Set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, The Women is meticulously researched and masterfully written. It captures the innocence and confidence at the start of the war, the gradual realization of the horrors and realities of combat, and the tremendous divide of the nation at the conclusion of the fighting; including the vitriol service members faced upon their return to the United States.. Through her use of cultural references and descriptive language, Ms. Hannah transports the reader from the California coast to the jungles of Vietnam and back to the turbulent streets of a changed nation.

The main focus of the book remains on the women who served their country and were often overlooked. Their sisterhood was frequently the only support they had when dealing with their experiences. The Women explores the damage done by war and the additional damage caused by a system that was unprepared to address their trauma. The main character, Frankie McGrath, is multidimensional, nuanced, and fully developed throughout the story.

I listened to the audio version of this book which was masterfully narrated by the incomparable Julia Whalen whose work enhanced the story. My tears flowed freely and frequently. The Women will be published in February 2024 and should be not be missed.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the honor of reviewing this ARC.

@kristinhannahauthor is an auto buy author for me - so when I was approved to read The Women from @stmartinspress, my TBR list got pushed aside immediately.

Kristin always writes such beautiful historical fiction that makes you feel like you’re right in the story yourself; she also will tug at your heartstrings and leave you weeping in a way that brings out of the emotions.

The Woman, set during the Vietnam war, shows the American opinion and how it shifted from support to distain; finally succumbing to the shock of the lies about fatalities and more. Main Character Frankie McGrath, daughter of a military family, decides to enlist in the Army as a nurse after her brother left for Vietnam. Frankie wants to be part of the Hero Wall in her father’s office and she’s been raised at the honorable service of serving. But Frankie is thrown to the wolves as she barely has training as a nurse and is tossed right in to a critical need to help aid the wounded. Lucky for Frankie, two amazing woman, Ethel & Barb, take her under their wings and a forever bond is formed. Frankie serves two tours before heading back home to California.

But what she wasn’t prepared for was life being beyond challenging to reintegrate; the criticism she endured when people mock her that “women weren’t even in Vietnam.” Even her own parents are shamed by her enlisting. What Frankie goes through is tough to read, but really sheds like on a terrible War; please read the trigger warnings for this book.

Kristin always throws here characters is to the toughest situations make her stories so realistic. Most importantly is talking about a war that people don’t like to speak about! Another 5 star read

The Women by Kristin Hannah unfolds a poignant narrative set against the turbulent backdrop of the 1960s in America. The story revolves around Frankie McGrath, a nursing student who, inspired by changing times and familial ties, joins the Army Nurse Corps during the Vietnam War. This novel brings to light the often overlooked sacrifices and courage of women who found themselves on the front lines, both in war and a politically fractured nation. A profoundly emotional and richly drawn narrative, this story stands as a testament to the heroism of women in an era where their contributions were too frequently forgotten. The audiobook version of this book is equally fantastic, featuring an outstanding narrator.