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.