Review: The Women by Kristin Hannah

Title: The Women
Author: Kristin Hannah
Publication Date: February 6, 2024
Publisher:  St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Historical Fiction
Find It: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, Bookshop
Source: Purchased
Rating: 4 stars – stay up late

An intimate portrait of coming of age in a dangerous time and an epic tale of a nation divided.

Women can be heroes. When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself.

When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path.
As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is over- whelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. Each day is a gamble of life and death, hope and betrayal; friendships run deep and can be shattered in an instant. In war, she meets—and becomes one of—the lucky, the brave, the broken, and the lost.

But war is just the beginning for Frankie and her veteran friends. The real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America, to angry protesters, and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam.

The Women is the story of one woman gone to war, but it shines a light on all women who put themselves in harm’s way and whose sacrifice and commitment to their country has too often been forgotten. A novel about deep friendships and bold patriotism, The Women is a richly drawn story with a memorable heroine whose idealism and courage under fire will come to define an era.

The Women is the story of the forgotten nurses and women who served on the Vietnam War. I don’t know much about the Vietnam War (even though I am the child of Vietnam immigrants) so I was intrigued to read a story about the Americans who went to war, especially the women. Part 1 of the book focuses on Frankie’s time “in-country” and the relationships she develops there as well as the beauty and horror of what she experiences during her time in Vietnam. Part 2 is about Frankie’s return home and the aftermath of her undiagnosed PTSD.

The guest part of the book really pulled me in and I read through it pretty quickly. The second part was slower and focused on Frankie trying to assimilate back into “normal” life. It was hard to read some of these parts because I really felt frustration and anger on her behalf since so many people were dismissing her service or telling her to just forget about it and love on. Of course, since then, we’ve learned so much more about PTSD and I would hope that someone with her experiences would be treated differently today.

One of my favorite things about the book were the female friendships. They all had their strengths and weaknesses and all dealt with their trauma differently but they were always there for each other.

I wish my dad was still around so I could ask him more about his time in the war. Like many of his generation, he didn’t speak much of that time.

The Women is a poignant and thought provoking story that showcases a forgotten sect of the Vietnam war. It also highlights the issues that many veterans likely face after coming home from war. It brings empathy and awareness while also being an entertaining story. This is my first Kristin Hannah book and it makes me want to check out more of her writing.