The Women by Kristin Hannah
Having read and loved books such as The Nightingale and The Four Winds I was really looking forward to this book. It was about the women who served as nurses during the Vietnam War. I am old enough to remember the newsreels containing the images of broken men returning home from the war and also the hostility at home to those who served. I did not however know anything about the lives of the women who worked as nurses and the terrible situations into which they were thrown with very little training.
The novel is set in the mid Sixties and begins with Frankie’s brother enlisting to serve in Vietnam. She leads a cossetted life of the country club etc. but when her brother is killed in action she decides to do more with her life and enlists to serve as a nurse in Vietnam. You are immediately drawn into the horror of the situation in which she finds herself. Overworked doctors helicopters flying in night and day with badly injured soldiers and little that she can do to save them.
She tries to be the friendly face and voice that they will here and see as they breathe their last. She develops a close and lasting friendship with two other nurses Barb and Ethel and they help to support her in her future life. Her journey is a very painful one and the way in which she is treated is terrible but you feel this was the story for too many of those young men and women who tried to serve their country.
We learn of the trauma suffered in Vietnam and also that she continued to endure on her return to America. A devastating story and one which needed to be told. Kristin Hannah has created vivid, unforgettable characters and captured brilliantly the hellhole in which they found themselves. An emotional roller coaster of a novel! I will be recommending it at my various book groups. Many thanks to the author, the publishers and Net Galley for the opportunity to read the book in return for an honest review.

It's 1966, and Frankie McGrath's beloved older brother is bound for Vietnam - the latest in a long line of McGrath men doing their duty for their country and bringing honour to the family. At her brother's going away party, when someone tells her, 'Women can be heroes,' Frankie is jolted out of the rut she hadn't realised she was in, and joins the United States Army Nurse Corps, determined to play her part and make her family proud.

The first part of the book follows Frankie from naïve, timid new arrival to dauntless combat nurse, while the second part addresses her life after she returns from Vietnam. Frankie's experience holds a mirror to the American public of the 1960s and 1970s: she initially has a sanitised, simplified idea of the conflict, before realising the truth of its horror.

Author Kristin Hannah captures both the brutality of war and the camaraderie and loyalty between those serving; scenes of death and suffering are interspersed with vignettes of Frankie and her friends and colleagues blowing off steam and holding each other together. This balance helps the reader to understand Frankie's complex relationship with her time in Vietnam; she is traumatised by her service but it was also the place and time during which she found herself and felt that she truly belonged. I wasn't initially convinced by the depth of feeling between Frankie and some of the other characters - I think there was just too much to do in terms of world-building and establishing Frankie's character to devote enough time to these relationships, so the reader is told how much Frankie cares about someone rather than being able to infer it for ourselves - but, with more space to breathe in the second part of the story, they were much more convincing. I will say, however, that I was disappointed that a book titled 'The Women' focused solely on one woman, whom is pretty unrelatable for many readers. I would have loved to see the book shift its focus to one of Frankie's friends, or even to a new character entirely, in order to show a range of experiences and perspectives.

As Frankie tries to navigate life 'back in the world', the narrative reflects the changing public attitude to the war by the end of the 1960s, and how this would have added a further layer of pain and trauma for the returning veterans. As Frankie notes, 'She'd gone to war a patriot and come home a pariah,' her efforts in the increasingly unpopular war something to be concealed rather than celebrated, and it was interesting to see how she struggled with this feeling of discombobulation at everyone telling her that she should feel ashamed of her role - if they acknowledged that she had been in Vietnam at all - and her own journey of questioning the morality of the war.

Hannah also covers the changing social landscape of the USA at this point in history, with more women beginning to rebel against rigid gender roles, and the fight for Black civil rights occuring concurrently with the anti-war protests. References are made to women having increasing control over their own fertility, and to a burgeoning recognition of mental illness, including PTSD. At one point, Frankie muses that, 'We were the last believers, my generation. We trusted what our parents taught us about right and wrong, good and evil, the American myth of equality and justice and honor.' Her story, on a broader level, is one of growing up and becoming disillusioned - she realises that her parents aren't infallible and her country doesn't care about her.

The legacy of the war is tackled in Hannah's usual broad strokes: either Frankie or someone in her circle is affected by pretty much every possible long-term consequence of serving in Vietnam, including drug dependency and health problems caused by exposure to Agent Orange. However, I will commend the author for playing with long-time readers' expectations - subverting some of the tropes she is known for in order to the keep the reader guessing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book.

I must be the only person who just doesn’t get this book but I am so sorry I don’t get it I couldn’t get into this novel at all.. I felt bad because every review was superb about it but I just didn’t get it and can’t help that apologies i am not into it
I will recommend everyone else reads it and makes up their own mind as we are all individuals
So give it a go and a good read

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel which is the The story of Army nurses in the Vietnam war, think Mash but focusing on the female characters.
The story follows a young woman who volunteers to join the American armed forces after her brother is killed fighting in the Vietnam war. The young woman has led a sheltered life and what she faces when she enlists and is sent almost immediately to the front line in Vietnam is shocking and cathartic.
The author has a clear easily read pros, style, and and I read the book quickly, enjoying it very much. I was very quickly drawn in in the first chapter and wanted to know what happened next.

The book is highly visual, and it doesn’t surprise me to see that the rights have been taken up to make this a film, the setting mostly in Vietnam is described so perfectly that you can almost feel there. Sweat running down your back in the tropical heat.
No matter how many times you’ve seen the photographs of the girl in Vietnam and Nepalm doesn’t stick with you as much as reading the little section of the baby in this novel absolutely horrific and memorable
All in all, I think that this novel is a thoroughly fitting memorial to the women who served in the Vietnam war, and those who died there
I had an early copy of the novel on NetGalley UK the book is published in the UK on the 15th of February 2024 by Pam McMillan
This review will appear on NetGalley, UK, Goodreads, and my book blog, bionicSarahsbooks.wordpress.com And, Amazon, UK

Thank you so much to the publisher, the author and Netgalley for a copy of this ARC. I SCREAMED when I saw I had been approved for this. This book was in my top five most anticipated books of the year as Kristin Hannah is a favourite author of mine and WOW I was not let down. This is going on my list of all time favourites.

Before reading this you need to buckle up because it’s a rollercoaster of emotions. I was laughing one page and then crying the next. As an English person I never learnt about the Vietnam war in school so reading this taught me so much. Honestly it makes me sick that men so young were sent to war. I can’t stop thinking about some of the scenes in this book and it’s even spurred me to do research of my own on the subject. The fact that most of these men were drafted and forced to go to war with no choice makes the high death toll even more heartbreaking.

I was appalled at the treatment of Frankie and other veterans when they got home. The fact that so many people didn’t even know that “women were in Vietnam” saving lives and making sure that men came home made me so angry. I was so frustrated with everyone around Frankie, especially her parents who were extremely sexist and old fashioned. Watching Frankie have to deal with undiagnosed PTSD while being told to “forget” about literally holding people’s bodies together in a war zone was heartbreaking. I was really rooting for her to get the help she needed and I adored her “found family” relationship with Barb and Ethel and seeing their lives blossom.

You can tell that a lot of deep research and care went into this novel. The amount of detail and the way the author describes the sights, sounds and smells of any given environment immerses you in the story. I will warn you there are some very graphic scenes in here so please read trigger warnings. If you are up for a book that is both heartwarming and heartbreaking this is for you. It’s a story of heroism, love, loss and finding your place in the world after a great trauma. I can’t recommend this enough.

A powerful book about a shameful period in Americas history. It highlights and celebrates the sacrifice and heroism of the women who were sadly overlooked on their return. The only other book I have ever read about Vietnam was MASH many years ago . This book is a real page turner and is shocking, complex and also warm. Sadly the attitudes of governments hasn’t changed toward service personnel who make the ultimate sacrifice. Excellent book.

This is my third Hannah Kristin book I have read and she has again got me wrapped up completely in a book, the characters and their stories.
The story begins in California 1966 with Frankie and her brother going to war in Vietnam. This makes Frankie realise she wants more and becomes a nurse and joins the army. She soon realises her parents are not as happy about this as she thought. The book takes a real close look at what life was like for many soldiers and nurses during this war, with harrowing injuries and often thrown in at the deep end with it being horrendously worse than they imagined. This is the first book I have read about this war and I was shocked at how women and veterans were treated on their return, if they were lucky to return at all. The writing was great and I especially loved the friendship with Ethel and Barb and solidarity of women and war vets. I am so glad Hannah has given a voice to those most often forgotten! This was a really good book and I will be recommending.

Thank you SO much to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

I absolutely loved this!! Such great characters and a great storyline.

My full review is to follow in a few days.....

The Women is a powerful novel about the Vietnam War and the aftermath on the American people who fought there, in particular the forgotten women. Frankie McGrath goes against everything her wealthy family expects of her and enlists in the US Army as a nurse. The experiences she endures in Vietnam change her forever and after returning home to California she encounters hate and abuse from the American people. As time goes on, Frankie struggles to adapt to civilian life and the way she is treated by her family.
This novel isn’t scared to highlight the horrors of war, the killing of innocent civilians and the treatment of veterans after the Vietnam conflict. As a non American my knowledge of this war is limited, but I found the book to be both fascinating and horrifying and it has inspired me to seek out more knowledge around the issues raised.

I love books by Kristin Hannah as they tackle difficult subjects embedded in a detailed fictional story based on historical fact. This one is based in the 1970s during the Vietnam war. I read the book whilst on holiday in Thailand and Vietnam - I didn't visit the places named in the book, but I did find myself looking around at the places we did visit and trying to imagine the changes which must have taken place.

This story is about Frankie who has grown up in a household so proud of the military past that her father has a 'heroes wall' with pictures of those in the family who have served. Frankie trains as a nurse but isn't satisfied working in the local hospital. So she signs up to the military and is sent to Vietnam where she becomes a trauma nurse.

There is a strong feminist theme to this book, as perhaps you would expect from the title. I found the characterisation of Frankie's parents to be really interesting. Their old school and country club views and values were well described. Their attitude to their daughter serving in Vietnam was shocking but probably historically accurate.

The whole book is an emotional rollercoaster. There is enough information in the blurb to guess that there will be sadness and tragic outcomes at times but if anyone gets through the whole book without sobbing at some point, I would be amazed! This is surely waiting to be picked up for film rights or TV serialisation? I thought it was incredible - my book of the year to date.

Many thanks to NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.

My second book by Kristin and another great read.

Frances McGrath (Frankie) is a nursing student, her brother is shipped out to serve in the war in Vietnam. Frankie decides to follow her brother and help look after the injured soldiers. War is just the beginning of Frankie’s journey, her battle really begins when she returns home.

This book highlights that women who go to war suffer as much as the men that serve.

Kristin Hanna never fails to blow me away with her beautiful writing. Every time I read one of her books I am blown away and instantly sucked into the characters lives and The Women did just that. This is a beautiful story about what it is to be a woman, feminism and friendship. I didn't want to put this down and I can't express how highly I recommend this.

I didn't think Kristin Hanna could surpass 'The Four Winds' but this book is certainly its equal. Frankie” McGrath's family live to serve their country. On the eve of her brother leaving for Vietnam, his friend tells her that, ‘women can be heroes, too’. She wants to make her family proud and decides to put her nursing training to good use in Vietnam. Nothing could have prepared for the atrocities of war but she survives only to return home, traumatised, to find that her service is not valued by her family or her country.
This is a novel about friendship, feminism and love. A powerful but engaging read that left me wanting more.

A fantastic read.What an emotional roller coaster of a read heartbreaking but also uplifting as the bravery of the women shines through the story. When Frankie goes to Vietnam as a nurse with the army she sees so much suffering emotionally and physically that her experiences will change her life forever. As she tries to adjust after her two tours she struggles with night terrors and makes many bad decisions before she can finally find some kind of closure.A brilliant novel by this author and I went through every emotion reading this book which I highly recommend

4.5 stars rounded down. This story surrounds Frankie, a young woman that volunteers as a nurse in the Vietnam war. I was fully absorbed in her story, both in US and Vietnam and the struggles she faced. A good one for any historical fiction fans that focuses on an area of history that I knew less about. Many thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC.

The Women delves into the jarring story of American women who worked as army nurses in Vietnam. They joined the army in an act of service for their country (misguided as that might be with the wisdom of hindsight) and were promptly erased and forgotten about by history. That frustrated me no end and I love that this book goes about setting the record straight.

The book hooked me in immediately. Frankie comes across as naive but well intentioned, and we are flung straight into the action with her. It all felt so jarring, chaotic, dangerous and gory. As war is, and it felt even more heart rendering reading this when you think of the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

The women formed a lifelong bond, strangers who became closer than sisters, bonded by the atrocities they saw. The first part of the book is set in Vietnam, and the second part post Vietnam. I thought it floundered a little pace wise in the middle, but I loved the characters so that made up for the pacing issues. Kristen Hannah specialises in breaking readers hearts with dramatic and emotional plotlines, and The Women is no different.

If you enjoy historical fiction, then I think you’ll find this an unforgettable story about the tragedies of war. It also highlights the courage and resilience you need to move on with your life after witnessing carnage. A book I know I’ll be thinking about for some time yet.

Thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for a copy of this book for review consideration, as always you get my honest option, no matter the source of the book.

I was looking forward to another great Kristin Hannah book. As an author she has a remarkable ability to weave social and political affairs with the lives of women. Again here we have the Vietnam war told through the eyes of volunteer nurses or in this case one nurse. I think this is the first issue I had with this book, I think she picked the wrong nurse, Barb was a far more interesting character and had more to deal with in the Civil Rights movement when she returned to the US. Frankie McGrath, the lead, was a one dimensional character craving her father’s approval and a space on his wall of heros, family members who had served their country.
I found the 1st half of the book rather boring and repetitive. Everytime they got in a helicopter and the scene below was described it was the same as were all the medical scenes. And most disappointing, for a young woman aiming to carve her own way of life against her society’s expectations it was still all about having a man and fashion. There was so many descriptions of the clothes they were wearing and interestingly the men and a “large woman” were always in polyester until Connor was coming good near the end and started wearing knits and double knits. Likewise the constant referral to music playing, in bars, the second they got into a car etc. emerged to be overdone.

And yes a lot of issues were dealt with like the treatment of the Vets when they returned home and the changing attitudes of the American public against a backdrop of the Civil Rights movement and Watergate. Also the realisation that PTSD was very really and the beginnings of treatment. All very worth.

It is a decent read and a page turner just for me not up to the author’s usual standards.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this DRC.

A fascinating story about the American nurses in Vietnam during the war. I was horrified to learn that on their return home they faced disbelief they had ever been there, or worse, were made to feel ashamed to have been part of the war effort. Frankie McGrath is a young nurse who joins up to serve in the Army Nurses Corps, much to her parents’ dismay. There, she has to grow up very quickly as she faces the horror of the battlefield. At times I found the telling of this story a little lightweight, which I felt inappropriate to the horrors of the Vietnam war, but I find it difficult to put my finger on exactly why I felt that way. Perhaps the romance side of the story was a little predictable? However, I did admire Frankie and her friends, not only for their incredible courage and fortitude, but also for the way they were always there for each other, even on their return to the US where they lived miles apart. I enjoyed the insight into the role of these women, without whom so many more – on both sides of the war - would have perished. Meticulously researched by author Hannah Kristen, The Women is a true-to life account of this slice of history.

As ever, Kristin Hannah is just so good - one of the best storytellers.

This is the story of Frankie, who heads out to Vietnam as a nurse in the wake of her brother. Immediately his death is the first trauma she faces, and many many more follow - physical and emotional traumas as she sees and quickly learns combat nursing skills, and deals with dreadful losses.

Alongside the story of the trauma, there are beautiful relationships to explore. Frankie's new best friends, Barb and Ethel, are colourful and fun characters, and the three women are a constant support to each other. Frankie finds love in Vietnam, and after, yet all her relationships are struck by tragedy and the horrific touch of war.

This is a gripping story that kept me awake well after I normally put my book down in the evening, and although brutal and horrific, is also heartwarming and powerful. It's also a stark reminder of the treatment of women, and how their roles were misunderstood and underappreciated - emphasised clearly by Frankie's dad's reaction to her time away.

I thoroughly enjoyed this account of women doing their bit to support the US troops in Vietnam.

The story is based around Frankie who signs up to be an army nurse in a moment of naive glory, wishing to follow her brother out to Vietnam. What followers is an account of dreadful conditions fighting to save men’s lives under the most awful harrowing conditions, but forging the most wonderful friendships.

What is more unexpected is the welcome back that these brave soldiers and nurses received on their return to the USA, all of which I was completely oblivious to.

It touches the themes of the embarrassment of families, the attempts to rewrite the past, and the culture-shock of trying to carry on with your previous life after living through life- changing experiences, and how low you can sink when living your life in the past.

Women, who support each other through thick and thin, are always there for each other when no one else understands.