Francie had seen the wall of honour on the study wall of her Fathers office for a long as she can remember. It's all male what she never expected was that she could make a difference be a hero that in 1965 America a girl could grow up to be more than a Wife and Mum. That's what she's always been groomed for or told rather, it's was what her parents expected and when the country was at war it was for the men to go and fight.

Well one chance encounter and everything changes now it's Frankie whose signed up and of to war to help the cause in Vietnam as her brother has done. The 1st battle was the easiest but she wasn't to know that telling her Mum and Dad would be made worse by bad news but off she goes. She also had to find a route to signing up that really was the easy bit.

What i witnessed and hopefully you will witness is the story of a brave girl who becomes a women very quickly and witnesses some of the most harrowing sights a human can see. As causality after causality piles into the make shift hospital/s no one can be prepared for this. The heartbreak continues in the soldiers and her colleagues. Barb and Ethel become sister there for each other in the thick of it all. This is a tale unlike others I've read, the cost of giving your all seeing the worse and best of humankind and then to be treated as well you need to read but...... Barb and Ethel are the friends that are needed they been through the battle but Frankie stays the course and pays a price few will be able to comprehend.

This is really an incredibly well written novel that shows a depth of the human strengths and pain the reality of war plus the vulnerability of the soul. Its an emotional rollercoaster and a read you will not forget in a hurry. 5 stars is not enough. Nurses may not hold rifles but they are definitely in the frontline, saving lives whilst the bombs keep falling the mortars still firing them the memories. This is one heck of a read.

Wow what a read - Vietnam and the aftermath from a female perspective. The penny dropped for me in understanding the American - from my British viewpoint - over the top thankfulness for ‘serving the country’. I hadn’t realised the impact the pain and embarrassment of Vietnam had had on their national psyche.

When things threaten to get a bit too syrupy the author throws in a blast of reality, and I shed a tear towards the end. Best book this year!

A stunning 5 star read that will stay with the reader for a long time.

Frankie follows in her big brother's footsteps and travels to Vietnam, offering her services as a nurse. It is fair to say that she did not know what she bargained for when she first stepped foot in the hospital.

The author brilliantly depicts the experiences of service men AND WOMEN at this time through vivid imagery. I found myself tearing up at various points in the book. The characters each added an insightful element to the story.

Huge thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this advance copy, an absolute honour.

The Women by Kristin Hannah ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Another masterpiece by this author. Tackling the subject of the Vietnam War from a female nurse perspective. At points I found this hard going but it is a beautifully written story of war, love, loss and heartbreak. Highly recommend

Very shallow and left a gross taste in my mouth regarding the "White Character is the saviour and all indigenous/ native characters bare no meaning". I've read loads of historical novels during my teens and first years as a bookseller (former favourite genre of mine) and while they all were mostly very European-centric, they still had something good to come out of them and some excellently managed to convey a message. This book just felt like a waste of time. Will not be reading anything else from the author.

I’ve read some emotional books in my time but this one is going to stay with me for a while. I was a young child during the Vietnam War and although I remember it being on the television, and a pop song ‘19’ (check out the lyrics), that really is the sum total of my knowledge. I know a lot more now - it’s clearly extremely well researched. What a brilliant writer, you feel all the emotions and Frankie is a true heroine, alongside all the other young men and women sent to fight for ‘democracy’.

Briefly, Frances ‘Frankie’ McGrath is just 20 years old when, in 1965, she joins the Army Nurses Corps and follows her brother to Vietnam. She is totally unprepared for the horrors of war but with the help of new friends and colleagues she is a good nurse and completes two tours. She even falls in love but returning home her life has changed inexorably and she falls out with her family. It’s not the hero’s welcome everyone is expecting with her country and it’s people turning against the war and those who were part of it.

Frankie went to war expecting support and pride from her family but that didn’t happen and my heart broke for her. The details of the war in the early parts of the book are quite graphic, so be aware, but it is never gratuitous. The treatment she, another veterans received on returning home was terrible, I was shocked that people didn’t believe that women had been involved in the war. This is a wonderful, but harrowing read, I was so engossed that I read this in a day, I just needed to know! It has got to be a top read for 2024, it deserves all the praise and support I’m sure it will get. Fabulous.

Thank you NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for this eCopy to review

Don't let the first part put you off, yes it was very graphic about Frankie's nursing experience in Vietnam but it makes it very clear how truly horrific and pointless the loss of life was

After her 2 tours Frankie really struggles to return to life back home and her relationship with her parents falls apart. Her nurse friends save her and help her pull her life back together. Frankie becomes involved in the effort to get POWs released and meets Henry. She lives with him and agrees to marriage when she becomes pregnant and hopes she will grow to love him even though her heart belongs to another, Rye who she believes is killed in action.

After a tragic miscarriage, Frankie ends her relationship with Henry as when the POWs came home he was on the plane. Frankie's life falls apart again. Can she pull herself together or will it all end in tragedy?

The prejudice she suffered as a woman and a Vietnam war veteran was heart-breaking, it really opened my eyes to this point in history which I did not know much about

This book .... honestly Kristin Hannah writes the most beautiful books tackling so many subjects. This means I'm learning about places, events and people that otherwise I wouldn't be exposed to. But the way she writes just takes you on the journey and you can't help but be embraced by it. It's at the point where Kristin writes a book and I'm already pre-ordering it. The Women is no different. It's just a beautiful story about the Vietnam War from a woman's point of view. Loved it. Learned from it. 5 stars isn't enough for this book. Thank you for the opportunity to read it.

Once again this author never fails to deliver quite amazing books
Her attention to detail is second to none if you only read 1 book this year make it this one.
Can't praise it enough.

An absolute ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ read and completely unputdownable. This book is the rare wonder of a super storyline and a cast of characters you really care about - but also opens your mind up to an era of history you knew nothing about. I learned so much about Frankie's time as a combat nurse but also the prejudice, shame and trauma facing the vets on their return from Vietnam. It'll be hard to top this book for me! All books by @kristinhannahauthor is an auto-read for me so I was thrilled to receive an advance copy from @netgalley

Oh my god, I'm not sure how any other book will ever top this one.
I was hooked from the first chapter & stole any free time I could, to read a few pages.
It follows Frankie, who signs up to be a nurse in the Army, heading straight to Vietnam.
It's so beautifully written and brings the history of it all to life, telling it so rawly, emotionally and amazingly.
I didn't want it to end and cried solidly for the last 40 pages.
I had never considered that the women who served in Vietnam (nurses, doctors, air traffic control) were never recognised and told repeatedly that 'women didn't serve in Vietnam'. How traumatic & how it must have added to their trauma & made it more difficult to heal.
I'd go as far to say this is the best book I've ever read. Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author in exchange for a review.

Kristin Hannah is an auto read for me, so I was beyond excited when I was granted early access to her new novel!

The Women is a captivating historical fiction set against the backdrop of World War II. It follows the story of Frances "Frankie" McGrath, a young nursing student who joins the Army Nurse Corps during the Vietnam War and her return home after her tours.
The book pay homage to the resilience, sacrifice, and commitment of women who put themselves in harm's way during challenging times.

It is the perfect book choice for anyone who enjoys reading, in particular, those who enjoy books that have strong female characters in them.

This will be a tough book to beat this year!

Wow. A rude awakening to the role of and the prejudicial attitude to women who were on the front in the Vietnam War. Frankie goes off to be a nurse in Vietnam looking for her brother but he is killed in the war. This is a harrowing account of life , friendships, love, loss and danger on the front line in part one then coping with the aftermath back in USA . There is double prejudice towards the women primarily nurses as they are not recognised as war casualties and veterans . Strong women characters abound An eye opener

The Women is one of my most highly anticipated books of 2024. I expected a lot from it, having loved all of the other books I've read by the author, but even so, it massively exceeded my expectations.

The first thing you need to know when you're about to pick up this book, is that you will need two things by your side. The first is a giant pack of tissues, honestly, there is no such thing as too many tissues, believe me. The second is a bingo card, with every possible emotion written on it. I say that, because you'll get a "full house" by the end of the book.

As I read, I felt like I experienced every emotion in parallel to Frankie. I felt like I lived every moment of that book.
For me, that is what makes The Women such a masterpiece - the experience of reading it. It's beautiful but harrowing. It's devastating but inspiring. It's also so informative. I knew almost nothing about the Vietnam war going in to this book but now I've finished reading it, I feel so much better informed, yet all the more horrified and dismayed by what the vets, the women especially, endured during the war and the years beyond it.

I cannot think of a single type of reader who would not benefit from reading this book. The book and the issues within it, deserve every single bit of recognition and discussion they get.

Thank you SO much to Kristin Hannah, Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for the chance to review this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is an amazing book to read I had never even considered what the females who were in Vietnam and their experiences. To start I found the book a bit harrowing and I had to stop and give myself a day (just because of the issues that were being raised) but the second day I couldn't stop. It is interesting as the second half is actually more harrowing in terms of Frankie (and her friends and family) cope with being back in the USA, but I just needed to know more. it was so well researched.

The Women follows Frankie McGrath through her time as a combat nurse in the Vietnam War to returning to America as a veteran, trying to integrate back into society.

This is the first historical fiction book I've read set during the Vietnam War - safe to say I didn't know much about it, so I found it interesting learning about the history. .

Frankie is an easy character to root for, even if she doesn't always make the best decisions but her actions are a result of her returning from war, so it is all very complicated. I loved the female friendships in this book - they were strong and were there for each other through thick and thin.

I also thought it was a good move on Hannah's part splitting half of the book into Frankie's time in Vietnam, and the other half back in America after returning from Vietnam. You don't often get the aftermath of returning from the war in historical fiction. Seeing Frankie have to build herself back up again and again only made the payoff more worthwhile.

Whilst not my favourite from Hannah, still a great read. For me, it sits firmly in the middle of the ones I've read of hers.

Huge thanks to Net Galley and Pan Macmillan for an ARC of this book. What a fabulous read. Congratulations to Kristen Hannah on yet another masterpiece. Happy Publishing Day!
This is a very powerful read, it’s beautifully written. Frankie is only 20 years old when she signs enlists as a army nurse to serve in Vietnam. Frankie has had a privileged sheltered upbringing, arriving in Vietnam, she feels out of her depth, 2 nurses take her under their wing, and these three woman become lifelong friends. Determination and hard work see her skills develop, she earns respect and feels she is helping to save lives, and comforting those who cannot be saved with soft words and her gentle touch.
The descriptive detail, the atmosphere created is amazing, I could hear the explosions, smell the damp, hear the cries of the wounded, feel the pounding rain, feel the stifling heat. Frankie is courageous as she helps saves lives, sees young soldiers dying, the poor conditions they not only work in but sleep in, and the sheer devastation war creates.
This story fills the reader with inspiration, it reminds us of the horrendous loss of life to the Vietnam war, it also reminds us how courageous the women were, they made sacrifices, witnessed and experienced loss, built lasting friendships and fell in love.
The story goes on to tell us of Frankie’s return home after two tours, of the way the women who served were treated, spat at and made to feel ashamed, being told numerous times “there were no women in Vietnam” her struggles with PTSD and rebuilding her life
Thank you to this author for reminding us “ Women were in Vietnam” they were brave, courageous, relentless warriors who helped save many lives. This story will stay with me for a long time. This book is one where a 6th star is needed.

This book is a hard read at times. I have to start with this statement to give my truth to this review. I read through the story extremely quickly, i became really invested in Frankie’s story as you will. I was born in 1972, so didn’t really live the Vietnam war as it was. So this was very interesting subject matter for me. Seeing as Kristin Hannah wrote it, I’ll tell you now that it is a fantastic book! You will feel all wealth of emotions living through all the experiences Frankie and her fellow nurses feel, and the suffering afterwards. You can tell how much research went into the book to make it what it is.
I gave this book 5* when I hadn’t even finished, that’s how good it is!!.
Many thanks to Pan Macmillan for providing this book for review consideration via Netgalley. My opinion is my own.
#Netgalley, #PanMacmillan, #KristinHannahAuthor

I don’t know how to sum up this book other than to say ‘wow!’ I have read and enjoyed a few books by this author now but this was on another level. Read this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book… I will be purchasing a physical copy for my bookshelf!

Wow. This book will stay with me for a long long time. I absolutely love Kristin Hannah’s style of writing and the tough parts of history that she writes about. Having recently visited Vietnam, I found this book particularly heartbreaking. The story is powerful, gut wrenching, shocking and completely emotional. I learnt so much and will recommend this to everyone.