This is an amazing book. Very few books move me to tears in the way that this one did. It starts in California where Frankie knows that her well to do parents expect her to marry well and look decorative.
Frankie wants more from life and follows her brother to Vietnam after training to be a nurse. I want to give no spoilers but the reaction of her parents to her going to Vietnam is so different to the way they react to their heroic son.
The next bit of the book describing the war in Vietnam is quite harrowing but the characters are so well depicted and Frankie meets her soul mates as well as a number of lonely men who fall for her.
Frankie doesn’t get a hero’s welcome when she returns home and no one helps her with her post traumatic stress disorder.
Frankie’s problems are by no means over but it is her soul mate girlfriends who are there for her and not her parents.
This should be compulsory reading in schools to see the pointlessness of war.
The ending is satisfactory and I highly recommend this book. Thank you Netgalley for an advance copy.

Wow. Wow. Wow. What a brilliant incredibly powerful book #TheWomen is….I absolutely loved it.

Set during and after the Vietnam War, Frances “Frankie” McGrath, a young newly qualified nurse signs up to the Army Nurse Corps to do her bit for her country and to follow in her brother’s footsteps. As inexperienced as the young men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of war, and the unexpected trauma of returning home to a changed American. Frankie also discovers the true value of female friendships and the heartbreak that love can cause.

I was gripped from the first page. It takes you through a rollercoaster of emotions.
I loved how the book was in two parts. First part follows Frankie’s experience as a nurse in Vietnam and the second part focuses on her return home to America. It was just so powerful and informative. I learned a lot about the Vietnam War and the aftermath I never knew.
I could not put this book down, definitely a page turner.
The journey that Frankie went on to be recognised as a hero/woman of war had me in tears, especially the end chapters. I liked all the characters which are all well developed, and are so believable and relatable. I loved the friendship and bond that developed between Frankie, Barb and Ethel, her fellow nurses. It was just beautiful and to see how they had each others back and supported each other through.

The Women is just brilliant. It explores so many topics including patriotism, hope, female friendships, betrayal, love, PTSD, addiction and death. The story is so well written and the topics dealt with beautifully. It’s descriptive and so vivid. The story just flows so well.

Overall, it’s a powerful, thought provoking and emotional engrossing story and one I will remember. This book is definitely one of my favourite reads of 2024. Highly recommend The Women by @KristinHannah

With thanks to #NetGallery and #PanMacMillan for an eARC of #TheWomen in exchange for a honest review.
Book publishes 15 February 2024.

Oh wow- what a story! This is the tv programme M*A*S*H* without the comedy. Hard-hitting, raw, terrifying even- the writer's description of life in an army casualty hospital during the Vietnam War are searing and vivid. The bravery of the troops and medics including nurses, was incredible. The authors detailed research really shines through ......I learnt so much about the war and the life experiences by those who were there. I was completely gripped by this story and could not put the book down.
I loved Frankie, the young innocent who finds herself suddenly in the middle of blood, guts and war who has to quickly adapt to the hell she finds herself in. Her close friendship with fellow nurses Barb and Ethel highlights the support of women by women shown throughout the story. And then the fight for veterans to be recognised for their service. The fight for them to find themselves in a very different world and to survive. This is a story based on fact, and is all the more poignant for it. Both heartwarming and heartbreaking, this book is a must read! I cannot recommend it highly enough. Wow, wow, wow!!

I LOVE historical fiction and I LOVE Kristin Hannah novels. So I have been such a keen bean to read this one and boy it didn’t disappoint.

We meet Frankie, a young newly qualified Nurse off to care in the Vietnam war. We explore the relationships she makes, the life time bonds formed and the impact of war on her relationship with her parents.

This is an untold story of the heroism of women like Frankie saving lives in the war. Coming home, trying to adjust, coming home to a country that wanted to forget about Vietnam let alone acknowledge the part that women played in the war.

As with every Hannah book, no character is safe, so I read this with anxiety and anticipation throughout. I was invested in all the characters, even the ones really flawed you had an understanding of why and a bit of sympathy which comes from Hannah’s ability to write and weave a story so beautifully.

I had no idea about the Vietnam war, I can only imagine the horrors faced by those out there and their loved ones back home.

This book is exceptional, a story of courage, resilience, trauma and healing. An absolute must read, just be prepared for the emotional journey 📚❤️

The Women by Kristin Hannah is a riveting portrayal of the Vietnam War and its aftermath. Initially daunting with its vivid depictions of war, the narrative gradually unfolds to reveal the profound effects of conflict on the lives of women. Through meticulous research, Hannah offers a poignant exploration of PTSD and resilience in the face of adversity. Her storytelling captivates, offering readers both historical insight and emotional depth. A challenging yet essential read for anyone interested in understanding the human experience during wartime.

Thank you NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for approving the digital copy in exchange of honest review!

This story contains so much that it is hard to pick out standout moments. In the beginning it's very much focused on Vietnam and is a very graphic, difficult read at times. At one point I wondered how it could sustain this for the whole book but it grows into something even more special. The toll the war takes, the losses long the way and the friendships that stand the test of time and trials are all wonderfully done. Frankie is a great character but often it is the characters around her who let us see the sum of her parts - her mother, the men she loves and of course Ethel and Barb, who are both brilliant characters in their own right. I learned a lot from this story but at no point did I feel like I was being lectured on history; I felt I was living it. A hard read at times but highly recommended.

The Women by Kristin Hannah
I give this book 5 stars.

‘Women can be heroes, too’. When twenty-year-old nursing student, Frances “Frankie” McGrath, hears these unexpected words, she impulsively joins the Army Nurses Corps.
As green and inexperienced as the young 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 America. Frankie will also discover the true value of female friendship and the heartbreak that love can cause.

This is without a doubt my favourite Kristin Hannah book!
Emotional,insightful and immensely powerful,I could not put this one down for the life of me l was left with the biggest book hangover ever!
Detailing the real horrors of those serving in the Vietnam war and dealing with their return afterwards this intense story is brought to life between the covers by the vivid prose of Frankie.The author poignantly journeys you full circle sucking you in completely with her detailed storytelling.Pivotal friendships play a huge part,as does love,the sacrifices,endurance and bravery of all the (women) unsung heroes who signed up voluntarily and the dehabilitating impact to return to normal afterwards.Its tragic the cover ups by the government of what was really going on, the little help offered especially to the women and recognition for the important role they played and people’s attitudes generally towards veterans coming home.l really don’t have the words to do justice for this incredible story or how it made me feel while reading it. Even if historical fiction isn’t your thing l can’t recommend this one highly enough!
With thanks to Netgalley,Kristin Hannah and
Pan MacMillan for my chance to read and review this book.

I am not sure I can do this book justice in a review and five stars is not enough. The story is set during the Vietnam War and is the story of a young woman, Frankie, who signs up to be a nurse in the conflict. She is barely trained and not prepared for what will greet her. It is a steep learning curve for her and an even bigger shock returning to an America that hates her and the men fighting over in Nam. This is a superbly written book which has obviously been well researched, Kristen Hannah doesn't hold anything back and the story is gritty, doesn't hold anything back and is an emotional rollercoaster.

The characters are well-developed and really relatable, although not always likeable. The emotions, heartbreaks, anger and confusion come across on every page, bringing the characters to life. It was so realistic I felt at times that I was there with them.

This book is hard-hitting and holds nothing back, it's extremely emotional and I frequently cried, and sobbed in fact, for Frankie and what she was going through. This book will make one of my top reads for 2024 and I highly recommend reading it, but do have tissues available.

The eagerly awaited new novel from historical fiction queen Kristin Hannah is here.

Set during and after the Vietnam War, we meet Frances “Frankie” McGrath, an idealistic young woman who signs up to the Army Nurse Corps to do her bit for her country and to follow in her brother’s footsteps; a soldier already fighting in Vietnam.
Frankie, however is utterly unprepared for the chaos and horror of the war she lands into; she has to quickly learn better nursing skills, and how to survive each day there without dying or losing her mind. She makes lifelong friends along the way, dabbles in some wartime romance and becomes what can only be described as a kick-ass nurse. I’m talking doing tracheotomies and surgical suturing herself. Impressive.

Once she finishes her tour she returns home to a vastly different America, however. People have become very anti-war, thanks to the war crimes the US government have been committing against the Vietnamese people, and the amount of young men dying every day in service to their country. Frankie struggles with PTSD from everything she’s witnessed but can’t get help as she’s repeatedly told “there were no women in Vietnam”. She and her colleagues were effectively removed from the history books. And so she begins to spiral from there.

Hannah does an incredible job of highlighting the vital work these women did; ministering to both injured soldiers and Vietnamese civilians alike.
They, like many soldiers were treated horrifically on their return home; but the stories of the nurses who came back are rarely heard about, and as a nurse myself, I love that she wrote this book to highlight their experiences.
I found it an engaging and engrossing read, I had finished it in a couple of days and it’s a long enough book at 480 pages.
I would warn that there are graphic descriptions of injuries and medical procedures, so if that’s not your thing you might be better off avoiding this one.
As with her other books, at times the language veers too far into sentimentality for me but Hannah always steers it back on track.

If you enjoy historical fiction, in particular focusing on the role of women, I think this will be the book for you.

Wow. What a book. This is my favourite story I've read in a long time. You know it's good when you get to the end of a (pretty long) novel and think...noooo, what happens to her next?! This really had me gripped by the 1960s backdrop and I loved the unusual setting of the Vietnam War. Sometimes the writing style did seem to border on the tell, rather than show, and it felt like the author was filling me in on a note of historical importance, but that didn't detract from the amazing story telling.

Thank you so much to the publisher and the author, and to NetGalley for the advance copy of this amazing book.

Wow. What an incredibly powerful book that looks at war head on and all the effects it can have - on those who served, survived, those who lost loved ones, those who couldn't cope, post traumatic stress syndrome, even Agent Orange.

I haven't really read anything much about the Vietnam war - I was a young girl in Britain at the time, our parents were glad our country stayed out of the fight. I'd seen MASH on TV and that was about it. This book takes you right into the conflict through the eyes of Frankie, a well-heeled American girl who goes out there to nurse the wounded. And the author brings all the horror of attacks and woundings and atrocities straight to the reader, loud and clear. The second half sees Frankie back home, but not to a hero's welcome by any means, as we explore how America had first shielded its people from the numbers dying and the battles lost, and then refused to acknowledge those who returned, making them feel shameful. And to totally disregard the women who served - Frankie is told over and over, by those who should have known better, than no women served in Vietnam.

The author gives a voice to all those who served, willingly or otherwise, and turns the spotlight firmly on the women who didn't go to fight for glory, but were there to mop up the consequences. It reads so well, and has obviously been carefully researched. A real page turner but by the end I was struggling to read for the tears in my eyes.

A triumph of a book. Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another fantastic novel by Kristin Hannah! Well researched and heartbreaking, The story of army nurse Frankie McGrath shows us the role of women in the Vietnam conflict, the futility of war and the struggles of veterans upon their return to the States.

Another great read from Kristin Hannah - fast becoming one of those go-to authors where you can be guaranteed a well-written and relatable slice of history. This time, the Vietnam War and the less explored angle of the impact on women. I'm not surprised it has been optioned as a movie, as it is so visual.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for the ARC.

Not sure that I have enough superlatives for this one but I'll give it a go...
The Women is a profoundly moving, raw, yet strangely beautiful work of art!. Kristin Hannah has the ability to completely transport you to the world that she creates and she appeals to the senses so powerfully: in this book the smells and sounds are as evocative as any sights described.
Dealing with the harsh realities of the Vietnam war, this is not a fluffy read - it is often unashamedly hard-hitting as you live with what Frankie and her nursing friends experience but whilst it chronicles the horrors of war and loss, it also celebrates the power of friendship and the ability of humanity to survive and to make connections in seemingly impossible circumstances. It is about loss but also about love; about unwavering support but also how we can let one another down; it is about the strength of family but also its frailties; it is about betrayal but also about lifting one another up; it is about unspeakable cruelty but also about kindness and healing. Frankly - it has everything!
Now, I need to go and find me some friends like Barbs and Ethel and Kristin Hannah - get busy - because I'm going to need another great book like this very soon!

This is one of the most profound books I have read. It details the experiences of a nurse in a M*A*S*H in Vietnam in graphic and heartfelt detail, but the explores how this nurse suffered from PTSD before it was recognised as a condition. She then experienced prejudice as her service in Vietnam was not recognised.: “There are no women in ‘Nam” as well as the betrayal from those people she felt closest to. I don’t like descriptions of books saying they are heartbreaking, but this book genuinely fits the bill. It takes you through a rollercoaster of emotions yet comes to a fulfilling end. I liked the fact that it is well researched and based on the personal experience of nurse veterans. It is well worth a read

Wow. Wow.wow. A must read.

The story follows Frankie, a good catholic girl who has led a sheltered and privileged life until she signs up to be an army nurse in the Vietnam war so she can follow her brother. What follows is her experience of war and all its horrors and the aftermath of trauma when there is a little support available. Compelling and wonderful.

Wow! What an unbelievable story! This is one of the best books I’ve read in along time, the contents of which will stay with me. The story gripped me from page one and sent me on an emotional rollercoaster of emotions. I loved the book was in two parts and was fascinated by the role of the women and Frankie’s story in the Vietnam war, The author really captured this well, along with the struggles and everlasting friendships, so much so . I could not put the book down a definite page turner! It was in part two (and not knowing the history) that was just so powerful, informative, a miss carriage of justice to say the least. The journey Frankie went on to finally be recognised as a hero and a woman of war had me sobbing at the end and also cheering for justice. Loved the pictures of the memorial in Washington, when I visit I will certainly be going to see it. You’ve brought a story to the forefront that will touch so many hearts, praise to the author.

I thought this was an amazing book. Lots of detail about the Vietnam War and the issues it raised in the US during and after the war. I learned a lot!
There gruesome scenes in the operating rooms which may put some readers off.
It kept me awake after reading the first part when the main character gets to Vietnam and i read it almost without stopping until i finished in tears! I found an understanding of the effects of trauma - not really recognised at the time and also empathy with the ignored nurses. The central character has huge difficulties in adjusting to life after Vietnam.
Definitely recommended.

I couldn't wait to get my hands on Kristin Hannah's new novel, The Women, and I was very excited to start it.. It absolutely didn't disappoint. It has been a while since I looked up from a book and found out it was gone 1 a.m. - time just flew. Powerful, gripping and heartbreaking - I will never forget this book.
I was intrigued by the idea of a novel set during the Vietnam war in the 1960s/70s, as I was a kid at the time and I remember it. It provides a previously untold insight into the experiences of an Army nurse in a field hospital, and much more. A large section of the book explores what life was like for the women returning to a country they did not recognise, and where their service was not recognised. Both halves of the book were shocking in very different ways.
The three nurses we come to know and love were all so different but their bond and friendship is core to the book. Frankie is a rich Californian girl, Ethel is a farm girl from Virginia and Barb is a black young woman from Chicago who had an even bigger fight to fight on her return to the US. All of them were really good and complex characters.
Hannah always delivers and she has certainly done so again here. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to all readers (men too) and it would be a brilliant Book Club read. If you only read one book this year - this is it!

This was my second Kristin Hannah novel and unfortunately it wasn't my favourite. This surprised me as I absolutely adored The Nightingale when I read it and remembered thinking how powerful the novel was.

What I enjoyed about this book was the vivid detail of the location and how you could see, smell and feel everything. Kristin Hannah has a knack for describing scenes in a simplistic yet beautiful way and it's what makes her books so great. With similar themes to the Nightingale, I love the key message that women played a big part in wars, despite rarely hearing their stories.

Where this book fell down for me was Frankie's character, the pacing and the the dialogue between characters. Frankie's reactions to things felt VERY mild considering what had occured and it all felt very unbelievable at times. As for the dialogue, it felt like I was watching a cheesy 2008 American war film. Cliché and very patriotic.

It was also incredibly predictable in parts... particularly the coming back from the dead scenarios.

Unfortunately this fell very flat for me and I struggled to get through it. I still really like Kristin Hannah as an author and I will pick up what she writes in the future. The Women was just not for me!

Thank you NetGalley for a copy in exchange for a review.