Review: The Women by Kristin Hannah

THE WOMEN

by Kristin Hannah

Pub: 2/6/2024

St. Martin's Press

480 pg.

From the celebrated author of The Nightingale and The Four Winds comes Kristin Hannah's The Women—at once 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.

COMING FEBRUARY 6, 2024

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REVIEW:

Frankie McGrath lived a privileged life on the golden shores of California’s Coronado Island. The Vietnam War felt as if it was a world away. When that sheltered life was shaken to its core and she enlisted in the Army Nurse Corps, her life would be forever altered.

 

Thrust into the harsh reality of a combat nurse in Vietnam, Frankie struggled to adapt to all that entailed. Wholly unprepared, she was unmoored and grasping for stability and normalcy where there was none to be had. The extreme situation meant bonds were forged quickly and she developed strong friendships with her fellow nurses, allowing them to lean on one another and hold each other up. There were other relationships formed as well, a flirtatious but ultimately platonic romance with a surgeon, and a passionate affair with a pilot. Both left lasting scars.

 

After her tour of duty, and her return to California, Frankie’s homecoming was decidedly underwhelming. Her parents were dismissive of her service, her attempts at seeking help were met with the same response – “there were no women in Vietnam” – and the country as a whole was divided and divisive. Frankie’s life spiraled as she tried to adapt to life after Vietnam. The latter portion of the book, as Frankie struggled to make peace with her experiences, provided an unflinching look at the issues faced by so many veterans upon their return from Vietnam. Brave, resilient, and courageous – and yet their sacrifices were not recognized and applauded, but instead swept under the rug, or even mocked and held in contempt.

 

While I was born during the Vietnam War era, I was still a child when the conflict ended, so for me it has always felt like history. Not something I had a personal connection to. Kristin Hannah changed that with The Women. This story is vividly detailed (gut wrenchingly so), with characters that virtually leapt off the page and took on a life of their own. I felt their optimism, their fear, their cynicism, and disillusionment. Hannah’s focus on the nurses in Vietnam – young women who exemplified patriotism and selfless heroism – provided another example of how women’s contributions in history are so often overlooked.

 

The Women was the first book I read in 2024 and it’s not hyperbole to say that I have no doubt it will be my top read of the year. It was powerful, impactful, heartbreaking and – ultimately – uplifting. And it was delivered in a way I’ve come to expect from Kristin Hannah – with realism, nuance, and heart. Utterly unforgettable. 5 STARS

Note: I was provided an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. This does not impact my opinion of the book or the content of this review.