The Women by Kristin Hannah – 480 pages
ARC from St. Martins Press and Netgalley for an honest review
Book Blurb:
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.
My Review: 5 stars
The Women by Kristin Hannah is an engaging, heartbreaking, and incredibly written novel about the mostly unrecognized women that served in Vietnam. These brave women weren’t drafted; they went to serve their country.
I distinctly remember visiting the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall of names in 1983. It was newly installed, and we lived just a short 25 minutes outside of Washington. My parents were always keen on trips to museums and memorials. I was still in high school and thought much about the loss of lives presented on the wall, rather than the those that came back alive, often damaged mentally and/or physically.
Because I’ve read so much historical fiction, I’ve got a much better understanding of this war and its ramifications on our country. In this novel, the author amazingly brings the reader to the front lines of being a nurse during active duty. There are cringe worthy moments in the medical tents, tragic losses and lifelong forever cemented friendships that were made.
The pacing was on point and never did I feel that the book, at 480 pages, was dragging. I was riveted from start to finish as our MC, Frances (Frankie) McGrath, decides she wants to do more than take vitals at a hospital after nursing school. She wants to be a hero like her bff and brother was. I don’t think Frankie would or could expect the conditions and situations she found herself in. Nor did she realize the grit and courage she, herself, encompassed.
The last part of the book focused more on the return of the soldiers and the cruelty they experienced upon their return. The fact that no one believed Frankie was in the war because she was a woman drove me mad. Frankie, as many others did, suffered from PTSD, addiction, and grief. There is so much to dive into regarding this book but I think the best thing to do is just read it. I highly recommend! If you enjoy it, I also recommend, The World Played Chess by Robert Dugoni.
Quotes I liked:
Thank God for girlfriends. In this crazy, chaotic, divided world that was run by men, you could count on the women.”
“Words were creators of worlds; you had to be careful with them.”
“He was giving her that look—she knew it now—sadness wrapped in compassion, wrapped in understanding.”
“Maybe happy now, happy for a moment, is all we really get. Happy forever seems a shitload to ask in a world on fire.”
“Love mattered in this ruined world, but so did honor. What was one without the other?”
I have really liked most of Kristin Hannah’s books. However, I think The Women is her best. It is obvious that she spent a great deal of effort to make sure that the story is accurate. After reading The Women, I went back and listened to the memoir Healing Wounds that Kristin Hannah made reference to at the end of The Women. It gave me additional insight to this extremely well written book.
Good to know. I’ll check out Healing Wounds. Thanks for the follow-up.