The Women: A Novel | 
“Life was like that, she guessed; it was all wrong until suddenly it was right, and you didn‘t really know how to react in either instance.”
The lives of American nurses serving in Vietnam 🇻🇳 was often a #RockyRoad😢
#JuneSpecials
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
pickDidn‘t particularly like the protagonist at the beginning, I found her a little annoying if I‘m honest. Warmed to her as the book went on. Kristin is never afraid of writing about strong women and this one is no exception. Raw, honest account of a woman‘s war and struggles with PTSD. #pick #thewomen
1. Yes... please don't make me count how many hundreds 🤷♀️
2. Tagged- so good!!
Thanks @TheSpineView @Kshakal #two4tuesday
pickGiving women their due, Kristin Hannah explores the life of women serving as nurses both during the Vietnam War and the aftermath.
There were moments where I felt a lack of subtlety when it came to the historic high points of the story, but overall, a moving and compelling read with some surprising twists along the way.
so-soBig feelings about this one. I loved the scenes in Vietnam, and the descriptions felt so real to me. But once the main character, Frankie, returned home, I found her love stories to be melodramatic and exhausting. I felt like she was constantly taking from her friends Barb & Ethel. I do think the picture of PSTD & addiction were heartbreaking & realistic, but it was all just so exhausting. I couldn‘t stand the character and her innate selfishness.
pickAbsolutely loved this book. It made so angry sometimes, but the story was so good.
so-soAfter her brother‘s death, Frances decides to join the Army & serve as a nurse in the Vietnam war. She discovers a camaraderie w/ the other nurses that she needs when they return from war.
I get the hype, but it didn‘t land completely for me. Frankie‘s struggles are real, & the stories of service members returning from war to a lack of support or outright hatred need to be told. But I think this would have been stronger as a multi POV. 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑
1. Well I loved book 3 and 5 of the ACOTAR series but tagged might take the lead!
2. None so far this year!
Thanks @TheSpineView @Kshakal #wondrouswednesday @Eggs
pickWow! What an expansive, heartbreaking, informative, and thoughtful story. Immersing you in the story of a young nurse who goes to Vietnam to honor her brother and serve her country, it explores what veterans of this terrible war went through overseas and when they returned home. The unique POV of an army nurse was powerful and while it is tough to get through, I‘m so thankful to have read it. Amazing on #audio by Julia Whelan. Highly recommend!
While reading about the nurses who served and how they weren‘t seen afterwards was worth the read, I anticipated everything that happened.
pickThis historical fiction uses a different perspective in describing the horrors of war, a young, sheltered woman from California. Frances McGrath enlists in the army to serve in Vietnam War with heroic notions of serving with her older brother. She learns quickly of life and death, fear, friendship and love. The story continues as she returns home to face internal trauma and an unwelcoming family and country. Prepare for tears.
Smaller group this go round for Book Club - but average was around around an 8 out of 10 for the tagged book. (I gave it a 6 🤷🏻♀️.)
Maybe happy now, happy for a moment, is all we really get. Happy forever seems a shitload to ask in a world on fire 🪖🚁🇺🇸
pickI had mixed feelings about parts of the plot, but I have a lot of respect for the topic. Overall, I'd give it four stars for making me think of the women who served in the Vietnam war.
Have reached the halfway point in the tagged book and feeling…indifferent?
I get why so many people like this author because she really paints an evocative picture but in terms of plot…it just feels soapy? I think I want it to feel denser.
Points for the focus on the hardworking women during the horrors of the Vietnam War. I wish that was more the overall focus rather than the flimsy love stories.
panI'm going to an IRL book club meeting for this book soon. My 1st time at a book club in almost 7 years (since I sold my bookstore) & the 1st time I'll be at a book club & not leading the meeting. I really wish I'd liked the book more! The 1st part was like Cherry Ames Goes to Vietnam, then there were far too many romances & the plot twists...good lord. I felt like it went on far too long. And what's with the cover art cribbing from Miss Saigon?
so-soMixed feelings on The Women:
Pro- readable, I learned a bit about the Vietnam War, book club attendees love Kristin Hannah, lots to discuss
Con- melodramatic, over-the-top/too much happens to one individual
So, in all, a mixed bag. I see why Hannah is so popular and I honestly don‘t dislike it, but she‘s not an author I would pick up on my own. Spoiler in comments ⬇️
Shifting gears and queuing this up - my next in person book club pick and my first Kristin Hannah novel. So many friends wax so poetic about her writing.
I think I‘m ready to cry. Wow me, Kristin! 😅
so-soI‘m a hater for this but I only liked this book a little. I wanted more of the army nursing story and got tired of all the plot twists at the end. I‘m also a hater because I just want Kristin Hannah to write a book set in Washington State, a girl can dream.
“Thank God for girlfriends. In this crazy, chaotic, divided world that was run by men, you could count on the women.”
#March2025
pick5✨ It took me a while to sit down and really digest all that this book had to offer. We follow a grieving sister as she follows her late brother to the Vietnam war front. As a nurse she sees her fair share of the violence as she tries to encourage and save the men in her care. Making friends, falling in love, and coming home broken are all part of the heart wrenching pages of a book that tears your heart out repeatedly and you keep coming back…
pickThis novel is full of heartbreaking historical fiction based on the experiences of a young nurse and her peers during the Vietnam War. The characters all had battles they faced while serving in country and more when they returned. The unpopular war was difficult for all the soldiers and those back at home. Returning to the US was difficult. PTSD was a huge part of daily life for many. This book touched me in all ways. 4.75/5
Big month! I get to pick a free birthday book and a free one from the top 5 of 2024 in addition to my monthly pick. Woo hoo! #BOTM
I already own the hardback. But this was far too gorgeous to leave in the bookshop 😍😍😍
panI was wary of reading this, having had issues with other Hannah novels. But the premise pulled me in, especially since it felt so reminiscent of a play I was in during college (A Piece of My Heart).
I wish I‘d skipped it. A bad soap opera masquerading as historical fiction, it forfeited the depth & nuance the topic deserved in favor of cheap & tawdry “twists.”
I know she‘s a popular author, but I just can‘t take the melodrama.
Omg I‘m broken now. This book broke my heart, I actually borrowed it from the library just to read the end, I‘ve been listening to it on audible. So beautiful. So tragic.
I‘m listening to this on audible whenever I‘m in the car. I‘ve sat in a LOT of parking lots 🤣 I still have 5 hours to go, and I‘m worried about the ending 🤣 this girl cannot catch a break, she needs a shrink to help her with her ptsd, and she has the worst luck with men! Her parents also suck. Everyone sucks. Ugh! It‘s so good
I borrowed this book from the library and I waited for months to get it. But now I‘m not in the right frame of mind to listen to this story. This is not a review of me saying that I bailed. I didn‘t make it very far in this book at all before realizing that I‘m looking for something lighter. I‘m just returning it to the library and I‘ll borrow it again later when I‘m in a different frame of mind. However, if anyone is interested in (cont)⬇️
pickI loved this book so much. I cried while reading the book. The characters were amazing. I rated this book a 5 out of 5 stars.
I showed up for a prescription just after they closed for lunch 🙄 so now I‘m waiting in line after sitting in the parking lot for 30 minutes 🤣 this book is killing me
pickI had mixed feelings about this book, but I‘m glad I read it. Definitely recommended, but with some reservations!
pickThe first third of this book, I wasn‘t convinced. I felt it was trying to ram too many “stating the obvious” lines of prose in there and didn‘t give the reader room to explore. But about halfway it takes such a deep, human experience to a new level and has a profound and meaningful purpose. Although not as strong as The Nightingales, this is still a story that deserves to be told and a great read.
pickThis novel chronicles the life of Frankie McGrath, from a young woman with dreams to a combat nurse in the Vietnam War, and then navigating the aftermath of war. It sheds light on the often overlooked experiences of women who served in Vietnam and the shameful way veterans were treated upon their return. Hannah captures the complexity of a tumultuous era while offering a deep exploration of resilience, trauma, and healing. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 ❤️📚
pickTruthfully when I first started this I was a bit meh, but it grew on me and by the end I was sobbing. I‘m glad the nurses of Vietnam‘s story has been told, I can‘t even imagine how brave and strong you‘d have to be to finally ask for help and then be dismissed
pickThe subject matter is important and riveting. I learned a lot about women‘s unheralded service in Vietnam. It is absolutely a story worth reading. The combat nursing events in Vietnam field hospitals were the most compelling by far. The romantic elements came off too cheesy and the general tone was a tad too melodramatic for me. I think Hannah‘s style is just not quite my vibe. Julia Whelan‘s narration is top notch. I‘m glad I listened to it.
so-so9-12 Jan 25 (audiobook)
It would be dishonest to pan this: I listened voraciously and wanted to find out what happened to Frankie. But Hannah‘s books are not for me. She throws obstacle after (predictable) obstacle at her heroine before coming to the also predictable happy ending. Reminds me of other bestselling writers such as Bryce Courtenay.
I did appreciate the prompt to think more about nurses in war and the role of women in Vietnam.
“…however she healed, it would fall on her to do the heavy lifting. Her friends could be there for her, help her stand, but she had to walk alone.”
I had to pull myself out of a pit after suffering a loss. As much as our friends can help, we have to do the hard work ourselves. And it is very lonely.
I‘m happy to have a sweet reading buddy while reading such an emotionally resonant book. Grounds me back in the present and reality. ❤️📚❤️🩹🐾
#12Booksof2024 Day 6
My favorite book of June was The Women, which I read with my IRL book club.
@Andrew65
My favorite read in March. It was a slow month for me. But this book was fantastic.
#12BooksOf2024 @Andrew65
An easy clear winner for my favourite book in February in the #12Booksof2024.
The Women by Kristin Hannah was an excellent book, and possibly my favourite book of 2024.
Notable Mentions : The Mind of a Murderer by Michael Wood, Blood Lines by Angela Marsons
pick#12Booksof2024 #TheWoman #KristinHannah #January2024
The Women by Kristin Hannah ***** 1/29/2024
Frankie McGrath chose to follow her brother, Finley, and joined the Army Nurse Corps and followed his path into the Vietnam War. Frankie is overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. The real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America, to angry protesters, and a country that wants to forget Vietnam
