I love Kristin Hannah’s books, so I was excited to see that she had another one coming out last winter. But everyone, and I mean everyone, was reading this novel and gushing about it. People were saying it the best book they ever read. They cried. It was unforgettable. Best book of the year. So I did what I often do – I stayed away. It is inevitable that when everyone loves a book, I can’t stand it, and I’m left feeling like I missed something.
So imagine my delight when I started reading this novel in September and truly enjoyed it! What a read! I loved the character of Frankie so much. I thought the depictions of wartime life were incredible. I don’t have much memory of the Vietnam War, except that it was on television news a lot and very scary to me as a young child. Kristin Hannah tells a story of strong women who made a difference, based on their courage and fortitude. It was a unique and important viewpoint to share.
Wonderful read and highly recommended! Thank you for my copy!
Description
A #1 bestseller on The New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times!
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.
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