The Women by Kristin Hannah

Format: Paperback, 476 pages

Published: May 1, 2026 by Pan Books

Historical fiction/own

I liked that I read this one, but at the same time I do not think I will read any more of her books. It felt simplistic. It felt like one of those translated books where you feel something was lost.

Still good though! It made me cry! It made me MAD!

Frances signs up to be a nurse in Nam. Her brother is killed. War is hell! She finds good friends. She lives her life the best she can. And she realise she is good at this.

But that was war. This is also about coming home and this is what made me mad. Yes the war was bad, but people spitting on her!? She was trying to save lives! And that is not the worst part. She has some serious ptsd. But there were no women in Vietnam so she is fine. Arghh!

I liked this book. It was an easy read about a difficult subject.

Their friendship changed lives. Their bravery changed history.

'Women can be heroes, too'. When twenty-year-old nursing student, Frances "Frankie" McGrath, hears these unexpected words, it is a revelation. Raised on California's idyllic Coronado Island and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing, being a good girl. But in 1965 the world is changing, and she suddenly imagines a different path for her life. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she impulsively joins the Army Nurses Corps and follows his path.

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.