Review: The Women

The Women by Kristin Hannah

Goodreads/Amazon 

Synopsis:
'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.

The Women is the story of one woman who goes to war, but it shines a light on the story of all women who put themselves in harm's way to help others. Women whose sacrifice and commitment to their country has been all too often forgotten. A novel of searing insight and lyrical beauty, The Women is a profoundly emotional, richly drawn story with a memorable heroine whose extraordinary idealism and courage under fire define an era.

My Review:

The Women by Kristin Hannah is an epic, sprawling read about a long-forgotten and ignored group: the women who served in Vietnam. I always looked forward to reading this book before bed, even through its most heartbreaking moments and tragedies. It’s time these women had their stories told.

Frankie is an excellent protagonist. She’s not perfect, but she is deeply admirable. She longs to make her brother and father proud and is driven by a genuine desire to make a difference. As a result of her dreams to be a hero, she and the other nurses become witnesses to constant injury and death. They face relentless stress, long shifts spent trying to save as many lives as possible, and constant fear of bombings. 

The descriptions of the war in Vietnam are truly terrifying. The injuries and suffering endured by soldiers, medical staff, and the local Vietnamese people are eye-opening and unflinching.

Even so, the aftermath of returning home in some ways proves even harder for Frankie. She grapples with PTSD, faces the wrath and scorn of protesters, and slowly comes to realise herself that the war must end, eventually joining anti-war efforts. As always with Kristin Hannah, there’s a welcome dash of romance and moments of warmth, even during the darkest times.

Overall, I would not hesitate to recommend this historical novel to anyone. It immerses the reader in the difficult lives of the women who served in Vietnam — and the even more inhospitable world they return to in the United States.