“In this crazy, chaotic, divided world that was run by men, you could count on the women.” (Kristin Hannah, The Women)

Kristin Hannah’s The Women is a profound and beautiful piece of literature. I have been a huge fan of Hannah for a long time, particularly her historical fiction. I was so excited to find out about her newest book being published. Hannah writes about the forgotten stories of history, usually telling perspectives of women who played equally important roles to men yet were not celebrated for it, whether it be in World War II Vichy France, the Dust Bowl, or in this case: the War in Vietnam. 

Summary:

The Women follows Frances “Frankie” McGrath as she, though young and with little experience, follows her older brother into the Vietnam War as a nurse in the United States Army Nurse Corps for treating injured American soldiers. Initially overwhelmed by the chaos and terror she witnesses in Vietnam, Frankie eventually adjusts and adapts to make lifelong friends and have impactful experiences in her time in Vietnam. She comes back to a divided America that is discriminatory to her, despite her tireless service in the war. Even though there are avenues to supposedly help Vietnam veterans with mental health issues like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and dealing with discrimination, Frankie cannot be helped simply because she is a woman. Her time in Vietnam is not even considered to be real because there is no way a woman could possibly serve and work in the depths of war like her male counterparts. Frankie struggles to adjust in Vietnam, but struggles even more to return to her life in the United States. She is forever changed, perpetually broken, and cannot be healed because there is no one there to recognize her work or sacrifices. Still, she continues to strive for survival, despite setbacks and obstacles, and tries to make her experiences heard and validated–even to those who refuse to listen. 

Review:

This book was fantastic. Hannah is a master at weaving forgotten stories into the bigger picture of historical events. As we read through the chapters of The Women, it is as if we are standing right next to Frankie as she treats Vietnamese children in villages scarred by war and as she drowns deeper and deeper into the mental effects of the war after she returns back to the United States. Hannah recreates the Vietnam War and the America of that time so intensely and beautifully that it is like you are actually stepping into another world and time of our history. Whether it is the struggles and miseries of the combat hospital where Frankie works, or the worldliness that Frankie gains after her experiences in Vietnam that erase her previous naivety making her frustrated to the American oblivion of the horrors of the war, Hannah takes the reader through each and every emotion Frankie experiences, making the novel as much a journey for us as it is for Frankie. The Women, though not my favorite of Hannah’s novels (The Nightingale will always be number one!), has still reaffirmed my belief that she is a genius when it comes to historical fiction. If you read this book and enjoyed it, I would also recommend The Nightingale, The Four Winds, The Home Front, and The Great Alone–all incredible and beautifully written novels by this wonderful author.

I would give this book: 📚📚📚📚📖- a wonderful, tear-inducing novel

Lots of Love and Happy Reading,

Neerja