The Women

Kristin Hannah

This is one of my anticipated reads of the year and I am not disappointed!! What a fantastic book this is. I gave it a 5⭐️ rating but I wish I could give more. Hannah’s writing is a beautiful and accurate historical fiction based in the 1960s, 70s and 80s. The women of this book are the ones that served during the Vietnam War in country. The story follows Francis or Frankie a young woman who joins the army medical corps as an RN, to be close to her brother Finley. Once in country she meets her hooch mates Ethel and Betty all of who are in a mobile medical unit. Their relationship grows stronger and lasts years past the war. Frankie falls in love twice but fate never plays fair. Frankie also witnesses catastrophic injuries and death daily. On return home instead of being greeted with open arms she is confronted with the reality of a country that was not grateful for her service. Frankie faces flashbacks, nightmares and the aftermath of her service. Some tropes of the story include love loss, alcohol and drug addiction, PTSD, and found family. The story keeps you guessing and will shock you. Life was not easy for our returning veterans and some weren’t even recognized. I listened to this on audiobook, Julia Whelan does a fantastic narration of the story. I highly recommend this book and will be listening to it again.