The Women: A Novel

· St. Martin's Press
4.8
184 reviews
eBook
464
Pages
Eligible
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About this eBook

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.

Ratings and reviews

4.8
184 reviews
Amanda Gardner
14 March 2024
I love how Kristin Hannah is able to transport you back in time and halfway across the world to the Vietnam War in this book. I love how it highlights what went on in Vietnam during the war and how it was for veterans when they came back home. I can't believe the way veterans were treated at that time, and the women of Vietnam weren't even acknowledged. This book was eye opening for me because I didn't really know much about the war, but now I want to learn more about it...especially the women involved. Another incredible historical fiction novel by Hannah that grabs your heartstrings and brings awareness to a forgotten time. Loved it!
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Melissa King
21 May 2024
Wow! Seriously. Wow! My Dad was POW in Vietnam, was captured during the Tet Offensive & spent time at the Hanoi Hilton. Both my grandmothers were combat nurses during Vietnam & my Dad's Mom worked for The League of POW/MIA Families after her return. I understand so much more now 😭 My Mom read this book 1st, then my Dad & now I have. My Dad says that Kristin Hannah's descriptions of places he's been were "extraordinarily accurate" & how she wrote the war & the aftermath, when they returned was "excruciatingly well written". He said the book was hard to read at times due to painful memories but also very healing. It was the best of times & the worst of times. I feel like this book was written for me, but im not narcissist enough to "actually" believe that, but I needed this book more than I will ever realize. Her characters were heartbreakingly real & I felt every word & every painfully real moment. I've never cried so much from a book & even after finishing a book. Bravo 👏
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darrellyn stitt
4 May 2024
what a broken world we have. This country needs to be run by women. Compassion and an overall love and respect for each individuals right to life. Politicians are not to be trusted. This book has made me sad and angry at their want for power and greed. Despicable really. This was a war we had no business being in and the resulting loss of life and horrendous injuries suffered by both our boys and women and the Vietnamese people is so very wrong. I wanted to put this book down and not read anymore because of the disgust I felt for our so called leaders but I had to believe it was going to get better and I had to read it. A great book that made me sick to my stomach. How can anyone trust the Government to look after us. NO...JUST NO!!!
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About the author

KRISTIN HANNAH is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty novels, including The Four Winds, The Nightingale and The Great Alone. A former lawyer turned writer, she lives with her husband in the Pacific Northwest.

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