Name: Jacqui Spears's review of The Women by Kristin Hannah
Item: The Women
Rating: 3
Author: Jacqui Spears

Kristin Hannah

"When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances "Frankie" McGrath hears these unexpected words, it is a revelation. Raised on 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 choice for her life. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she impulsively joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path. As green and inexperienced as the 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 and politically divided America."--

A Novel

The Women

Women are often forgotten in history, but they deserve to tell their story to. Women were in Vietnam and suffered too

Mary Carmona

The women had a story to tell, even if the world wasn’t quite yet ready to hear it, and their story began with three simple words.

Jamie moved toward her, stumbled; she reached out to steady him. “I’ve got you,” she said, her words echoing his from long ago. There was so much to say to him, words she’d gathered and stored in her memories, dreamed of saying, but there would be time for that, time for them. Today, just being here, holding his hand, was enough. More than enough.

She gazed up at him. On his face, she saw all that he’d been through: the jagged jawline scar, the pucker of skin along one ear, the sadness in his eyes. His blond hair was long now, threaded with gray, a reminder that they’d been young once together, but weren’t anymore, that there were scars on both of them. Wounds that remained, seen and unseen.

“God, I’ve missed you,” he said in a cracked, scratchy voice.

“I’ve missed you, too,” Frankie said. “You could have found me.”

“I wasn’t ready. It’s been rough. Healing.”

“Yeah,” Frankie said. “For me, too.”

“But we’re here now,” he said. “You and me, McGrath. Finally.”

He gave her a smile that made her feel young again. For a moment, time fell away; they were Frankie and Jamie again, walking through camp, keeping each other upright, sharing their lives, laughing and crying together, loving each other.

“She followed the line of names, looking for Jameson Callahan—

He stood in front of her. Tall and gray-haired, with a jagged scar along one side of his face and a pants leg that ruffled against a prosthetic.

He pulled her into his arms, whispering, “McGrath,” again, into her ear.

Just that, being called McGrath again, hearing his voice, feeling his breath on her neck, sent her back to the O Club, beaded curtain clattering, the Beatles singing, Jamie asking her to dance. “Jamie,” she whispered. “How—”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small gray stone that read:

The stone she’d been given by the young Vietnamese boy in the orphanage, and which she’d slipped into Jamie’s duffel bag. “It was a hellhole over there and worse when we got home,” he said quietly, “but you got me through it, McGrath. Remembering you got me through.”

“I died lots of times,” he said. “They kept dragging me back. I was in bad shape for a long time. My injuries … Christ, look at me…”

“You are still as handsome as ever,” Frankie said, unable to look away.

“You think I feel guilty for urging my son to go to war? I do. It’s a thing I live with.” He swallowed hard. “But I feel more guilt about how I treated my daughter when she came home.”

Frankie drew in a sharp breath. How long had she waited to hear those words from him?

“You’re the hero, aren’t you, Frankie?”

Tears blurred her vision. “I don’t know about a hero, Dad, but I served my country. Yeah.”

“I love you, Peanut,” he said in a rough voice. “And I’m sorry.”

Peanut. God, he hadn’t called her that in years.

Someone else stepped up to the podium. A grizzled, old-before-his-time vet in stained fatigues. “Thank you for finally remembering us.”

Frankie blinked awake. She was in an ambulance, with her father sitting beside her. Water dripped from his hair and clothes.

It came back to her in a sickening rush, what she’d done. Shame compressed her into the smallest version of herself. All she’d wanted was to disappear, not … something else.

“I wasn’t trying to … I didn’t mean…” She couldn’t say the words. “It was a dream. I thought Finley was here. I followed him.”

“It’s those pills,” he said in a voice she barely recognized. “Your mother never should have given them to you. You took too many.”

“It’s too late for that, Frankie. We’re afraid…”

She wanted to disagree, to tell him that he would never lose her, that she was fine, but for once, she couldn’t say the words, couldn’t soldier on.

“Why am I in an ambulance? I’m fine now. I’ll be good. I promise.”

Dad looked uncomfortable, embarrassed. Worse, he looked afraid.

The ambulance came to a stop. The attendant jumped out, opened the back door. Frankie saw the words PSYCHIATRIC WARD.

She shook her head, tried to sit up, found that she was bound to the bed at her wrists and feet. “No, please…”

“Thirty-six hours,” Dad said. “A mandatory hold after a suicide attempt. They promised it would help you.”

She crossed the empty street and stepped onto the cold sand. “Finley! Wait up!”

She tried to catch up with him, but her legs wouldn’t cooperate. She felt weighed down, exhausted.

The water was so cold it shocked her, made her gasp; still, she splashed toward the incoming surf, jumped on her board, and paddled out.

She paddled weakly over the swells, made it out to the calm water, lay on her board, panting from exertion. She was shivering with cold, and confused. “Fin?”

He didn’t answer. There was just the lapping sound of the incoming swell set, the smack of her board when it hit back down.

She wanted to sit up and look for Finley, but she was too weak. How many pills had she taken?

She shouldn’t be here. She should go back.

But she was tired. Bone-tired. And the cold began to feel good. She could just roll over, sink into the cold sea, and disappear.

Someone cranked up the music. Behind her, the doors banged open.

Frankie felt herself being picked up, spun around.

“Sorry I’m late, babe.” Rye grinned, tilted back his black Seawolves cap. “Traffic was a bitch.”

The music changed to “Born to Be Wild,” and people started pushing chairs aside.

Frankie grabbed Rye’s hand and pulled him onto the makeshift dance floor.

“You sure you want to dance with me in public?” he teased.

“I’m the one with two left feet,” she said, smiling up at him.

“Just tell me you love me. We’ll make it through and go home together.”

He stared at her, looking sad and afraid and proud and still a little angry. “There’s no getting rid of me now, McGrath. I guess I’ll have to re-up, too. I’m not leaving my girl over here without me.”

“They stared at each other, neither speaking for a moment, then Rye leaned forward slowly, his gaze questioning. “May I kiss you, Frankie?” 

She waited for him to reach under her dress or kiss down her throat, to push for more the way the boys she knew had always done, but he didn’t. He seemed content to kiss her deeply, bringing her closer to some edge she hadn’t known existed that left her dizzy with desire, and still he was a gentleman.

“Kentucky, ma’am. Land of bourbon and good-lookin’ men.”

He laughed. “I’m glad to represent, ma’am.”

“She wrote You fight on one side of the stone and McGrath on the other. She slipped it into his duffel bag.

She leaned over and kissed his bandaged cheek, felt the heat of his fever, and whispered, “I love you, Jamie.”

“If only I’d met you first,” he said.

“You wouldn’t have looked twice at me. Big college football star and soon-to-be surgeon.”

He touched her cheek in a swift caress. Her skin felt colder without his touch. “You have no idea how beautiful you are, McGrath.”

“You will be when I get done with you. Scout’s honor.”

“Hell, no. I still can’t figure out what I’m doing here. Too much debt and too many war stories, I think. My dad told me I was a fool. But here I am and here I’ll be for another seven months. I need a kick-ass nurse at my side.”

“The point is this. Did you come to this hellhole to change bandages or to save lives?”

“Well. I don’t think that’s quite fair, sir.”

“Jamie,” he said. “For God’s sake, McGrath. Jamie.”

“What kind of host would I be if I shoved you out of your own party because of a little mortar attack? I’m Jamie Callahan. Chest cutter. From Jackson Hole. Just look at me, McGrath. Close out the rest.”

Frankie tried to focus on her breathing, on his kind, sad blue eyes, tried to pretend she wasn’t terrified. “You’re a d-doctor?” she made herself say.

He smiled, and it showed her at last that he was young, or at least not old. Maybe thirty. “Yep. Ward Five. Surgical.” He leaned close. “Maybe you’ll work under me.”

She heard the sexy slur of his voice and smelled the alcohol and marijuana on his breath and the strange, shifting, exploding world righted for a moment, became as familiar as a doctor hitting on a nurse. “My dad warned me about guys like you.”

“That’s it,” Jamie said with a smile, but something about it was wrong, as if maybe he’d been scared, too.”

“I’m hiding from the party,” she said. “I don’t feel much like celebrating, it seems.”

He left the door open behind him. “I was doing the same thing, I guess. You probably don’t remember me—”

“Joseph Ryerson Walsh; goes by Rye. Like the whiskey,” Frankie said, trying to smile. It was how he’d introduced himself to her last summer.

Atika R

Abigail F

From now on, all of them would have a deep understandin of both man's cruelty and his heroism.

… as a woman, she knew how fragile dreams were…

Love mattered in this ruined world, but so did honor. What was one without the other?

I imagine it would feel wonderful to be good at something that mattered. That is something that  too many of the women of my generation didn’t consider.

Jamie Griffin

In Kristin Hannah style, this is a heavy one. The middle part, which focused on Frankie’s post-war suffering, could have been about 30% shorter, though Hannah definitely drilled in the struggles of a Vietnam vet with PTSD. An important perspective on the forgotten women in Nam.

Jacqui Spears

This book has been my best read this year thus far. It broke my heart open many times. Frankie's life was so deeply layered and intertwined with so many complex situations. All the best books are the ones that ruin you in some way. This is one for me. Beautifully written with heart shattering content.

Tomika Lou

I liked the second part best, sue me! But it was all good and it reminds me how much I love my friends

Miranda Hall

My favorite Kristin Hannah book to date. She’s at the top of her craft here. The Women is a powerful story of the nurses who served their country in Vietnam told through the eyes of Frankie McGrath with support from her close friends and fellow nurses Barb and Ethel. At first, when the book was about halfway over and Frankie returned home from Vietnam when her military service was over, I wondered how the rest of the novel would go, if it would slow down. Not at all. The second half is just as powerful and indeed painful. It tells of Frankie’s struggles in assimilating back into a country that not only rejects her but tries to diminish her service. What results is a long, painful healing process as well as a character study. This was so well done and the pacing, writing and (thankfully) editing were all on point. Hannah’s best work to date. The settings were truly wonderful as were the supporting cast. Frankie was a phenomenal character. I can’t think of a single complaint.

Amanda

I was reading this for a book club. I think I would have put it down around 30% of the way through otherwise and I think I should have. 

There were some beautiful passages and really important lessons, and SOME people would love this. But by god did the middle 40% go slowly and by god was the last 30% utterly ridiculous 

Hannah Bateman

I was reading this for a book club. I think I would have put it down around 30% of the way through otherwise and I think I should have. 

There were some beautiful passages and really important lessons, and SOME people would love this. But by god did the middle 40% go slowly and by god was the last 30% utterly ridiculous 

Another great read from Kristin Hannah. I appreciate how she approaches such heavy topics with meaning and intention. I enjoyed the story but felt that it was a little far fetched to have both of her lovers “come back from the dead”. The middle third dragged a little bit for me but it all wrapped up very nicely.

Paige Paul

Good storyline but didn’t get drawn into the characters and story 

Maria talarico 

i totally understand the hype. i actually loved the ending and thought the exploration of PTSD/addiction/tramua/treatment of female women Vietnam veterans was soo interesting. 

 the author would have presented a more nuanced portrayal of her experiences in Vietnam. We don't even get to know the name of a single Vietnamese person... we just see them as passive, unmotivated, perfect victims who all wear ao dai's (everywhere?) 

Jordan Chan 

i totally understand the hype. i actually loved the ending and thought the exploration of PTSD/addiction/tramua/treatment of female women Vietnam veterans was soo interesting. 

i just wish the author would have presented a more nuanced portrayal of her experiences in Vietnam. We don't even get to know the name of a single Vietnamese person... we just see them as passive, unmotivated, perfect victims who all wear ao dai's (everywhere?) 

Took awhile to get through but great read. Still thinking about it weeks later. 

Madilyn Taylor

Thank God for girlfriends. In this crazy, chaotic, divided world that was run by men, you could count on the women.

This book has broken my heart and destroyed my life because I just wanted to read it all of my free time. It is about 10K US women stationed in Vietnam, mostly as nurses, and they had to give multiple fights after coming home to the US, starting with a recognition as a veteran. I’m so glad that I read it.

Bilge Ince

Thank God for girlfriends. In this crazy, chaotic, divided world that was run by men, you could count on the women.

This book has broken my heart and destroyed my life because I just wanted to read it all of my free time. It is about 10K US women stationed in Vietnam, mostly as nurses, and they had to give multiple fights after coming home to the US, starting with a recognition as a veteran. I’m so glad that I read it.

Absolutely heartbreaking. Story of a woman and her journey as a nurse in Vietnam followed by the unwelcome return home and the struggle that came with that. Truly encapsulates what I imagine was PTSD before it was recognized as a thing. It brought me to tears feeling her frustration. 

Amanda 

I just loved this book. Determination. Defeat. Love. Love lost. Love found. Vietnam was no joke. But life went on. 

Jeannie Gallagher

Emily Lucie

Fantastic book. I was taken on a journey to Vietnam. Heart wrenching reflection at times. Very well written 

Joanna Tweedale

I won’t lie, going into this book I was very skeptical. Too many people had said it was the best book they’ve read by her and I didn’t know what to expect. What I did know? Was that I was excited to read a historical fiction book that wasn’t about World War 2. Do I think it’s the best book I’ve ever read? No. But it was refreshing. It was encapsulating. I think the reason it’s so resonating to so many women who have been so enamored by it is because we can all see a piece of ourselves in the main character. We all have gone through the pain and hardships that come with being a woman. We’ve all been cast aside at some point in our lives because we live in a man’s world. I think that alone is what takes this book from being a good book to a great book. This was a beautiful way to tell a story that is so often pushed aside. A refreshing viewpoint to a piece of war that everyone, women included, sometimes neglect to remember. 

Kaitlyn R

Good quality historical fiction... Medium ending. 

Gordon McArthur

Another brilliant heart wrenching story from Kristin Hannah.

emily  amata

Great book! It’s definitely slow paced until the end but worth the read. Made me feel all the emotions possible! Frustrated, sad, joyful, proud to be a woman, etc. 

Alicia Evans

Very slow paced historical fiction are usually not my go to books, but this is definitely one that I believe everyone should read once in their lifetime. Our veterans’ sacrifices deserve to be remembered and honored. Makes you realize how grateful we need to be for what we have and the freedom we constantly take for granted.

Sasha

The story of Frankie’s experience servings as a nurse in the Vietnam war and the difficult return to life as a civilian, in an America where most were against the war, and even more believed there were no women there. Through this book I not only learned more about the Vietnam War, but also learned greater empathy for our veterans. Such a big fan of Kristin Hannah and her work. 

Kaitlyn Wendler

Amelia C 

Wow! What a book! What a journey. What an important and complex story. The Vietnam war was senseless and devastating, and this book was a tender account of the pain and suffering of the Vietnam war veterans but especially the women. Don’t let anyone tell you there weren’t women in Vietnam! They have tried to erase them and their stories but alas! They persisted. 
Kristin Hannah knows how to grab a hold of our hearts and not let go till well after the last word of the last page. Easiest 5 star ever!

loved this. an important story and one that was told so well.

Megan Helberg Keiser

kenzie

❤︎ NETGALLEY REVIEW ❤︎

thank you to netgalley, st. martin’s press and kristin hannah for this arc for free in exchange for an honest review. 

this novel is about the women who went to vietnam in different roles to help the troops, it was written very well ; i really felt frankie’s fear, love and her heartbreak while reading this. kristin hannah did such a great job by showing the way that vets (nurses and troops) struggled with ptsd, addiction, thoughts of suicide, depression and betrayal when coming home from vietnam war. i highly recommend putting this in your tbr, the book releases february 6th, 2024.

I honestly don't know what to say about this book other than its unforgettable and beautifully written

A story about war, death, heroism, friendship, trauma and lost.

Samantha King

Woman can be heroes too. 

I honestly don't know what to say about this book other than its unforgettable and beautifully written

A story about war, death, heroism, friendship, trauma and lost.



Jamie Griffin &
The Women by Kristin Hannah

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Jamie Griffin &The Women by Kristin Hannah

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Jamie Griffin &
The Women by Kristin Hannah