Wow! Kristin Hannah put her foot in this one! Not only was the book engaging from beginning, but it was also very moving and complex from many perspectives, just like women. We get love, disappointments, family drama, Pain, loss and the terrible effects of war for humans. Second and third chances and most of all, friendship.
The Women, introduces Frankie as a privileged young woman, at her brother’s goodbye party before he is deployed to Vietnam. Her family is very proud, especially her dad, that is where she gets the idea that women too can be heroes and serve their country. After nursing school, she still wonders how she can do more. She enlists as an army nurse. In those days, women in the armed forces were not accepted, and her family were not any different. Not long after, she receives the worst news on her brother, and everything goes from bad to worse. But she can’t turn back now.
In Vietnam, Frankie makes life long friendships and falls in love. She lives through the worst and best times of her life and we go through it all with her. Then, she is back home and through her eyes, we get to experience what Vietnam veterans went through.
This book is a wild emotional ride, and towards the end, when I thought I would escape without shedding a tear, Frankie’s mom finally mourns and honors her son at the Vietnam Washington memorial, that made it personal.
What a ride! Please put this book on your TBR for 2024. If you’ve read it, make sure you recommend it to everyone. The Women is everything we expect from a great book.