The Women

The Women - A Novel
by Kristin Hannah
published February 6, 2024 by St. Martin’s Press
genre: historical fiction

What a well written historically aware novel!! I so appreciated getting both sides of the reporting about Vietnam somewhat in tandem
— what bull**** the American people were fed compared to what happened in real time on the ground! The author, Kristen Hannah, does not glorify or sugarcoat the realities of war! Instead she writes in such a way that pulls the reader into the complexities and nuance of what takes place. She demonstrates the internal struggle and the ramifications of covering up or gaslighting the pain of the protagonist — Frankie McGrath. Hannah highlights the misogyny masked as normal at all levels of society. Truly, it’s been the air we’ve breathed and the water we’ve drunk for so long it feels as if it’s in our DNA.

Anyway, The Women is about the women who were primarily nurses stationed in Vietnam 1965-1974 -ish and the behind the scenes stories that took those women there, kept them there, brought them home, and followed them into the nights and lives post their return.

Hannah, once again, has crafted a human story into an historical time in such a brilliant way that one cannot help but see more clearly, or the first time, for some, this tragic era.

This novel also highlights mental health issues and situations of trauma in such a way that today we might say “of course” this would become the issue or problem from what happened. But I think it’s important to see how far we have come in our understanding around mental health… and how much farther we can grow…

I listened to this book on audio as a borrow from our local library here in Salt Lake City. I’m so grateful to have read it!