Book 62 of 2024: The Women by Kristin Hannah

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Raised in the idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, nursing student Frankie McGrath 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 overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. 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, angry protesters, and a country that wants to forget Vietnam.

Phyllis’s former student book club read for May! Kristin Hannah is the queen of historical fiction and she’s nailed it again with this book. I learned so much about the Vietnam war, and particularly women’s role in it, and the struggles of returning to civilian life post-service. This book was incredibly well researched, as I’ve come to expect with Hannah‘s books. It covered a lot of topics, including sexism, the ethics of war, treatment of veterans, women’s rights, mental health, the sexual and cultural revolution of the 1960s and 70s, and civil rights. Hannah does such an incredible job of creating characters that are so human and layered. I learned a lot through Frankie’s experience and stories. The pacing of this book was excellent; I read it in two days and I couldn’t put it down. While the scenes in Vietnam were filled with action, I found Frankie’s grappling with her mental health upon returning to the United States just as compelling. I also really loved Frankie’s female friendships. Definitely can’t recommend this one enough!