Reviews

This is the most heart wrenching historical fiction I have ever read. Frankie, dear dear Frankie. All she wanted was to make the world a better place, make her family proud, and be the best nurse she could possibly be. Seeing how hard it was to be a woman serving in the war, how she was just dismissed with countless people saying "there are no women in Vietnam", how she was used by men and had her heart shattered. Ack. I can't.

Frankie is just incredible for putting up with everything she did.

We follow her journey serving in the war as a nurse, we watch her massive growth and development, and we see her struggles upon coming home.

This was my first Kristin Hannah book, and I am officially hooked. No question about it.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

droden6's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

"Everything made sense to her in the Army. Rules existed for a reason and you followed them to maintain order and help each other. The system was designed to force soldiers -men and women- into conformity. To build teams. It could save you life, apparently. Fitting in, being part of something larger, knowing your job, and doing it without question. She was comfortable with all of it." p. 25

"It is a strange world we are all in. Volatile and uncertain. We - Americans, I mean - can't seem to talk to each other anymore, our disagreements seem insurmountable..." p. 88

"Words were creators of worlds; you had to be careful with them." p. 116

I read a couple of my fellow bookstagram friends reviews on this, and I understand where they're coming from and I think they make valid points. Hannah has a tendency to destroy her main characters which makes for a frustrating read...I am a dissenting voice though on this one. And here's why.

My husband did two tours in Iraq as infantry, and so PTSD is a daily reality for us. I served on a carrier in a very male dominated rating. So being in a mans world is something I was familiar with as well. The demonstrable character of Rye is unfortunately a PERFECT description of many...many military men. This novel was so real to be. I viscerally felt her pain. It is not easy to reach out for help. I didn't get connected with the VA until about 3 years after my service. Frankie had the crutch of her wealthy family to fall back on, which made her decision making pretty frustrating, but also really realistic to me. It made sense.

I am a sucker for happy endings (which is why I love rom-coms) so I didn't mind people from the past coming back.

Hannah took me to a time and place I knew nothing more about than what Forrest Gump brings up. I loved this novel. Lawhon did the same thing to me in "Frozen River."

I DNF'd both the Four Winds and Nightingale...so I am not a Hannah super fan, but I am here for "The Women." Five glowing stars from me.

Content Warnings

bekawunschel's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.75

daisyyy_dazeee_'s review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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