Take a photo of a barcode or cover
Graphic: Child death, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, War
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, War, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Gore, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Violence, Suicide attempt, War
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Infertility, Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Car accident
Graphic: Gore, Mental illness, Sexism, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, War
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail
Vietnam was crazy in 1966. War ensues, and both sides die, but it's even scarier for Frankie as an army nurse. Over there, she finds herself.
But when her time ends and Frankie returns home, things turn. She's met with hostility. Trying to find her way as a civilian is tough. Frankie experiences love and loss all while battling her own inner demons.
Trigger warning:
Suicidal ideation
War
Depression and PTSD
Infertility
Pregnancy
I was captivated the entire time. This book is SO GOOD! The author really lets you experience all of the emotions right alongside the character and addresses mental health issues and infertility in a way that is tastefully done. As someone who has ptsd from trauma, I think she did a really good job of describing it.
5 🌟
Graphic: Drug abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, War
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, War
Minor: Child death, Miscarriage, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy
Graphic: Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Medical content, Suicide attempt, War
Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Death, Violence, War
Moderate: Infertility, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Police brutality, Car accident, Suicide attempt
However, there is a lot in the second half that made me feel like I was just pushing through to finish. Maybe that was the point, since Frankie is also trying to just push through life and survive, but that’s a feeling I don’t really want to experience in a book alongside the character. There were a few too many dramatic “twists” for me to find it enjoyable, and at points it even felt like it was unbelievable just how much was going wrong beyond Frankie’s control. Yes, I know that that is sometimes how things are in real life, but that doesn’t always translate to a well done story. I was tired of all the pain by the end, which again, I was maybe supposed to be feeling alongside Frankie, but isn’t something I necessarily want to be feeling when reading a book.
The ending was strong though and I did deeply love the friendship between Frankie, Ethel, and Barb. I liked seeing how differently their lives played out and wished there had been more focus on that then on all the romantic dramas. I liked seeing them come together repeatedly to support one another and I’m glad that was the ultimate point and focus of the book. It also had amazing commentary on the war itself, in the politics and the complexity of the situation both in-country and in the US.
Overall, I don’t regret reading this, and I would definitely recommend it to others.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Racism, Car accident