If you want to cry, pick up this book.

Hellooooo book lovers! Another long-overdue review but hey! better late than never, right? 🫣

✔️vietnam war
✔️tear-jerker
✔️poignant
✔️historical fiction

The Women by Kristin Hannah

I have too many feelings and too many thoughts. But to put it simply, this book absolutely destroyed me. It was pain, after pain, after pain. When I thought my heart would break no longer, BAM! more pain.

What is it about?

When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she 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 over- whelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. Each day is a gamble of life and death, hope and betrayal; friendships run deep and can be shattered in an instant. 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, to angry protesters, and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam. (Goodreads)

Even though I’ve never experienced the things Frankie went through, I felt them. Kristin Hannah did such an incredible job conveying the emotions. I mostly liked Frankie, but I didn’t agree with a lot of her choices.

The friendship between Frankie, Ethel, and Barb was everything. I loved them! I just wish we’d gotten a bit more on their PTSD and healing journey after coming back — they added such a necessary, beautiful layer to the story.

As for the writing — it did exactly what it was meant to: made me feel the anguish, devastation, pain, and helplessness. That said, some parts were unnecessarily long or overly detailed. I caught myself skimming a few times. But as someone who isn’t American or Vietnamese and had limited knowledge of this war, it was a huge eye-opener. I really appreciate Hannah’s effort in honouring the women who served.

Now… here’s where I struggled. The pain Frankie endured felt relentless, almost overdone. I can’t go into details about other things I didn’t enjoy without giving MAJOR spoilers. And I can say that that ending was rather underwhelming.

Even with all that, I’m giving it 4 stars because it truly was a powerful, gut-wrenching read. It made me feel everything. And more importantly, it tackled a topic that doesn’t get nearly enough attention — and it absolutely should.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Have you read this one? Would you be reading it?

love, Lin