The Women by Kristin Hannah

BOOK REVIEW

I highly recommend keeping some napkins, handkerchiefs or tissues close by, as you will need them while reading this book.

Another word of caution; do not plan anything extensive for your day because once you start reading this book and tell yourself you will only read a few pages before setting it down, that plan might not hold true.

“You’re only going to be a nurse until you get married,” her mother said.

But Frankie McGrath had other ideas, ones that would lead her away from her wealthy family’s conservative outlook on how daughters should behave and all their expectations of her.

Kristin Hannah’s The Women follows Frankie’s transformation when, after working as a nurse in California and tending to a wounded soldier and missing her soldier brother, she feels that emotional pull and joins the Army as a nurse.

That choice is to take her from a comfortable life of known expectations to one of the chaos and danger of war, new career opportunities and love – tangled love.

When Frankie eventually returns home, she finds her country still protesting the war she has been fighting and those who served in it.

The Women shines a light on a then-little-known aspect of the war (as with many past conflicts) – the role of the women who also served in Vietnam as nurses.

From the moment you dive into Frances McGrath’s story, you will become engrossed.

Her story will grip you, tearing at your heartstrings and evoking numerous tears as you connect with her fears, heartbreaks, pains, anger and frustrations.

You can practically hear her internal screams and the words she’s forced to bottle up because nobody wants to listen; she learns that she has no voice.

She might be the most honest, poignant, tough and resilient heroine the author has ever created.

Clear your schedule, go with the flow, and allow the story to transport you to the jungles of Vietnam, where the echoing sound of helipads reverberates in your ears, and you find yourself in a hospital surrounded by young soldiers uttering their final messages to their loved ones.

This is such a valuable work of historical fiction; it is hard to believe that these women were not even considered veterans.

It is  not only a captivating story with strongly developed characters, but it also recognizes the value, strength and resilience of women at war, the brevity and courage these veterans had, not only fighting for their lives overseas, but fighting for their own recognition at home amid a storm of protests and division – the sacrifices made, the lies told.

Julie Chessman