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Women can be heroes. 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.
The Women is the story of one woman gone to war, but it shines a light on all women who put themselves in harm’s way and whose sacrifice and commitment to their country has too often been forgotten. A novel about deep friendships and bold patriotism, The Women is a richly drawn story with a memorable heroine whose idealism and courage under fire will come to define an era.
My first Kristin Hannah book. I’ve heard amazing things about her, so I figured it was time to pick up a book. This one attracted me the most, as my dad was a Vietnam vet, and it left a forever impression.
This books is everything I expected from Hannah, and exactly the reason why I’ve avoided her books–it wrecked me. There are so many amazing stories from history, and so many are heart-wrenching, like this one. I’m so glad I was able to get a fictional glimpse of what it was like for women to serve in Vietnam, but it’s also devastating to see how arrogant and willfully ignorant people chose to be.
This isn’t what I’d call a fun read, but I’m glad I read it, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone.
PG-13/R-rated for language, war themes, and substance abuse.
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