LoveReading Says
From the brutalities of war, government cover-ups and sexism, to love, lust, sisterhood and surviving the worst, Kristin Hannah’s The Women is at once deeply intimate and richly sweeping.
Sharing the coming-of-age story of a young army nurse in Vietnam, and painting a broad and detailed portrait of the war and its aftermath, it’s a immersive emotional story that shows “Women can be heroes, too”, along with the costs of such heroism, and the value of friendship and sisterhood bonds.
In 1966, Frankie lives a seemingly charmed life in California, with wealthy parents who seem to want the best for her, and a brother who seems set to become a hero when he heads to fight in Vietnam. Then, when a handsome guest at a family gathering tells Frankie “Women can be heroes, too”, she signs up as an army nurse, against her parents’ wishes.
On arrival, Frankie is thrown into a dark and devastating deep end, and quickly realises that the folks back home are being spun lies about the numbers of American casualties. At the same time, she’s thrown a lifeline by newfound female friends, with love and romance also on the cards.
After finding her vocation, Frankie signs up for a second tour, but when she eventually returns home, she battles PTSD while being forced to face the hostilities of anti-war protesters and hostilities from her family, amidst very complicated matters of the heart.
Putting paid to the lie that “There were no women in Vietnam” (a statement Frankie and friends hear a lot during protests), The Women weaves a deeply affecting personal story that shines a glaring light on this brutal, complex chapter in American history. It’s also laced with the love of a lifetime, and shot-through with the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood.
Joanne Owen
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The Women Synopsis
An instant Sunday Times bestseller and soon to be a major motion picture!
'Utterly absorbing . . . A triumph' - Taylor Jenkins Reid, bestselling author of Daisy Jones & The Six
'Stuns with sacrifice. Uplifts with heroism' - Bonnie Garmus, bestselling author of Lessons in Chemistry
'Powerful and compelling. Never has a novel of war metamorphosed so profoundly into a story of the human heart. The female heart' - Delia Owens, bestselling author of Where the Crawdads Sing
The Number One bestselling novel which has captured the hearts of readers across the world. The Women is a novel of epic love and devastating loss. And it is a story of a memorable heroine, and her deep friendships, whose idealism and courage under fire will define an era.
Their friendship changed lives. Their bravery changed history.
'Women can be heroes, too'. When twenty-year-old nursing student, Frances "Frankie" McGrath, hears these unexpected words, it is a revelation. Raised on California's idyllic Coronado Island and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing, being a good girl. But in 1965 the world is changing, and she suddenly imagines a different path for her life. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she impulsively joins the Army Nurses Corps and follows his path.
As green and inexperienced as the young men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of war, as well as the unexpected trauma of coming home to a changed America. Frankie will also discover the true value of female friendship and the heartbreak that love can cause.Readers love The Women:'Three little words. 'They were there'. Superb. Immersive. Shocking'
'This book turned me into an absolute sobbing mess . . . So well written and utterly heartbreaking as well as uplifting, joyful and empowering'
'Compelling and heartbreaking. It released all kind of emotions in me, and has left me wanting to know more about the Vietnam war'
'Hard to put down. Left with a book hangover. . . The best book I've read in a long time'
The Women was a Sunday Times bestseller from 17.2.24-13.4.24
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781035005697 |
| Publication date: |
13th February 2025 |
| Author: |
Kristin Hannah |
| Publisher: |
Pan Books an imprint of Pan Macmillan |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| Pagination: |
480 pages |
| Primary Genre |
Modern and Contemporary Fiction
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| Other Genres: |
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| Recommendations: |
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