A BOOK YOU’RE GOING TO WANT TO READ – ‘THE WOMEN’

Reading Friends: If we like the same types of books, you are going to want to read The Women.

First of all, it is by an author we have read before and loved, Kristin Hannah!

I probably don’t need to say more than that but I will…

The Women by Kristin Hannah

Hannah’s newest book is about topic we haven’t read much about in the world of historical fiction – the Vietnam War. I think this is because historical fiction usually focuses on women, and as The Women makes clear, there is a misconception that “women weren’t in Vietnam.” But they were. Not as combat fighters, but as nurses, Red Cross volunteers, and no doubt many other unknown roles.

This book focuses on a southern California girl, Frances “Frankie” who volunteers for a tour in Vietnam as a nurse to “be a hero” as her family appears to value. But she soon learns that her family only seems to value male “heroes” and they hate that she is going.

At the understaffed field hospitals in Vietnam, Frankie sees trauma she had not expected and has to learn her job quickly. But she also knows she is making a difference even as she begins to question the reason for all the death she sees. After her tour is over, Frankie returns home to another type of battle – trying to fit back into normal life.

Within this already heavy story is family drama, relationship drama, and the details of a historical experience we love getting from Kristin Hannah. I learned more about this war and am now able to more deeply appreciate the trauma of those who were lucky enough to make it home. It is a reading experience I wholeheartedly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book before publication in exchange for an honest review.

The Vietnam Memorial in D.C. made a lasting impression on me when I saw it in my teenage years – All those names (58,000+) and the way it reflected back on you. Everyone who lived during that time can find a name they know. Being younger, I did not know the loss personally, but I bought a book from an outdoor vendor that has helped show me the loss of this war. I’ve reread it several times in my life: Shrapnel in the Heart: Letters and Remembrances from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. This is a collection of letters that were left at the wall.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund now has a virtual “Wall of Faces” where you can see a photo and a bio of every name on the wall: https://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/

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