My Thoughts on The Women by Kristin Hannah
I was drawn to The Women by Kristin Hannah thanks to all those service station book displays during road trips to England—and let’s not forget the buzz on Instagram. Eventually, I gave in and picked up a copy.
At the heart of the novel is Frances “Frankie” McGrath, a young nursing student raised in a conservative home in 1960s California. When her brother heads off to serve in Vietnam, she makes an impulsive decision to join the Army Nurses Corps. What follows is a powerful portrayal of the chaos of war, the trauma of coming home, and the strength of female friendship in the face of it all.
Now, I’ll be honest—my thoughts might not align with the hype. I read around 120 pages and just wasn’t feeling it. I found myself picking up the TV remote more often than the book, which is usually a bit of a red flag for me. I thought the audiobook might help, and it actually did. Hearing the characters come to life gave them a voice I’d been struggling to find on the page. Alternating between audio and print helped me push through and finish it more quickly.
In the end, I’d give it a solid four stars. I really appreciated learning more about a part of history I knew very little about—particularly the experience of nurses in Vietnam and the struggles they faced once back in the US.
This was my first Kristin Hannah read and, truthfully, I found the storyline quite predictable, which did take me out of the narrative at times. I felt for Frankie—her challenges were raw and emotionally complex, and I’m sure her experience mirrors that of many real-life women from that era. But with all the hype surrounding this author, I suppose I went in expecting something more and it didn’t quite deliver for me. I wouldn’t rush to buy another book by her just yet, although I know many readers are huge fans.
That said, The Women does tackle some difficult topics with care, and other readers may connect with it on a much deeper level. Some themes might be triggering, so do read with that in mind.
Have you read it? What was your takeaway? Did it live up to the hype for you? Are you a fan of Kristin Hannah’s work? I’m curious—should I give another of her books a go?
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I also read and reviewed this. I appreciate your opinions on this title. My favorite KH book is Winter Garden.
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I knew about the history due to uni, but I’m afraid I felt that this, though readable, felt like it was written with one eye on the Netflix adaptation.
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