Women, Kristen Hannah, author; Julia Whelan, narrator
This book does one thing very well. Using the women who served their nation as nurses during the Vietnam War, and also including the soldiers who served with valor and great courage, Kristin Hannah has exposed the trials and tribulations of all wars. Everyone suffers from the consequences of war, though to different degrees. It is the combat soldier, however, that I believe, suffered the most, often resulting in their own unfortunate behavior for which some were held accountable, rightfully or not, like the soldiers at My Lai and those who were not accountable, like those who took advantage of the women they believed were weaker and indispensable, leaving them at the altar, so to speak.
Focusing on three nurses from different backgrounds, Frankie, Barb and Ethel who volunteered for service, and describing their interaction with the men, explaining their motives for the way they all conducted themselves in combat and socially, the book illustrates their bravery, their sacrifice, and sometimes their shameful unethical behavior. It also exposes the shameful, unethical and dishonest behavior of our government that, with their lies, betrayed the men and women who fought this useless and unwinnable war. Their courage went unrecognized for a long time; the brave nurses, because they did not carry a weapon, were ignored and rarely honored. There were far fewer nurses than soldiers and because only one nurse actually died in combat, with a total of eight fatalities, some from illness or accidents, they were not considered heroines, nor were most of the men considered heroes, because we lost the war; the men were still heroes, because they fought and honored the country. The men and women, however, came home from Vietnam in the shadow of a shameful failure.
I found the character of Frankie a bit too naïve, especially since she so easily or quickly seemed to morph into the drug addicted, promiscuous characterization of the veteran, male or female. Still, the nurses, regardless of their number, suffered through the brutal enemy attacks on their medical facilities, witnessed the most gruesome injuries, and had to assist in medical procedures and surgeries far beyond the normal duties of a nurse stateside where they were simply expected to do clerical work, carry bedpans and clean up after others.
In Nam, they saved many lives and comforted those soldiers they could not save. They forged friendships and bonds that were not easily broken. Because of the fragile situation, in which someone was here today and gone tomorrow, and death and catastrophic injuries were part of every day, often morality went out the window and self-preservation and immediate gratification became their primary goal. Frankie often found herself and her service dismissed by her family, or she felt betrayed in romantic situations, or unappreciated at a stateside hospital, which was the opposite of her experience during the war.
In order to insert the pertinent facts, to put the story into an authentic environment, the author includes themes like the lack of respect for women, the lack of opportunity for success, the napalm, the protest marches, the camaraderie that crossed color lines even when the very shameful racism that existed at the same time reared its head, the promiscuity and the drugs and alcohol, and every other line that existed; some scenes seemed contrived.
When the war ended and Frankie’s reality was supposed to return to normal, it did not. Her family did not think she was a hero, they had lied about her service, never telling anyone she is in Vietnam. Only her brother could be a hero there. Her own family life and her own personality flaws caused most of her trauma and inability to adjust when she returned. To help her sleep without nightmares, her mom gave her the pills that caused her initial drug addiction, but the need for alcohol was introduced to her in country while she served and it continued afterwards to calm her nerves. The VA hospital ignored her need for help. The system failed many then. Sadly, still today, not all, but some of the VA hospitals still fail the men and women who serve our country. So does our government, and often, our own American citizens abandon them and show them little respect even though their own lives would be quite different, absent the men and women who preserve our freedoms.
Moving on, when Frankie came home, her experiences mirrored those of the men who came home, but in reality, I am not sure her reactions or her treatment were as extreme as described in our real world during or post-Vietnam. Still, the description served to show, overall, how the Vietnam Vets were received, even if it was exaggerated a bit. It did happen the way the author depicted it. I knew of people who left the country to go to Canada to avoid service and until amnesty, could not return home. I knew of couples who married quickly and then had children immediately to avoid service. They took jobs that exempted them. No one wanted to go, and those who did go were not wanted when they came home. It was a sad time in our history and it was self-inflicted by our government and by the American citizens who did not appreciate their sacrifices.
It was President Johnson who entered that war, and President Nixon exited it. There was no welcome home for the men and women, no parade, and few joyous families proud of those who served. There was just shame, because they had failed to win. They had come home broken. They were ignored and there was very little concern for their adjustment or mental health, or for their futures, if truth be told. The streets filled with the homeless vets and their suicide rate rose. Using the real veteran Ron Kovic, as a character in the novel, lent authenticity to the various themes presented. PTSD was not the focus of medicine then. Unemployment, alcoholism, depression, nightmares and the inability to return to normal life were largely played down or ignored.
I don’t remember the nurses being spat upon or ridiculed, but I know that the soldiers were.
So, while I think it is true that the author has exaggerated some, she has painted a largely accurate picture of what went on during the years of the Vietnam War, a time of protest, unrest, perhaps unpatriotic behavior, as well. Men left America to avoid service, but I am not sure anyone has the right to blame them, in hindsight. The Vietnam War went on too long and was unsuccessful. Perhaps America had no business being in that war at all. What business was it of ours? The protests and marches were disruptive, but they illustrated the mood of the country. The men did not want to die for a cause that had nothing to do with them. Those that joined up did so because they loved their country and believed their leaders. They were led down the garden path by those who knew they were lying to them. They were fed drugs so they could control their fear and their exhaustion.
Today, we know that there is a reason that soldiers are 18 when they can enlist or are drafted. It is because the frontal lobe of the brain is not developed yet, and the ability to make sound judgments is impaired. They follow orders, largely respecting their commanding officers and their purpose. They don’t think too much about anything but their country. The leaders of the country lied to them about what was happening on the ground in Vietnam, simply enlarging the killing field and not the democracy. Perhaps the Pro-Palestinian demonstrators today, supporting terrorists, are the same target audience. The protesters of the Vietnam era did not see Communism as an existential threat, and perhaps, the results over time have proven that they were wrong in part, because those threats morph but still exist today/ Perhaps it is because of our weakness and lack of resolve to do what was necessary to win and to shut down our enemies.
The tools of war are horrific, though, and in retrospect, we now know that our war efforts even caused grave illnesses to our own soldiers and their families. Agent Orange had lasting effects eventually causing many kinds of cancer. The drugs freely distributed created addicts. The emotional problems the soldiers had to deal with were often insurmountable. In every confrontation, when lives are in danger and there is a war, there are unintended consequences.
Are the people who conduct the war at fault? After all, they are charged with winning the war. Is that there first responsibility? Does the mental and physical health of the people in the trenches really effect judgment about policy? I doubt it, because the overall effort is to win at any price, I think. It is evident today in America’s interference in the war between Ukraine and Russia, between Hamas and Israel. Often, we are on the wrong side of history. We have allowed hate to fester unconditionally by trying to make everything equitable when that is an impossibility. There is only equal opportunity, but we are not all equal. Some are taller, fatter, smarter, braver, etc. Those distinctions affect our success or failure. I think if we do not come around to understanding that fact, we will continue to fail in our efforts to create a peaceful, united country and world. ( )

Like all Kristin Hannah books, this one makes you live the experience. Vietnam ended when I was very young. My family was not involved, so we lived our lives in a medium-sized West Texas town. Vietnam was something I studied in classes from high school to college in a very brief, maybe 10 minute, lecture. Honestly, I think we ran out of time to cover recent history.

Frankie McGrath hears that women can be heroes, so she enlists as a nurse in the army only to discover the death of her brother in Vietnam where he should have had a pretty safe job. The army is the only branch of the military that will take a nurse--without stateside service--immediately to Vietnam. Arriving in Vietnam after leaving her wealthy family on Coronado Island, California, Frankie becomes an outstanding nurse. She's gradually brought in to the intense war nursing, beginning in the neuro area. She finds that she possesses the strength to sit with men as they are in pain, in recover, and while dying. She remembers names and their stories. As in all intense situations in life, she forms lasting friendships. Afterall, they go through hell together and help one another survive. The other two nurses--Barb and Ethel--become Frankie's lifeline for her entire life. When Frankie is transferred to Playco (I listened to the story, so my spelling could be incorrect and probably is), she finds that friendship knows no bounds. Barb won't let her go alone and goes with her into war hell. Nursing at Placo means being a combat nurse with bombs and electricity going off frequently. In the midst of all of this horrific war, Frankie does fall in love with two men, both of whom are presumed dead. Hannah doesn't ignore any parts of the horrors of the Vietnam War, including the fact that some bodies are still missing.

The novel doesn't stop at the war. Ms. Hannah continues to reveal the horrors of the war when the veterans returned. When Frankie returns to the states, she is spit upon and told that women didn't serve. She's unable to get any help for her PTSD, which is just becoming a diagnosed condition. She ends up spiraling downward because her family doesn't know how to help. Her mother offers her pills to face the day and pills to sleep after a miscarriage while her dad fails to acknowledge her as a military family hero who served her country, refusing to add her picture to their wall of service. She does meet a man at a rally where veterans are asking for acknowledgement that she attends with Barb. This man proves to be the most important man in her life as far as I'm concerned because he knows how to get her help.

As for romance, the novel "touches" on it. Yes, she falls in love with two men during Vietnam and has a relationship after Vietnam, but the romance is very secondary. When I asked my friend if I should listen to the book, she gave the book an 8 overall and the romance a 6/7. I would give the romance a 5. Also, I would have added an epilogue for a year later because the end was too abrupt in regards to romance. We go through so much with Rye and then have a romantic ending was jarring. Overall, for me, the book was a 9 because I felt like I was in Vietnam and in the time period afterward. I lived her life with her and it was hard. I like how she can make history so real. ( )

Kristin Hannah has told an emotional story of the Vietnam War and the women who served as nurses, as well as the toll the war took on the country, the veterans, and the families.
Frankie McGrath is a young nurse, and after her brother leaves for Vietnam, she joins the army so she can also go to Vietnam. At just 21, she is not prepared for the devastation, the horrors, the terrors, and the tragedy. In these intense situations, she is drawn to various men but tries to resist them for various reasons.
I was a child during the Vietnam War, so this book taught me a great deal about the attitudes of the country and the way veterans, both men and women were treated. Frankie's story, while fictional, is truly resonant of the tolls of war.
I LOVED IT! ( )

This book was my favorite of Kristin Hannah's books. It made me cry and I also learned things I never knew about Vietnam. ( )

The Women by Kristin Hannah was the April selection of my book club which focuses on novels featuring interesting women, usually within the historical fiction genre. The women noted by the title were US Army nurses serving in Vietnam. The story revolves around one in particular, and Hannah puts her through the ringer! We found the political and cultural context of the book interesting. All of our members were born in the 1960s, but were too young to actually know what was going on in the adult life of our country. All I remember is watching Walter Cronkite sharing the death toll of our servicemen. This book takes the reader into the dangerous world of the women who no one wanted to admit actually went to Vietnam. While many returning veterans were treated horribly, the women who risked their lives to provide healing and comfort, were also hit with abysmal treatment by the Veterans Administration. The book was definitely an eye-opener. Beautifully written, it does not shy away from the graphic side of the war, nor the obstacles and problems for those who came home. The Women is an excellent book club choice — we had a really great discussion. Please note that this novel was published for the general market. All adult warnings are included.

Recommended.

Great for Book Clubs.

Audience Adults.

(I purchased a copy of this book from Amazon. All opinions expressed are mine alone.) ( )