Welcome to this week’s post. Today I am going to do things a little differently. Since my last post I have actually read quite a lot of books. I have found a series of six books and some novellas that I am really enjoying, plus a standalone novel. So, this week I am writing about the single book and I will wait until next week to tackle the series in one go. I hope you understand what I am trying to do!

This is the book…

The book was The Women by Kristin Hannah and here is the blurb…

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 overwhelmed 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.

I have never read anything quite like this before, so was really looking forward to trying the book. This is my response on Goodreads…

The Women by Kristin Hannah
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I remember quite a lot about the events of the Vietnam War from listening to the news when I was a child. It all sounded really frightening and horrific, with young men dying in countless numbers. Some of the images from the war were shocking and very memorable. But, we rarely heard anything about women and girls. This book attempts to tell the story of some of the women who worked as nurses in the war zone and how they coped afterwards when they got home.

I have given the book the full five stars for its portrayal of the lives of the medical staff as they struggled to cope with the wounded and dying. The bonds of female support and friendship were so well drawn. The fleeting and intense relationships between men and women in the trauma and chaos were touching. When the story moved on to the aftermath it continued to keep my attention. The heroine’s family’s reaction to her service, her post war mental struggles and her attempts to find a normal life and love were also interesting.

I am glad that I read this book and am sure that I will remember it for a long time.

View all my reviews

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Happy Reading!

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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