Today, we will be reviewing the bestselling novel of 2024, The Women by Kristin Hannah. Keep reading to find out what we thought of this novel and if you should read it next!
The Women: Summary
Frances “Frankie” McGrath is a 20-year old nursing student who wants to be a hero just like the men on the “Wall of Heroes” in her house. And in 1965, when the U.S. is conflict with Vietnam, Frankie decides she wants to serve in the Army as a nurse and follow her brother who has been shipped months prior.
Life in Vietnam is unlike anything Frankie imagined and she feels like she made a mistake. But with the help of her new friends and fellow nurses, Frankie learns how to navigate the horror that is Vietnam.
After returning from Vietnam, Frankie is shocked to learn about the public’s hatred towards those who served. The public, as well as her family, ignore Frankie and her fellow veterans’ experiences, especially the women that served and forces Frankie to adjust to a world that isn’t accepting of her trauma.
Commentary
Kristin Hannah is one of the most talented authors alive and this book captures her writing style flawlessly. Every sentence, page, and chapter is beautifully written and you can see it with how Hannah handles the subject matter. It is no wonder that this book was trending all of 2024.
The idea for this novel came to Hannah in 1997 but Hannah felt that she wasn’t ready to write this novel yet. And I am glad that she waited and knew that she wasn’t experienced enough. She waited over 20 years to write this novel and it was worth the wait. You can read what Hannah had to say about the novel below!
“For years, I wanted to write about the turbulence and chaos and division of the times, but it wasn’t until the pandemic, when I was on lockdown in Seattle, confined to my home essentially, and watching our nurses and doctors serving on the front lines of the pandemic, becoming exhausted amid the political division of the time that it all came together for me. That’s when I knew I was ready to write about the women who served in the war and were forgotten at home.” – Kristin Hannah
The novel is still trending over a year later and this might go down as one of the best books of the 2020s. Hannah has been one of my favorite writers for almost a decade and I love that she got to receive her flowers and receive the recognition as one of the most talented writers and storytellers alive.
Conclusion
After reading Demon Copperhead, I am glad I got to read a novel as incredible as this. Novels like these are why I fell in love with reading. This was an amazing book and one I recommend to all book lovers. Happy reading!
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Agreed, this was one of my favourite reads of last year.
I have a few of her books on my bookshelf, haven’t found this one yet but I’ve heard good things all around!
Definitely worth reading
The ending of this book is utterly ridiculous. Someone else pointed out that their eyes rolled so hard, they ran into another room. I totally agree. And there are so many logic holes. She drives to see where her married lover lives, then never returns again. So she can doubt him once but never again? She is the greatest surgical nurse ever, yet is a drug addict? It left me cold.