Author: Kristin Hannah
Title: The Women
Genre: Historical fiction
Publication Date: February 6, 2024
Number of Pages: 480 pages
Geographical Setting: Vietnam and California mostly, with some other locations sprinkled in
Time Period: 1965-1982
Series: N/A
Plot Summary: Newly graduated nurse Frankie McGrath comes from a long line of war heroes. When her brother Finley follows in her family's footsteps and goes to fight in Vietnam, Frankie decides to join him as a nurse in the Army Nurse Corps. When Frankie arrives, she is overwhelmed with the chaos and violence of the war. She witnesses terrible tragedies, but over time, she becomes a confident nurse and builds deep relationships with some of her fellow nurses and doctors. When Frankie arrives home from her service, she realizes that her battles are just beginning--America is divided over the war, it seems like nobody wants to talk about the horrors Frankie witnessed while in Vietnam, and Frankie struggles to cope. The world has changed, but so has she, and how can Frankie return back to a normal life where everyone seems to want to forget Vietnam except her?
Appeal:
1. Frame/Setting: This book includes a lot of worldbuilding and descriptive language, from the mountains and jungles of Vietnam, how the army base camp looked, even how Frankie's hometown looked. By describing the setting in such detail, readers feel the story come to life and makes it feel believable and accurate.
2.Storyline: The storyline of this story follows Frankie throughout her time in Vietnam and once she returns. Because this female perspective is one that we have not seen a lot of, this storyline sheds light on a new topic and gives readers a new level of understanding.
3.Characterization: Frankie is a complicated character. She has a lot of struggles and grows and changes so much from the beginning of the book to the end. While she makes some questionable decisions, readers cannot help but feel for her. It's her flaws that make her feel real.
3 terms that best describe this book: emotional, character-driven, thought-provoking
3 relevant fiction works:
The 14th of September by Rita Dragonette: Like The Women, this book is set during the Vietnam war from a young woman in the Army's point of view, along with both books having the themes of the legacies of military families and dealing with anti-war sentiments.
Flying Angels by Danielle Steel: While The Women takes place during the Vietnam war, this book similarly follows a young nurse's decision to follow her brother to war during World War II.
A Quiet Cadence by Mark Treanor: Although from the point of view of a male Vietnam combat veteran instead of a woman, both books have the theme of trying to return to normal after returning from war while dealing with PTSD and other long-term affects.
3 relevant non-fiction works:
The League of Wives by Heath Hardage Lee: This book tells the true story of the women who fought to bring home their POW/MIA husbands home from Vietnam. This idea plays a role in The Women, when Frankie joins a similar organization as a way to feel a sense of purpose and belonging after getting home from the war.
A Piece of my Heart: The Stories of 26 American Women who Served in the Vietnam War by Keith Walker: A decade after the Vietnam war, writer and filmmaker Keith Walker met a woman who had served in Vietnam. She and 25 other women share their stories with him of the time they spent serving and their difficulties upon their return home.
Buddy's War: A World War II Medic's Journey and the Power of Family by Barry A Lehman: In this book, the author traces his family's history and his father's role as a medic in World War II, a topic that is not spoken about in his family. This book also features key historical moments in the war and the stories of other men and women who served.
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