The Women: The Bestselling, Unforgettable Novel That Has Captured Millions of Hearts

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Read by Julia Whelan, including an Author's Note read by Kristin, revealing her inspiration for telling the women's heroic stories, which had been either forgotten or entirely overlooked.Adored by millions and soon to be a major motion picture, The Women is a sweeping story of epic love, heartbreaking loss, extraordinary bravery and the unbreakable bond of female friendship about the women who answered the call of the Vietnam War and paid the price.'Utterly absorbing . . A triumph' - Taylor Jenkins Reid'Stuns with sacrifice. Uplifts with heroism' – Bonnie Garmus'Never has a novel of war metamorphosed so profoundly into a story of the human heart. The female heart' - Delia OwensThey answered the call. Then they fought to be remembered.'Women can be heroes, too'.When twenty-year-old nursing student, Frances "Frankie" McGrath, hears these unexpected words, it is a revelation. Raised on California's idyllic Coronado Island and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing, being a good girl.But in 1965 the world is changing, and she suddenly imagines a different path for her life. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she impulsively joins the Army Nurses Corps and follows his path.As green and inexperienced as the young men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of war, as well as the unexpected trauma of coming home to a changed America. But Frankie will also discover the true value of female friendship and the heartbreak that love can cause.'Thank God for girlfriends. In this crazy, chaotic, divided world that was run by men, you could count on the women'Listeners love The Women:'The sure touch of Golden Voice narrator Julia Whelan transforms Kristin Hannah's absorbing novel about Vietnam War combat nurses into an addictive listen' - AudioFile'It honours ALL women: those who have fought for their rights and freedoms, those who have been overlooked and underappreciated, those who have been forgotten by families and society''I’ve been looking forward to this book’s release for months''Kristin Hannah has done it again'The Women was a Sunday Times bestseller from 17.2.24-13.4.24

Product Details

Manufacturer

Kristin Hannah (Author), Julia Whelan (Narrator), Macmillan (Publisher) & 0 more

ASIN

B0C512SBRR

Customer Reviews Summary

Frankie’s life is supposed to follow a certain path. Raised by conservative parents, Frankie can be a nurse until she catches the eye of a man who will marry her, then they shall make babies and maybe live happily ever after. But when her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, Frankie decides to diverge from the path her parents have laid out for her, and follow her brother’s instead. She joins the Army Nurses Corps and arrives in Vietnam, as green as green can be.Frankie’s experiences in Vietnam are harrowing for sure. The chaos and destruction is utterly overwhelming. It is remarkably easy to visualise these events in front of your eyes. Men who have lost limbs, who are bleeding from brutal wounds, who are calling out for their mothers while they lie dying in the middle of nowhere. Frankie quite quickly adjusts; she has very little choice; and realises being a nurse is definitely her calling. Along the way she makes friends with Ethel and Barb. Two very different ladies from different backgrounds, but this is a friendship forged in extraordinary circumstances and they will pull one another through on many occasions. In the midst of all this destruction, Frankie will find romance but heartbreak also.As distressing as it is to read about these atrocities, what really angered me was what happened when Frankie returned home. There is no heroes welcome. But more than that, there is no help available to her when she starts to struggle. “There were no women in Vietnam”. Not only were the male veterans forgotten, the female ones apparently didn’t even exist. This story isn’t just about Frankie. It’s about all the women who put their lives in danger, who made sacrifices and did their bit in a war many people were opposed to.‘The Women‘ is engrossing from beginning to end and often highly emotional. There were a few times where I thought I’d need a tissue. It’s naturally completely realistic and believable. Apart from the R & R, which I know happened, but it seems entirely surreal. To think you can go spend a week on a nice beach for a break while you’re supposed to be in the middle of a war. I can’t imagine the research that must have gone into this. Frankie and her friends are memorable characters, and even the romance angle had me hooked.Like with any other novel by Kristin Hannah I’ve read, I can never put into words why I love her stories so much and I’m definitely not doing this latest novel any justice. ‘The Women‘ is really and truly historical fiction from the top shelf. I wouldn’t expect anything less from Kristin Hannah. She’s an amazing storyteller and her beautiful writing is just captivating. This story is powerful, full of insight and immensely compelling. A story of survival, and undoubtedly a story that needed to be told for all the heroic women out there. Past, present and future. Highly recommended!