The Women
The Instant Number One Bestseller from the author of The Nightingale
-
-
4.6 • 429 Ratings
-
-
- £5.99
Publisher Description
Adored by millions and soon to be a major motion picture, The Women is an unforgettable, captivating novel to fall in love with and share this holiday.
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 Owens
They 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'
** The Women has two covers in different colours. Colour is selected randomly upon fulfillment. **
Readers love The Women:
'Three little words. "They were there." Superb. Immersive. Shocking'
'This book turned me into an absolute sobbing mess . . . So well written and utterly heartbreaking as well as uplifting, joyful and empowering'
‘An authentic account of an unforgotten and untold story. Sometimes brutal, sometimes beautiful’
'Compelling and heartbreaking. It released all kinds of emotions in me, and has left me wanting to know more about the Vietnam war'
'Wow! One that you dream about at night and think about all day'
‘One of the most gripping historical fiction books I’ve ever read’
‘Enlightening, informative and a fitting tribute to the female service women and medical staff who served in Vietnam’
‘The story and the characters within will forever be imprinted on my soul’
‘This isn’t just a story of the past, it’s a reminder of what we should not forget in the present’
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
When Frankie leaves for Vietnam in 1967—a recent recruit to the US Army Nurse Corps—she is already grieving. And the decision to serve will bring more grief into her life than she could have imagined. The Women is unflinching, tender and full of justified rage as it tells the story of how going to war both makes and breaks Frankie, in ways that will reverberate for decades to come. In Vietnam, she finds purpose, destruction, love and betrayal—both political and personal. The novel is realistic about the horrors of war, and touches on the specific horrors perpetrated by the US in Vietnam, as it sheds light on the often-forgotten women who went there and the life-saving work they did. It is never less than gripping.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Hannah's emotionally charged page-turner (after The Four Winds) centers on a young nurse whose life is changed by the Vietnam War. Before Frankie McGrath begins basic training for the Army in 1966, her older brother Finley is killed in action. Frankie excels as a surgical nurse in Vietnam and becomes close with fellow nurses Ethel and Barb. After Ethel's tour ends, Frankie and Barb gets assigned to the base at Pleiku, near the Cambodian border, where some of the heaviest fighting occurs. There, she reunites with Navy officer Rye Walsh, Finley's best friend, and they become lovers. When Frankie returns to the U.S., she's met with indifference for her service from her parents, who are still grieving her brother's death, and disdain from people who oppose the war. She leans on alcohol and drugs while struggling to acclimate to civilian life. Though the situations and dialogue can feel contrived (Rye, after announcing he's re-upping, says to Frankie at the close of a chapter, "I'm not leaving my girl"), Hannah's depictions of Frankie tending to wounded soldiers are urgent and eye-opening, and a reunion of the three nurses for Frankie's benefit is poignantly told. Fans of women's historicals will enjoy this magnetic wartime story.
Customer Reviews
Wonderful!
Another brilliant book that taught me a great deal about the Vietnam war, which I knew very little about. Super, lovable characters and a great story. Thank you!
10/10 yet again
Huge fan of the author. This one did not disappoint.
Good but a bit longwinded
Skipped lots of time but also had lots of bits I didn’t think we needed. However, I did enjoy it overall. An interesting story.