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 over- whelmed 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.

An amazingly written book detailing the service of women in the Vietnam war and the horrors that occur during war time that are often not accurately reported. This book also explored in great depth life after the war, including the attitudes of others towards returning veterans, the treatment and services available for men vs women and lasting effects of war such as mental health issues, cancer and fertility problems. As well as this, the book explores love and the fact that it doesn't always turn out as we hope for. This book was an excellent read that I found hard to put down.

Travelling via Aust Post to marmee463 as a RABCK 💞

Kindly sent to me by mandwool80 all the way from South Australia. Love the cover! Looking forward to getting into it. The book was accompanied by a lovely butterfly keyring which I have already attached keys to. Thank-you mandwool80 for the most generous, thoughtful gift.

This story catapulted me back to the 1960s, an era of massive societal change particularly for women, with the contraceptive pill becoming available. Not only is it a captivating story with skillfully developed characters, but it also recognizes the value, strength, and resilience of women, particularly in times of war. Kristin Hannah has written a truly meaningful tribute to these silent heroes, and this story will touch readers in lasting ways. Perfect for those who have an interest in historical fiction . Again my thanks to mandwool80 for recommending this book and so generously mailing it to me. Highly recommended.

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Picked up at meetup

Frances ‘Frankie’ McGrath was raised by conservative parents in Southern California, and as a newly qualified nurse she decides to sign up with the Army Nurses Corps to follow her bother to Vietnam. She had no idea what she had signed up for, she was overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of the war and the horrific injuries she saw the young men suffering from. She did discover the true value of female friendship with her fellow nurses. When she returned home she was not expecting the vitriol that was directed at her and all Vietnam vets. She struggled to settle back into normal life, she had terrible nightmares, she was drinking too much, and no one wanted to acknowledge her service in Vietnam. She was constantly told there were no women in Vietnam. This book was well researched and well written, with really well developed characters. Not only did the author tackle the issue of women and how their contributions to the war were ignored, but also the issues about the war itself, and how the American people felt about it.

My Evil Santa book from the Melbourne BookCrossing December Meeting. Looking forward to reading this

Released as part of Evil Santa Christmas get together