The horrors of war are graphically detailed in Kristin Hannah’s ambitious new novel, The Women.  Vietnam - the war that America would prefer to forget.  While many Americans quickly moved on past Vietnam, the servicemen and women who were in the trenches can’t forget what they went through there.  

The Women shines a light on the experiences of a nurse - Frankie - who grew up in a privileged seaside California community and later enlisted as an Army nurse during Vietnam.  The novel follows Frankie to Vietnam, detailing the vast tragedy and turmoil she experienced as she tended to an array of life-altering (all-too-often, life-ending) injuries, from men blown to bits in combat to villagers caught up in the napalm crossfire and burned beyond recognition.  

The things Frankie saw overseas in Vietnam changed the course of her life, and the latter part of the book delves into her struggle as she attempts to adjust to civilian life while battling “shell shock” and mourning those she lost in the war.  

With her trademark flair for the dramatic and tragic, Kristin Hannah has written a well-researched saga of the Vietnam War.  This grave, eye-opening novel is a testament to the men and women who lost life and limb in the war, and to those who stood and served bravely for their country.  Hannah captures the absolute horror that was Vietnam and brings to life the servicemen and women who saw the terror firsthand.  She also pays justice to the struggles that many military personnel experience after coming home and attempting to go back to regular life.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Kristin Hannah novel without some serious melodrama, and there’s plenty of that here as well.  While much of The Women is focused on the war, Hannah also dives into Frankie’s relationships, as a young 20-something year old woman.  The events surrounding these relationships are highly dramatized, and many of the twists and turns feel as if they were written in solely for shock value.  The romances certainly change the tone of the book when they are present, and may be a turn-off for those who prefer their reading to be a bit more hardscrabble.  However, anyone familiar with Kristin Hannah knows her style and shouldn’t be surprised by these soapy segments. 

Kristin Hannah remembers the gallant men and women of the Vietnam War in this heartbreaking tribute to those who gave all in the name of service.  Recommended to those who love historical fiction that is raw and dense, while at the same time also being dramatic and twisty.