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This book was a journey. I have mixed feelings about The Women, but what I can say is that it swept me into a world that is vastly different from my own and gave me a glimpse into the incredible struggles of the soldiers and nurses in the Vietnam War.
Francis (Frankie) McGrath signs up to join the army as a nurse in 1965 after her brother dies in combat in Vietnam. We see firsthand how nurses played such pivotal roles during the war, and I found it fascinating to learn about this part of history that I previously knew very little about. Everything — the culture of Vietnam, the workings of the military, the conditions of the country and its environment — became real with the author’s immersive descriptions. Frankie finds romance and even love during her time overseas, and she builds lasting friendships with two other women as they share in their struggles and connect during and after the years in Vietnam.
Once Frankie returns to California, however, her life is plagued with nightmares of her time in Vietnam and she is ostracized due to the prominent antiwar sentiments in the country. Her father doesn’t acknowledge her sacrifice and cannot see her as a hero, as he can with the men who fought in the war. Frankie turns to drugs and alcohol and lives as a ghost of herself, constantly plagued by trauma and struggling to survive. She has lost her purpose and is unable to hold a nursing job in the US due to being constantly mentally and physically unfit to perform her duties.
I felt that this part of Hannah’s book, while depressing and certainly not an uplifting part of the story, was particularly vivid and real. Normally, this is not the kind of book I would read at all. I put down books that deal with addiction, violence, sexual activity, and wartime, yet, with Hannah’s masterful writing and such relatable characters, I was compelled to read more.
It is hard to give this book a star rating, as in some respects, I would rate it 1/5, and for others, 5/5. So I will settle with 3/5, though this is truly inadequate to represent my feelings about the book.
Overall, The Women is a poignant exploration of the women who fought in Vietnam and how war can affect us all in multifaceted ways. It is a story of struggle but also eventual hope to build the freedom to pursue your calling and fight for what you believe in.
Rated: High. Profanity includes 2 uses of strong language, around 80 instances of moderate profanity, about 85 uses of mild language, and about 65 instances of the name of Deity in vain. Sexual activities are described in some detail in a few scenes and insinuated throughout the story. It is a heavy book with significant mental and emotional trauma related to wartime and loss. Wartime injuries and surgeries are also described in some detail.
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