Kristin Hannah’s The Women has been on many best-seller lists, proving that Hannah has many fans, but it was not her best writing. The premise is excellent, and the dismissive, antagonistic attitudes some Americans displayed toward Vietnam veterans, especially women, were depicted with historical accuracy. However, the plot could have been better developed; it did not hold my attention like her other books. The story focuses on Frankie, an American woman who volunteers as an army nurse in Vietnam. Frankie’s parents did not support her decision to serve in Vietnam, mostly because she was female. But shortly after she enlists, her brother Finley dies in Vietnam, and that increases her family’s disapproval of her decision. Although her father had a “wall of heroes” pictured in their home, he is unwilling to see Frnkie’s service as heroic. Her parents’ attitudes do not improve when her Vietnam tours conclude, and she encounters harsh reactions from her parents and the community where she was raised.
While in Vietnam, Frankie became a skilled nurse who doctors and other medical staff admired. Frankie witnesses the violence of the war while assisting in numerous surgeries and providing comfort to many as they die or recover. She also befriends two women who become her lifelong friends: Barb and Ethel. She learns the value of female friendships and often becomes dependent on these strong women for survival. She also falls in love while in Vietnam. There aren’t many women, and Frankie is attractive in many ways, but she is also naive. She believes that Rye, a young man who knew her late brother, will be her lifetime partner, and for many reasons, this naivete leads to additional heartache throughout her life.
The effects of war on Frankie’s psyche are profound. When she returns home, she is spat upon and called names. Additionally, she encounters many people, including professionals at VA clinics, who do not believe any women served in Vietnam and, therefore, do not support her when she discusses her experiences or seeks help for her addictions and PTSD. Frankie’s life takes many tragic turns as she attempts to recover from war and build a life with the “shame” of having served.
Although I appreciated the historical fiction aspects of this book, which are mainly in the first half, I was disappointed in the second half. Kristin Hannah emphasized Frankie’s lovesickness after her return from Vietnam more than her heroism and recovery from war. The plot redeems itself by showing powerful women in the end, but it took too many stereotypic, overused, and unrealistic events before we got there.
