Frances “Frankie” McGrath knows comfort. She knows the comfort of her home in Coronado Island off the coast of southern California. She knows the comfort and safety of her parents’ money and longtime success. She knows the comfort of a warm bed and a hot cup of coffee in the morning. What she learns in this novel is the stark opposite.

Frankie learns the heartbreak of loss, the fear and terror of living through disaster every day. She learns the disgust of sleeping amongst rats. She also learns the pride of saving a life and the comradery that builds through the shared trauma of war and death. She learns the self-worth found in doing something of passion and heart.

Frankie makes a choice to join the Army (the single unit that does NOT require a full detail of training prior to shipping overseas). She makes this decision in a too late dream to save what could have been her brother in the Vietnam War.

Frankie ships out to Vietnam just weeks after earning her nursing degree, with zero experience in ER and trauma victims. Suffice it to say, Frankie fell into a state of shock during her first shift at a Vietnam hospital unit. The blood, the screaming, the death surrounding her scared her into a complete state of inaction.

After her first day, she was moved to a different ward and placed on the night shift. Here, she learned much. Frankie began to adapt to the extreme conditions, in the relative calm of the evening hours. She absorbed every ounce of information taught to her by the surgeon on duty. She built friendships to last a lifetime and fell in love (twice!).

This time in Vietnam shaped Frankie and her mental state in ways she could never have imagined, prior to her tour.

When Frankie returned home, she was no longer sure she could call it home. She was greeted with anger, hostility and resentment by the American people. She did not return to the heroism and respect she once envisioned, not even by her own family. Especially not her father. Frankie struggled to adapt to this new life. Or, more to say, adapt to her old life. She no longer fit. Nothing fit.

The entirety of the second half of the novel revolves around Frankie’s struggles with PTSD, depression and addiction. She eventually overcomes her challenges through the strength of her friendships, through finding love again and finding a new purpose.

I always love a book that makes me consider, “what would I have done if…”.

The Women certainly offered several of those moments. It brought us back to a time in history that most Americans have tried to forget. It brought to light very real mental health diseases that people struggle with every day. It also (in line with the story), talked through mechanisms of healing and avenues to take if one is truly afflicted by depression, PTSD, addiction, or any of the countless other possibilities.

Through storytelling and character development, The Women touches on so many challenging topics in today’s society. Even after the decades that have passed since the Vietnam War, we still find ourselves fighting many of the same fights that were occurring in the 60’s.

There were instances, though, that I felt dragged a bit. Such as the fight between Frankie and her father regarding the Hero Wall. I found myself skimming over the last several discussions (fights) the two had on whether or not Frankie should have her war photo displayed. The obvious answer is yes, she should, but I couldn’t read through another argument circling the same issue.

There were a few other situations that struck me in this manner – circular in nature and just not moving the novel forward. Although, perhaps that was the goal… portraying Frankie as “stuck” in this mental state and unable to move forward. Even so, I did find myself skimming through some of the later chapters and ready for the next stage of Frankie’s recovery.

I absolutely adored Ethel and Barb. They were the two supporting characters who added a touch of lightness and love to the story. Their personalities were easily likeable and definitely helped move the book along at a better pace. Barb especially added a nice spark, she was definitely one of my favorites.

Great novel, great topic but a bit stalled in the second half of the book. I’d rate it a 4/5 stars. Kristen Hannah is still one of my favorite authors in the Fiction/Historical Fiction realm. Another stellar performance.