War what is it good for - trauma

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The Women

Kristin Hannah

472 pages, Kindle Edition. First published February 6, 2024

Frances (Frankie) decides to follow her brother to Vietnam and enlists as a nurse. We follow Frankie’s journey as she experiences the lows and highs of war, the personal struggles, finding friendship, love and betrayal.

I have not read any of Hannah’s work before but was aware of the hype around her body of work. I was intrigued to read about a group of women who have to navigate the trauma of war and its aftermath. For me the title is a tad misleading for the book centres on Frankie, it is her journey, and all other characters are either supporters or detractors.

Frankie when we meet her is naïve and lives a sheltered privileged life in California, where country clubs and high teas are the norm. Frankie is seeking purpose and when her brother enlists, a pathway opens where she sees an opportunity to contribute. Frankie soon comes face to face on a regular basis with sexual discrimination. It is in Vietnam that Frankie discovers that she is highly capable as a nurse and can remain calm in a crisis. It is also in Vietnam that Frankie discovers the pitfalls of love.

Hannah keeps the reader turning the page, and keeps you engaged in Frankie’s story. I felt the inner monologues of Frankie could have been trimmed down a bit and I found some of the secondary characters lacking depth. Look I enjoyed the book, but there was just something that did not make me love it. I cannot explain why. A good read but I don’t understand all the hype.


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