Like I was loving you out in the wild: THE WOMEN.

The Women by Kristin Hannah
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An interesting and eye-opening read that won't be easily forgotten...

Nursing student Frankie McGrath lives a fairly sheltered life in Southern California with her brother and her conservative parents. But when her older brother enlists in Vietnam, Frankie decides to follow him. She enlists in the Army--the only organization that will ship her to Vietnam right after basic training. Once there, she realizes immediately she's over her head.

Too young to know the Vietnam War personally, my knowledge comes from my parents' stories and the history books. I found THE WOMEN to be incredibly thoughtful and very insightful, filled with lots of knowledge and facts about a huge historical event that I clearly need to learn even more about. The information comes through the narrative, versus preaching or long lists of facts, and we learn about the War via the eyes of Frankie, her fellow nurses, and the men she encounters as she administers on base. What she encounters as she (and the others) save countless lives and watch so many more die before them is staggering. Hannah does an amazing job of portraying the horrors of war, while also giving it a personal touch. Frankie makes friends in Vietnam, forms attachments, and even falls in love. I found the part of the story where she served to be the most compelling--it's raw and real, with realistic details. It becomes incredibly clear how the events of Vietnam would affect those who serve, after what they see and must overcome.

When Frankie returned home, I felt the book floundered a bit. It dragged a little and felt long. Now, I won't deny that the environment that she and many of her fellow soldiers returned to was traumatic and that Hannah portrays how unwelcome and ashamed they feel extraordinarily well. Leaving home a hero, returning hated--Frankie and her fellow nurses (as well as so many soldiers) struggle to return to regular life. The problem is that Frankie, honestly, is not always the most likable character. I wasn't expecting a perfect character but Frankie was difficult to like and her decisions were very frustrating -- and that really had nothing to do with her particular emotional situation from the war, but her overall sheltered world and personality. She's not the best to the people around her. Once she was home, the plot dragged on without a lot of action or forward movement. The lessons taught and emotions elicited were excellent, however. I was horrified that female nurses were told they weren't heroes and even that women never went to Vietnam at all or that anyone who served came home to a country that hated them and couldn't separate the soldiers from the wear. THE WOMEN does a great job illustrating how the U.S. changed over twenty years of war--and who in the U.S. suffered during that transition. I just wish Frankie had a better storyline and personality to hold her own with the power of the wartime backdrop. Still, I enjoyed this book and all it had to offer. 4 stars.



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