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A review by bookphenomena_micky
The Women by Kristin Hannah
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Headlines:
War in two halves
Invalidation of womens' experiences
Overcoming trauma
The Women charts a story I've never really thought much about before, probably because I'm not from the US, it occured before my birth and my terms of reference are classic films about the Vietnam war. I certainly hadn't thought about womens' experiences of this catastrophic war. There's no preaching in this read but Hannah did a superb job of highlighting the experiences of women, black men and women, PTSD and the ridiculous politics of the time. I could not put this book down.
Frankie was the protagonist at the heart of this story, a young registered nurse who volunteered as an army nurse, having little idea of what she was letting herself in for. She made two friends for life in Barb and Ethel. The narrative of the first half of this book had a brutality and rawness of words. There was anatomical gore, which I could handle thanks to my professional stomach and I appreciated that this aspect wasn't dumbed down; it had huge impact. Alongside the physicality of war, was an ever-present spotlight on how Frankie and others were impacted psychologically.
The second half of the book was important, because war wasn't over when the tour was. Frankie battled just to be able to exist with her losses, the trauma she was experiencing everyday and the disenfranchisement of her experiences from society and family. Frankie was a chaotic mess, very understandably and I actually found the second half of the book just as tense as the first half, just in a different way.
Love and loss were inexpicably linked in this story. My heart broke on a number of occasions for Frankie. The foreshadowing at some early parts in the book stayed with me as I read and I was not particularly surprised at some events but I was at others. I will leave those thoughts there for readers to discover for themselves.
This was a full tension, full angst ride of a read but full to the brim of feelings. I cried near the beginning and I cried at the end seeing some sense of validation for these women. Such a powerful read that I highly recommend.
Thank you PanMacmillan for the review copy.
War in two halves
Invalidation of womens' experiences
Overcoming trauma
The Women charts a story I've never really thought much about before, probably because I'm not from the US, it occured before my birth and my terms of reference are classic films about the Vietnam war. I certainly hadn't thought about womens' experiences of this catastrophic war. There's no preaching in this read but Hannah did a superb job of highlighting the experiences of women, black men and women, PTSD and the ridiculous politics of the time. I could not put this book down.
Frankie was the protagonist at the heart of this story, a young registered nurse who volunteered as an army nurse, having little idea of what she was letting herself in for. She made two friends for life in Barb and Ethel. The narrative of the first half of this book had a brutality and rawness of words. There was anatomical gore, which I could handle thanks to my professional stomach and I appreciated that this aspect wasn't dumbed down; it had huge impact. Alongside the physicality of war, was an ever-present spotlight on how Frankie and others were impacted psychologically.
The second half of the book was important, because war wasn't over when the tour was. Frankie battled just to be able to exist with her losses, the trauma she was experiencing everyday and the disenfranchisement of her experiences from society and family. Frankie was a chaotic mess, very understandably and I actually found the second half of the book just as tense as the first half, just in a different way.
Love and loss were inexpicably linked in this story. My heart broke on a number of occasions for Frankie. The foreshadowing at some early parts in the book stayed with me as I read and I was not particularly surprised at some events but I was at others. I will leave those thoughts there for readers to discover for themselves.
This was a full tension, full angst ride of a read but full to the brim of feelings. I cried near the beginning and I cried at the end seeing some sense of validation for these women. Such a powerful read that I highly recommend.
Thank you PanMacmillan for the review copy.