The Women by Kristin Hannah

Rating: 4 of 5 stars 

Pages: 464 pages
Published: February 2024

The Women by Kristin Hannah is a work of historical fiction that follows the coming-of-age of protagonist Frances “Frankie” McGrath, a young woman who naively volunteers to serve as a nurse in the Vietnam war. Inspired by her father’s wall of military heroes and encouraged by a childhood friend who insists that women can be heroes too, Frankie signs up shortly after her older brother deploys. Just before she leaves, she learns he has been killed in combat — an emotional blow that shapes everything that follows.

Against her parents’ wishes and their shared fear of losing their only surviving child, Frankie arrives in Vietnam and is immediately thrust into the brutal reality of war. She forms deep bonds, loses people she cares about, and witnesses unimaginable tragedy. When she returns home, she finds a country in turmoil. Society is severely fractured by protests against the war, and most of the public is unwilling to acknowledge the service of those who fought. The remaining two-thirds of the novel follow Frankie as she struggles to heal, rebuild her identity, and navigate a world that no longer makes sense to her. 

I found the historical elements of this book incredibly compelling. While I wasn’t alive during this era, I grew up learning about it. I remember the late Senator John McCain sharing his story as a POW during his presidential campaign. That context helped ground my reading. What challenged me, however, was Frankie’s naivety. It was difficult to imagine someone like her volunteering for a war without doing any research, and her sense of helplessness upon returning home was frustrating at times. But I also recognize that I read this in 2026, through a modern lens where women (at least for now) have far more independence and agency than they did in the late 60s and 70s. My expectations were shaped by my own era, not hers. 

It was also jarring to read about soldiers returning home without support or celebration. Coming from a military family with service in Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom, my lived experience is that service members are honored for their bravery. That disconnect is a limitation of me as the reader; not the book. 

Now, the part I cannot forgive, and hence the 4-star rating, was the romance elements. It felt so unbelievable that a woman who survived the death and devastation of Vietnam would remain so emotionally stuck on a lost love. I wanted Frankie to be stronger, and I felt the romantic thread was unnecessarily drawn out. Still, once I pushed through that section, the ending delivered a satisfying and meaningful conclusion.

Recommendation: Hannah is a gifted writer with an extraordinary ability to transport readers to the time periods she brings to life. Her research permeates every page, and this novel is clearly a labor of love. In her endnotes, she shares that she first wanted to write this book in 1997, and honestly, I’m glad she waited because I might have missed it otherwise. The Women is Kristin Hannah at her best, and I recommend picking up a copy. In a moment when we find ourselves in another global conflict no one asked for, this novel is a powerful reminder that if we don’t learn from history, we are destined to repeat it. 

Other Books by Kristin Hannah I’ve Reviewed 

The Four Winds

The Nightingale 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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Grown Women by Sarai Johnson

Rating: 4 of 5 stars 

Pages: 320 pages
Published: May 2024

Grown Women by Sarai Johnson was the monthly author chat selection for the Modern Mrs. Darcy online Book Club, and it immediately pulled me into the lives of four generations of women all bound by tender yet tumultuous mother-daughter relationships. The novel spans several decades, beginning with Charlotte, who is on the cusp of becoming a new mother while facing a difficult situation. From there, we follow a coming-of-age arc as Charlotte raises Corinna and later Corinna raises her daughter, Camille. Each woman navigates traumatic situations, familial secrets, and the complicated work of trying to love one another in a family where silence often speaks louder than words. Midway through the story we meet Charlotte's mother, Evelyn, who adds another complicated layer to the story. With so many intertwined storylines, and three characters whose names begin with the same letter, I occasionally found myself needing to pause and reorient myself. 

This is Johnson's debut novel, and I think she handled the weight of these layered themes with care. She writes the bonds between the women with honesty and nuance. I didn't walk away from the book loving every character, but I did walk away believing them. Each woman is written in a realistic and imperfect way. Both the mother's and daughters' unresolved pain shapes their choices and their relationships, leading to truly heartbreaking moments that felt so real. 

Though the book explores a great deal of darkness, there is a bit of light. There are moments of connection, clarity, and hope that help break up the heaviness. This quiet strand of hope woven throughout the novel reminds us that healing and maturing is rarely linear. And because of each character's resilience, I did find myself rooting for a peaceful ending for each of them. 

Overall, I appreciated the journey of getting to sit with these characters and watch their stories unfold. I believe Johnson did an excellent job of developing them, giving each one's story care and depth. Having said that, after investing the time in reading the book, the ending felt a bit abrupt, almost like a door slamming shut just as I was stepping through. Upon reflection, I realized I had anticipated more closure and more space to breathe after such immersive storytelling. 

Recommendation: Grown Women is a powerful, emotionally resonant novel that explores the complexities of mother-daughter relationships with honesty and heart. I would recommend this title to fans of literary fiction, multigenerational sagas, and stories that include both the darkness and the light. 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars 

Pages: 304 pages
Published: September 2025

When I first read the synopsis of Angela Flournoy's, The Wilderness, I was genuinely excited about reading it. A coming-of-age story about a group of Black women growing together through their young adulthood to mid-life? Sign me up! The novel sets out to explore how their friendships evolved over the years. At its core, the novel is about connection - how they support one another, the histories they share, and how they sometimes disappoint each other and themselves. Friendship and personal growth are two themes I'm always drawn too, plus I love literary fiction, so I was eager to see how the author would bring this story together. 

The story began strong, but the execution quickly let me down. It was very difficult for me to settle into the narrative because Flournoy uses a non-linear timeline, shifting between characters with no structural set-up. These abrupt transitions often left me disoriented as I read. I spent a large part of the reading trying to figure out where the characters were in time and which character I was following. Perhaps Flournoy used this device to help the reader experience those confusing yet pivotal seasons of adulthood. However, for me, it didn't deepen the emotional impact. Conversely, the structure weakened the story, and the message was lost. 

Another challenge for me was the way the characters' voices were written. The women all shared similar tone, so it made it difficult to distinguish one from another until a clarifying detail was presented revealing which character was driving a particular chapter and where I, as the reader, found myself in the journey of their lives and friendships. While this stylistic choice may have been intentional to highlight the friends' (and possibly the readers') shared experiences, it again created confusion and made it harder to connect with each woman as an individual. 

I recently watched a virtual author talk featuring Flournoy, and her passion for writing is undeniable and inspiring. I have heard rave reviews about her debut novel, The Turner House. And to be fair, I saw glimpses of her talent in how she captured the elements of womanhood, friendships, and relationships as well as how these evolve as life becomes more complicated. I can see why some readers have connected with this book, and why it has received critical acclaim. My experience may very well be in the minority. 

Recommendation: If you enjoy character-driven stories, non-linear structures, and don't mind a reading journey that feels a little disjointed, this may be the book for you. While I didn't fully appreciate this novel, the presented themes of connection and enduring bonds of friendship still resonated. 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

Rating: 5 of 5 stars 

Pages: 448 pages
Published: February 2015

I’ve heard great things about Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale for years. From friends to colleagues to book club reviews, I’ve known this is a book that should be on my radar. I asked for a hard copy for Christmas 2024, and my lovely mother-in-law gifted me this book. You would think nearly 10 years post publication, I would have cracked open the beautiful blue paperback right away. No, when I procrastinate, I go all the way. I started reading this book in September 2025, and I fought sleep nearly every evening of the month to put the book down. The Nightingale is my second Hannah read. I first fell in love with her prose when I devoured The Four Winds.

The Nightingale is a sweeping and emotional novel that centers around two sisters in Nazi-occupied France. These primary fictional characters, Vianne and Isabelle, are illustrations of the very real heroic acts that were carried out by women during World War II. This is a story of resistance, survival, and the cost of courage. The author’s writing is captivating and cinematic, and it’s no surprise that the story is being made into a motion picture. Hannah doesn’t simply tell a story, she immerses the reader in the experience with her descriptive passages and thoughtful presentation. Through Vianne’s lens, we watch a mother endure the most horrific aspects of the war at home, and with Isabelle we learn of a young woman who fiercely and proactively opposes the war. The novel shows that the war wasn’t just fought on the battlefield, but in homes, in the mountains, in quiet conversations, and hidden acts of defiance.

I enjoy reading novels during the holocaust period; not because they are enjoyable reads, but they broaden my perspective and invite larger questions. Like what does it mean to fight for freedom abroad while suppressing it at home? In this novel, like many others set during WWII, we find people from the United States stepping up in the name of humanity. The country that touts itself as a global defender of democracy, rallying against fascism and genocide also is home to Black Americans who were barred from voting, segregated in schools and neighborhoods, and denied equality and justice. Simply put, the same country that condemned Hitler’s racism upheld Jim Crow laws and turned a blind eye to lynching. 

If we are honest, a lot of those same injustices occur in 2025 just as they did in the 1940s. It makes me question, where have we come from and where are we going. I don’t know the answer to the latter, but I do believe women will continue making an impact. I find storytelling to be a form of resistance because where the truth stands, the lie must bend and break. And this is how we remember accurately, how we reckon with oppression, and how we reimagine a better future for our daughters and nieces. 

Recommendation: Needless to say, Hannah’s book gave me all the feels and moved me in many ways - physically and mentally. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to celebrate acts of heroism and honor freedom … for everyone. 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

Read More