Kristin Hannah has quickly become one of my favourite authors. Everything I’ve read by her so far has been absolutely brilliant and left a mark on me in some way or another. Her ability to write historical fiction novels about women’s forgotten roles throughout history and have me always feeling something and admiring these people is something I can’t help but admire.
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The Women is Hannah’s latest novel and tells Frankie McGrath’s story of joining the Vietnam War as a nurse. It focuses on her veteran-loving family’s reaction, her experiences during the war and then after the war.
The Women plot – 4.5/5
Dialling in on the emotional impact the war had on women without the recognition men were receiving, you can’t help but feel something throughout The Women. Its tale is one of a lot of sadness and disappointment for women during a time where America itself was going through an internal struggle as Americans began to realise that the war in Vietnamn wasn’t all that heroic and they weren’t actually saving anybody by taking part – in fact quite possibly the opposite.
Hannah’s story-writing skills are quite evident here once again, as with every other novel I’ve read of hers. She has the ability to portray incredibly powerful moments through our protagonist’s thoughts, realisations and interactions with other characters.
You can’t help but feel something throughout Hannah’s books – she’s not afraid to write impactful moments and plot points that will have to have you deeply immersed in the people you’re reading about.
It’s not a fast-paced book, so don’t expect it to be filled with action. However, there are some great descriptions of some important moments and
The Women characters – 4.5/5
Something else that Hannah always maanages to do well, and is evident in The Women, is write brilliant characters that not only make you care about them but also care more about the story as a result.
Frankie, our main protagonist, is a deep and complex character who signs up to be a part of the war in hopes to have her parents’ approval. After a family-shattering incident, this decision has a completely dynamic on the family than she’d hoped. This is a theme played throughout the entire book and one that really has ou vouching for these people.
The relationship between Frankie and her mother is fascinating too – there’s definitely an air of formality but one that’s constantly broken when Frankie’s mother feels Frankie slipping away or feels the formality isn’t working. She wants to be a more emotional, caring and kind mother but lives in a society where it’s not deemed right to be seen to be those things. I loved it.
The Women final rating – 4.5/5
The Women was another incredible book by Kristin Hannah. In this latest instalment, Hannah has really hit her stride with writing historical fiction with powerful women filled with character, emotion and a fascinating portrayal of the different experiences women had throughout history. She has a way of writing stories and characters that really make you want to know what’s coming next, even if it’s not that clear where things are going. If you’ve not read a Kristin Hannah before, how many more reviews of mine do you need to read to realise you should be reading her work by now?!
Buy The Women from Amazon
