The Women by Kristin Hannah

I’ve been meaning to get back into posting on LibraryThing, and I received an email that sparked my interest again!

Syndetics Unbound recently released the list of 2024’s most popular books from US public libraries, and I was not surprised to see that The Women by Kristin Hannah topped the list.

The Women was published on February 6th, 2024. and tells the story of a young woman coming of age in 1960s America. After her brother enlisted, Twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath joins the Army Nurse Corps and serves in Vietnam, navigating the turbulent times and her challenges. 

In the book, The Women, I appreciate that this well-loved novel looks at the courage of combat nurses but the true challenge unfolds as the characters face the battle of returning home after the Vietnam War. It is a struggle not just with the physical and emotional scars of war, but with the complexities of reintegrating into a society that doesn't fully understand or recognize their experiences. This journey of healing, reconciliation, and self-discovery represents a powerful narrative about resilience, the strength of the human spirit, and the often overlooked impact of war on women. The story delves deeply into the internal and external battles women face as they strive to find their place in a world that has moved on without them.

About the Author

Kristin Hannah is a bestselling author with more than 20 novels under her belt. She’s best known for The Nightingale, which became a global sensation. It won the People’s Choice Award for Best Fiction that same year and was lauded as a Best Book of the Year by outlets like Amazon, Buzzfeed, and the Wall Street Journal.

Her novel The Great Alone became an instant New York Times #1 bestseller in 2018.

In 2021, The Four Winds was published and immediately shot to the top of bestseller lists across the country, while also being named a Best Book of the Year by several major outlets.

Hannah’s Firefly Lane, about two lifelong best friends, was adapted into a highly successful Netflix series. The show, starring Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke, became a hit when it premiered.