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The Women

The Bestselling, Unforgettable Novel That Has Captured Millions of Hearts

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The Women

By: Kristin Hannah
Narrated by: Julia Whelan
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Summary

Read by Julia Whelan, including an Author's Note read by Kristin, revealing her inspiration for telling the women's heroic stories, which had been either forgotten or entirely overlooked.

Adored by millions and soon to be a major motion picture, The Women is a sweeping story of epic love, heartbreaking loss, extraordinary bravery and the unbreakable bond of female friendship about the women who answered the call of the Vietnam War and paid the price.

'Utterly absorbing . . . A triumph' - Taylor Jenkins Reid

'Stuns with sacrifice. Uplifts with heroism' – Bonnie Garmus

'Never has a novel of war metamorphosed so profoundly into a story of the human heart. The female heart' - Delia Owens


They answered the call. Then they fought to be remembered.

'Women can be heroes, too'.

When twenty-year-old nursing student, Frances "Frankie" McGrath, hears these unexpected words, it is a revelation. Raised on California's idyllic Coronado Island and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing, being a good girl.

But in 1965 the world is changing, and she suddenly imagines a different path for her life. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she impulsively joins the Army Nurses Corps and follows his path.

As green and inexperienced as the young men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of war, as well as the unexpected trauma of coming home to a changed America. But Frankie will also discover the true value of female friendship and the heartbreak that love can cause.

'Thank God for girlfriends. In this crazy, chaotic, divided world that was run by men, you could count on the women'

Listeners love The Women:

'The sure touch of Golden Voice narrator Julia Whelan transforms Kristin Hannah's absorbing novel about Vietnam War combat nurses into an addictive listen' - AudioFile

'It honours ALL women: those who have fought for their rights and freedoms, those who have been overlooked and underappreciated, those who have been forgotten by families and society'

'I’ve been looking forward to this book’s release for months'

'Kristin Hannah has done it again'


The Women was a Sunday Times bestseller from 17.2.24-13.4.24

Best of 2024 Coming of Age Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Medical War & Military Women's Fiction Women's Voices Heartfelt Inspiring Thought-Provoking Tear-jerking Feel-Good War Military
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Critic reviews

Hannah’s tale, rich with period detail, is an impassioned tribute to the heroism of the many thousands who did serve, as well as a hymn to female solidarity in the darkest of settings. It’s a surprisingly original take on a well-trodden subject
Stuns . . . Uplifts with heroism (Bonnie Garmus, bestselling author of Lessons in Chemistry)
Astonishing. Compelling. Powerful (Delia Owens, author of Where the Crawdads Sing )
A sweeping, powerful story of courage with a detail-rich setting
An epic story
Hannah is in top form
Moving, exceptionally well researched (Stephen King)
Kristin Hannah’s novel shines a light on the sacrifice, commitment and heroism of the incredible women often forgotten about in history books. A truly emotional, realistic and unforgettable book
Epic and immersive, this is a moving novel
The author weaves an epic, luminous novel that explores the forgotten stories of heroic women who sacrificed all for their country
Hannah explores the forgotten stories of heroic women who sacrificed everything for their country
A beautifully written tribute to a group of veterans who deserve more appreciation for the incredible sacrifices they made (Bill Gates)
All stars
Most relevant
This story is epic . Brilliantly told, obviously I don’t know enough about the war in Vietnam , but it comes across as well researched. The subject matter ( the war in Vietnam ) is definitely not one I normally would have chosen, but seeing as it’s Kristin Hannah, and reading the blurb…I was intrigued.
The first half of the book describes how and why Frankie chose to go ti Vietnam as a nurse and the second half deals with all the heartbreaking issues she faces upon her return.
Some of KH’s other books although being brilliant, I found it took me a while to truly be “ grabbed “ by the story….this was not the case with this one, i was all in right from the beginning.
I must say that I was really impressed by Julia Whelan’s narration ( I normally enjoy her readings) but here she really did an exceptional job, both in the fast paced horrifying scenes in the war hospital and the sensitive physiological issues that come later.
I realise that this book is not for everyone, but I thoroughly recommend it.

Just brilliant

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A moving, poignant read that is at its core about war, womanhood and how our brokenness can connect us. Although about a war that many people, especially in the UK, know little about, it is also vitally important now, when men , women and children are dying in the name of governments who care little for their sacrifices

heartbreakingly beautiful

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I have read many Kristen Hannah books. I started with The Great Alone, and was hooked. I had pre ordered this one and counted down the days until it was released and I was hooked again straight away, in the world of "Franke" telling the story of and tackling the tragedy of the Vietnam War. This is powerful stuff and brought to life, once again, by the amazing and talented Ms. Whelan.

The Narration is astounding!

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This book has left me speechless. Captivating and evocative. I couldn't stop listening to it.

Wow!

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powerful story about the women and their sacrifices, couldn't stop listening. very hard but that's to be expected when living out the harsh truth about war. Great book

Powerful story

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