TEXARKANA MAGAZINE
I am book nosey. If I see someone reading a book in public, I am determined to find out what they are reading. The other day, I saw a man on a plane reading a book with a title related to Russian Literature from the 1700s. While you don’t see that one every day, I have been noticing The Women by Kristin Hannah in many people’s hands. I, too, read this book over the summer, and it left a lasting impression. I have recommended it to readers of all generations and interrupted strangers reading it to ask them their thoughts. Set during the Vietnam War, The Women tells the story of Frankie McGrath, who was inspired to enlist in the Army as a nurse by the long line of military heroes in her family. Hannah’s writing does not sugarcoat or shy away from the atrocities of war or the trauma that reverberates through the life of a soldier who makes it home and has to find a new normal following time in a war zone. In great detail, Hannah eloquently navigates the reader through the transition of a life lived in Southern California in the 60s to Frankie’s first day in a Vietnam combat hospital. We get a glimpse into the friendships and camaraderie forged by military nurses in that godforsaken place and their years-long journeys of coming to terms with the people they have become. A prominent theme of the book grapples with the untrue narrative often told after the war that women played no significant part in Vietnam. Hannah was thorough in her research and went to great lengths to get the history right, giving these women the spotlight their stories so desperately deserve. While fiction, The Women is based on actual accounts of those who served yet were not recognized for their service. The way Hannah conveys their sense of being forgotten almost allows readers to feel the pain of living and navigating each day through post- traumatic stress disorder while being denied the truth and honor their service deserved. I do not want to give the ending away, but it felt redemptive for Frankie, who finally found a way to attach purpose to her pain. The Women is a story of deep friendships, terrible tragedy, unbelievable suffering, and beautiful healing. Though we have two more months of reading, this book might end the year being my favorite of 2024. “The women had a story to tell, even if the world wasn’t quite yet ready to hear it, and their story began with three simple words. We were there.”—Kristin Hannah, The Women “We were the last believers, my generation. We trusted what our parents taught us about right and wrong, good and evil, the American myth of equality and justice and honor. I wonder if any generation will ever believe again. People will say it was the war that shattered our lives and laid bare the beautiful lie we’d been taught. And they’d be right. And wrong. There was so much more. It’s hard to see clearly when the world is angry and divided, and you’re being lied to.”—Kristin Hannah, The Women “According to the Vietnam Women’s Memorial Foundation statement, approximately 10,000 American military women were stationed in Vietnam during the war. Most were nurses in the Army, Air Force, and Navy, but women also served as physicians and medical personnel, and in air traffic control and military intelligence. Civilian women also served in Vietnam as news correspondents and workers for the Red Cross, Donut Dollies, the USO, Special Services, the American Friends Service Committee, Catholic Relief Services, and other humanitarian organizations.”—Kristin Hannah, The Women
TALK TUESDAY IN PRINT The Women Book Review BY LESLI FLOWERS This Veterans Day, we pay tribute to the courageous men and women who have served our country in times of both war and peace. Their sacrifices, whether on or off the battlefield, have secured the freedoms we enjoy today. Thank you for the countless hours spent in service and the impact you have made on our lives and communities. We honor you today and every day, recognizing that our liberty is built on your sacrifices. As we reflect on your service, we also highlight The Women by Kristin Hannah, a powerful and poignant novel that sheds light on the experiences of military nurses during the tumultuous time of The Vietnam War.
This book review was previously published in our Talk Tuesday email, which goes out to subscribers weekly.
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COMMUNITY & CULTURE
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