In my blog dated June 24, 2025, titled “Book Review: Home before Morning,” I reviewed Lynda Van Devanter's personal account of her experience as a nurse in Vietnam and the long struggle afterward with PTSD. She described how she found help and eventually helped others through counseling. She also became involved with the Vietnam Veterans of America. In Kristin Hannah’s acknowledgments, she references Van Devanter’s book, Home Before Morning, as well as others. I was thankful I read Van Devanter’s book first.
My husband, Michael, and I often reflect on Laurel (his sister )'s life as a combat nurse in Vietnam in 1968 at the 67th Evac Hospital in Qui Nhon during the Tet Offensive. We wanted to explore the struggles and challenges she faced after she returned, like so many veterans.
After reading The Women by Kristin Hannah and Home Before Morning by Lynda Van Devanter, we were saddened to understand Laurel’s life during and after her service, but it was also healing. Learning more about the aftermath for veterans, especially the women, has been difficult to understand after all these years. Something neither of us was in tune with during this era.
Hannah’s protagonist, Francis (Frankie), a nurse, enlists in the Army Nurse Corps to be there for her brother and to be accepted by her father for her service. She wanted to follow in the footsteps of her family's military service so he would be proud of her and so she could help where needed. She could not fathom the intense trauma she would face. Immediately, she realized her nursing experience could never have prepared her for caring for soldiers at war. The journey of her two years in Vietnam was gripping, terrifying, and required unbelievable resilience.
The second half of the book was an emotionally riveting account of the reality of what happened when Vietnam vets returned. They came home to a country that spat on them, ridiculed them, and disrespected them. This was also the beginning of the mental health organizations researching and treating a “new” condition they called PTSD.
When Frankie returned, she was devastated by her parents' rejection; she wanted to talk about what she witnessed, and was told that was not possible. No one wanted to listen or hear what she had to say. Even worse, when she went for help at the VA, she was sent away twice, with the gut-wrenching words “women didn’t go to war,” and she could not receive the help she needed. Her PTSD sent her spiraling, seeking answers, help, and healing.
Kristin Hannah does a powerful job with her writing to tell this story based on real-life events that shape the characters, especially Francis, in her journey of love, loss, and decision-making. The story of The Women is also about the bond of sisterhood among the nurses who served together. Francis’ friendship with Barb and Ethel went beyond their time together in Vietnam. Their stories of healing in their personal lives and their support for each other helped them cope and find hope in helping other women who also struggled with their experiences during Vietnam.
Historical fiction, like The Women, gives readers an opportunity to learn about the Vietnam War and the people involved that no one wanted to talk about.
Do you have a favorite book you have read by Kristin Hannah? Please feel free to leave your comments below.
