As someone who reads multiple books a month, I can, without a doubt, assure you that Kristen Hannah’s newest novel, The Women, is by far the most beautiful, compelling book I have read all year. 

The book follows the story of Frances “Frankie” McGrath, who, upon learning that “Women can be heroes” signs up to serve as a U.S. Army Nurse during the Vietnam War. That being said, this book isn’t for the faint of heart. Including graphic depictions of violence, death, and Napalm attacks, Hannah pulls no punches when it comes to laying bare the horrors of the Vietnam War.

This book, however, aims to do much more than simply bring awareness to American actions in Vietnam; it also seeks to show us the role that women played in this conflict and the unique struggle they faced upon returning home. Many brave female nurses (such as Frankie) who risked their lives to save the lives of countless American soldiers came home only to have their experiences and service completely invalidated.

The family and friends of these women told them to forget Vietnam and move on. Others simply believed that no women ever actually served overseas, and Frankie is told repeatedly that no women were serving in Vietnam. When the group “Vietnam Veterans Against the War” came into existence, many of the male soldiers felt that women had no place in the movement since they never actually “fought” on the front lines. 

With all this in mind, Hannah brings forth a beautiful, heartbreaking tale of a woman who, hoping to bring honor to her family and her country through military service, returns home to find nothing but shame, resentment, and blatant sexism. 

Frankie, like all of Hannah’s protagonists, is incredibly lifelike, so much so that you will find yourself emotionally entwined with her struggles. It is amazing to see how she grows and evolves throughout the novel, while at the same time, we feel parts of our innocence slip away alongside her own. 

I also believe that this novel really humanizes the Americans involved in the war. We begin to see just how much our government lied not only to the American public but also to its soldiers, and we start to understand that these soldiers were just as confused about the motives behind the war as many American citizens were.  

There exist quite a few scenes in the book where U.S. soldiers are slaughtered in a battle, only for their few surviving compatriots to later hear false radio reports cataloging another American victory with few to no casualties. Frankie and other service men and women learn that their government and their commanders are lying to them, but what can they do other than follow orders and stay alive? 

Truly, this is a book about survival. Survival in a time of war. Survival in the face of public backlash. Survival in the face of invalidation and discrimination. Survival when no one stands on your side. 

In the end, Frankie must do all of these things, and the result is one of the most compelling books I have ever read. We are never quite sure what exactly is going on, because Frankie is constantly being lied to and manipulated. The novel is fast-paced and action-packed and has something for everyone: action, romance, found family, drama, history, the list goes on. 

What I’m trying to say is that, if you read The Women, it will change you. Even if you don’t necessarily “like” it (which I promise you will), you will find yourself absorbed in the story, and you will never view the world (or the government) the same way again. 

You’ll find yourself full of questions. How do we know what is true? If the government can lie to the entire American public once, can it do it again? How do we know it’s not doing it again? How complete is our history? Whose stories are being eliminated from the narrative?

Frankie’s story is one of endurance and eventually, one of hope, and it teaches us lessons that we all need to hear, especially with elections being right around the corner:

We can (and should) love and support our country while still recognizing its past wrongs. Don’t trust everything mainstream media tells you. Have faith in your government, while understanding that we can’t always trust those who run it. Honor those who fought to get us to where we are today.

And remember: “Women can be heroes”.