#15 in Historical fiction
The Women
- 480
- Pages
- about 9 h
- Reading time
- NYT bestseller · 54 weeks on the list, peaked at #1
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About the book
Women can be heroes. When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path. As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. Each day is a gamble of life and death, hope and betrayal; friendships run deep and can be shattered in an instant. In war, she meets—and becomes one of—the lucky, the brave, the broken, and the lost. But war is just the beginning for Frankie and her veteran friends. The real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America, to angry protesters, and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam. The Women is the story of one woman gone to war, but it shines a light on all women who put themselves in harm’s way and whose sacrifice and commitment to their country has too often been forgotten. A novel about deep friendships and bold patriotism, The Women is a richly drawn story with a memorable heroine whose idealism and courage under fire will come to define an era.
Where the score comes from
The sources average 8.6 across 555 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 79% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Historical fiction average of 8.0. That is how 8.4 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 8.0 | 5 | 1% |
| Hardcover | 8.6 | 550 | 99% |
Reader voices
The most-liked reviews on Hardcover (credited to their authors).
“This was readable. That's about the best I can say. I just found the whole thing very lack-lustre, and quite frankly, boring. I didn't think it shed a new perspective on historical events or make any profound observations. But nor were the characters well developed…”
“"No fear, McGrath." I’m not crying, you’re crying. Seriously, who’s cutting all the onions in here? I’m not one to get sentimental or teary when reading very often, but this one unexpectedly did me in. Fair warning, this is a sad book with many trigger…”
Frequently asked
How long is The Women?
It has 480 pages — longer than 58% of the ranked books in Historical fiction.
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
Same shelf — Historical fiction — with scores between 8.2 and 8.5, closest to this book.
