This is a sad, difficult book, but so worth it. I have a much greater appreciation now for what so many women and men sacrificed so that I could have a comfortable, peaceful life. I didn't think Kristin Hannah would write another book as good as The Nightingale, but this one sure comes close. ( )

I liked the story and learned alot about the medical teams stationed in Vietnam. Since there were no women sighed up for active duty, the women who went to Vietnam in support roles were disregarded and refused help for mental health issues when they returned home. I have read many Kristen Hannah books but I found this one could have been alot shorter. It was much too wordy and I found unecessary to move along the story. I didn’t like the ending, it was just too predictable and could have ended differently making the story more believable. ( )

A must read concerning the female nurses who served during the Vietnam War. ( )

Frankie McGrath was raised in a wealthy family filled with military heroes. The time is the Vietnam War. When her brother goes off to war as an officer, he is considered a hero. Deciding that she needs to do something more with her life than attend luncheons, she having been trained as a nurse, joins the Army and is sent to Vietnam.

The novel is filled with many cultural references to the time: music, personalities, etc. However, the story of Frankie seems to tie absolutely everything about the war in one story.

She loses her innocence once in Vietnam and slowly becomes a hardened, but capable nurse. There are parts of this time, however, that the book borders on "romance" - handsome doctor, etc.

Once back in the states, even her parents are somewhat ashamed of her; the war was a disaster; the vets are treated poorly and Frankie bares the brunt of her family's and her countries wrath.

A very different look at women in Vietnam than "Absolution" by Alice McDermott. ( )

Idealistic nurse Frankie McGrath rushes off to the Vietnam War in hopes of accomplishing something heroic. But of course, like so many others who served in that appalling conflict, wartime trauma is exacerbated by the horrors she experiences once she returns back home - anti-war demonstrators who revile her, parents who are ashamed of her, a past life she's outgrown, PTSD.

Hannah's prose isn't particularly nuanced but it is effective at communicating the sights, sounds, smells and horrors of Vietnam. Our protagonist, Frankie, isn't very nuanced either, but her story hits all the marks that one would expect in a novel about the experiences of a nurse who served in Vietnam War. Everything feels very accurate, probably due to the fact that Hannah's research included (according to the acknowledgments) many conversations with actual Vietnam nurses and soldiers. Certainly it feels very true to my personal memories of those wartime years.

The relatable protagonist, the straightforward story, the politically correct "mea culpa" theme (the trauma of all Vietnam war vets was unforgivably depreciated, but especially the trauma of female veterans), the female bonding, the weepy bits, the satisfyingly redemptive ending: is it just me, or does this feel like this was practically made to be turned into a Hollywood screenplay?

In summary, I'd characterize this as a relatively quick read that delivers plenty of feels without making too many demands on the reader. ( )