The Women

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What to expect

Read by Julia Whelan, including an Author's Note read by Kristin, revealing her inspiration for telling the women's heroic stories, which had been either forgotten or entirely overlooked.

From the worldwide bestselling author of The Four Winds, The Nightingale and Firefly Lane (a Number One series on Netflix), The Women is a story of devastating loss and epic love.

'Astonishing. Compelling. Powerful' – Delia Owens, bestselling author of Where the Crawdads Sing

'Stuns with sacrifice. Uplifts with heroism' – Bonnie Garmus, bestselling author of Lessons in Chemistry

‘Powerful’ – Matt Haig, bestselling author of The Midnight Library

An instant Sunday Times bestseller and soon to be a major motion picture!


Women can be heroes, too’. When twenty-year-old nursing student, Frances “Frankie” McGrath, hears these unexpected words, it is a revelation. Raised on California’s idyllic Coronado Island and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing, being a good girl. But in 1965 the world is changing, and she suddenly imagines a different path for her life. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she impulsively joins the Army Nurses Corps and follows his path.

As green and inexperienced as the young men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of war, as well as the unexpected trauma of coming home to a changed America. Frankie will also discover the true value of female friendship and the heartbreak that love can cause.

Listeners love The Women:

'The sure touch of Golden Voice narrator Julia Whelan transforms Kristin Hannah's absorbing novel about Vietnam War combat nurses into an addictive listen' - AudioFile

'It honours ALL women: those who have fought for their rights and freedoms, those who have been overlooked and underappreciated, those who have been forgotten by families and society'

'I’ve been looking forward to this book’s release for months'

'Kristin Hannah has done it again'


The Women was a Sunday Times bestseller from 17.2.24-13.4.24

Critics Review

Hannah’s tale, rich with period detail, is an impassioned tribute to the heroism of the many thousands who did serve, as well as a hymn to female solidarity in the darkest of settings. It’s a surprisingly original take on a well-trodden subject
The Times
Stuns . . . Uplifts with heroism
Bonnie Garmus, bestselling author of Lessons in Chemistry
Astonishing. Compelling. Powerful
Delia Owens, author of Where the Crawdads Sing
A sweeping, powerful story of courage with a detail-rich setting
Good Housekeeping
An epic story
Woman&Home
Hannah is in top form
New York Times
Moving, exceptionally well researched
Stephen King
Kristin Hannah’s novel shines a light on the sacrifice, commitment and heroism of the incredible women often forgotten about in history books. A truly emotional, realistic and unforgettable book
Culturefly
Epic and immersive, this is a moving novel
HELLO! Magazine
The author weaves an epic, luminous novel that explores the forgotten stories of heroic women who sacrificed all for their country
Woman's Weekly
Hannah explores the forgotten stories of heroic women who sacrificed everything for their country
Woman's Own
A beautifully written tribute to a group of veterans who deserve more appreciation for the incredible sacrifices they made
Bill Gates

User Reviews

Book 4.8
Narration 5.0
5.0
5.0
Brilliant book, eye opening and totally engaging. Highly recommended.
Bridget73 22/11/2025
5.0
5.0
Very hard read but so worth it. Kristin Hannah is a wonderful writer.
patriciapidgeon 18/10/2025
5.0
5.0
sebas 25/06/2025
5.0
5.0
silvie 10/01/2025
4.0
5.0
A good story, a little predictable in the second half but captivating enough to enjoy. The narrative about Vietnam and the role and lives of the women was really interesting to read as I was not too familiar with the Vietnam War.
susiesocial 13/05/2024

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