I tend to avoid books about history and war stories – there is enough discord in real life and I read to escape it, not live it even more. However, ‘The Women’ is a #1 bestseller on The New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times so I thought I should at least give it a whirl.
I figured I’d read a few pages and probably just toss it aside and move onto my next emotional support hardcover… boy was I wrong. I found it captivating from the first page and could not put it down. Let me try to find the right words to properly describe the tumultuous journey I just experienced through, and with, the main character, Frankie. At the risk of giving away the story, I will keep this summary short:
‘The Women’ tells a coming of age story of a young woman named Frankie and her experiences during and after the Vietnam War. Through Frankie’s eyes, we see the bravery of the men and women who served in the war and learn about the challenges they faced when they returned home to an unwelcoming America.
The first part of the book takes us to Vietnam, showing the bravery, cruelty and horrors of the war. The second part of the book is just as captivating, as we follow Frankie’s return home. As gruesome as the first half of the book was depicting Frankie in Vietnam, the second has was equally distressing as we watch Frankie struggle to grapple with her former life as a middle-class conservative young woman. The storyline is woven with humor, love, hope, pain and anguish. There were times where I wanted to reach into the book and give Frankie a big hug; other times I wanted to give her a good shake and knock some sense into her.
‘The Women’ gives a new perspective on the Vietnam War, helping readers to better appreciate the sacrifices of our veterans. It’s a story about courage, struggle, and hope.
‘The Women’ is novel of horrors, betrayal and pain. But it’s also about love, courage, friendship and hope. I laughed, I cried and I kept on reading mesmerized by the characters and the stories. I definitely recommend this book. It was nice change of pace and not too complex for my tired mom brain. The author writes: “This book has been a true labor of love, years in the making. I first conceived of it in 1997, but as a young writer, I wasn’t ready to tackle such an important and complex subject. I didn’t feel I had the skill or the maturity to achieve my vision. It has taken me decades to circle back to the Vietnam War era.” I’m no literary expert but I think she knocked it out of the park!
