The Women. Kristin Hannah

When twenty-year-old college student Frances McGrath hears that “women can be heroes,” she is both bewildered and inspired. Raised in the idyllic atmosphere of sunny Southern California under the wing of conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing everything right. Then in 1965, the world changes, and suddenly Frances dares to imagine a different future for herself. Her brother goes to serve in Vietnam, and she, following in his footsteps, joins the U.S. Army Nurse Corps.

Young and inexperienced, like the men who are sent to Vietnam, Frances, who has become Frankie here, is overwhelmed by the chaos and horror of war. Every day is a roulette wheel that can save or take lives, give hope or betray. Friendships here are stronger than ever, but they can also be shattered in an instant. Frankie meets happy, brave, but physically and mentally damaged people, and eventually becomes one of them herself.

But the war is only the beginning. The real battle begins at home, where the veterans are met by angry protesters and an America eager to forget Vietnam.

This novel is the story of one woman who went to war, and at the same time, of all American women who put themselves in danger, but whose sacrifice and devotion to their country were too often overlooked.