A chilling account of war

The Women by Kristin Hannah, Macmillan, $37.99

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.. “Women can be heroes . . . it’s 1966. The whole world is changing.”

These words from her brother’s best friend were the catalyst that led Frankie Mcgrath to enlist in the Army Nurse Corp (ANC), destination Vietnam.

Frankie believes joining up will change her father’s mind that hero status is reserved for men. It was a common notion of the era.

Her brother is already there on active service, but Frankie’s still in training when the chopper he was in is shot down. There are no remains for his family to bury. Such is the reality of war.

This may be a novel but Hannah’s account of action in Vietnam is startlingly realistic. In places it’s downright horrifying.

Frankie deals with men whose injuries are appalling. On day one she’s handed a boot. The wearer’s foot is lodged inside it.

Hannah’s description of what Frankie and her fellow nurses dealt with is chilling. Equally appalling is the way they were treated on their return home. Despite their courage saving lives while under fire they were not considered returned service personnel. The reason – they’d not served in action. Consequently they were denied the support they so desperately needed.

Frankie’s battle with what’s now known as PTSD, her resulting alcoholism and drug use echoes what “real life” ANC nurses endured.

That’s but one strand of this multilayered story line. There’s romance too. Frankie endures loss and heartbreak. She also experiences the unfaltering bond of female friendship.

This would have been another fivestar read from Hannah but what drops it down a notch is its oh so predictable ending. It unnecessarily detracts from what otherwise is a skilful reconstruction of a 20th century war that shamefully has already passed into the mists of time. —