Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for “The Women” by Kristin Hannah
Welcome! I’m glad you’re here spending a bit of your day with me!
This is the first edition of what will prove to be the absolute best, most Earth-shattering book column ever. Because, obviously, it’s being written by the coolest, funniest, most nonchalant managing editor turned study abroad liaison the world has ever seen.
This week, I’ll be reviewing “The Women” by Kristin Hannah, one of my favorite books of the year. Gut-wrenching yet inspiring, this historical fiction story of a young nurse serving in the Vietnam War and her subsequent return to the U.S. offers an in-depth look at what it means to grieve your past self and face the memories that created your current self.
I often find that although the narrative of a story draws me in, it’s the life lessons and broader messages that stick with me, long after I’ve forgotten character names and plot details. Hence, I won’t bore you with a page-by-page commentary of the book — the horrors she witnessed in Vietnam, her toxic father, blah blah — and instead, we’ll dive headfirst into the messages I took away from the book.
One, listen to your heart. Frankie faces unbelievable choices, betrayals and images burned into her mind that none of us can even fathom. She quickly learns that she can only live with her choices if she makes them from the heart. Because at the end of the day, the only person we answer to is the person in the mirror.
Two, never judge people with an addiction. Everyone lives with their own demons, and coping looks different for every individual. You never know what someone is going through.
Lastly, your decisions do not define who you are. Frankie makes numerous mistakes and questionable decisions, from reconciling with a pathological liar to driving under the influence. But instead of simply accepting these decisions, she fights for forgiveness, from herself and from others, and creates space for herself to heal. Frankie embodies the idea that one bad call doesn’t make you a bad person; rather, we are good people who will, from time to time, make mistakes.
If you couldn’t tell, I loved this book. I’m a sucker for anything historical fiction and untold stories of women in history, so this book falling into my lap was inevitable. Plus, a romance subplot filled with sweet moments, chuck-the-book-across-the-room-because-the-dude-was-obviously-a-walking-red-flag-all-along outbursts, and everything in between always helps. Kristin Hannah always rises to the occasion, and in my opinion, this is her best book yet.
5/5 stars.
