The Women: The Instant Number One Bestseller from the author of The Nightingale

· Pan Macmillan
4.9
39 reviews
Ebook
480
Pages

About this ebook

Adored by millions and soon to be a major motion picture, The Women is an unforgettable, captivating novel to fall in love with and share this holiday.

A sweeping story of epic love, heartbreaking loss, extraordinary bravery and the unbreakable bond of female friendship about the women who answered the call of the Vietnam War and paid the price.

'Utterly absorbing . . . A triumph' - Taylor Jenkins Reid

'Stuns with sacrifice. Uplifts with heroism' – Bonnie Garmus

'Never has a novel of war metamorphosed so profoundly into a story of the human heart. The female heart' - Delia Owens


They answered the call. Then they fought to be remembered.

'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. But Frankie will also discover the true value of female friendship and the heartbreak that love can cause.

'Thank God for girlfriends. In this crazy, chaotic, divided world that was run by men, you could count on the women'

** The Women has two covers in different colours. Colour is selected randomly upon fulfillment. **

Readers love The Women:

'Three little words. "They were there." Superb. Immersive. Shocking'

'This book turned me into an absolute sobbing mess . . . So well written and utterly heartbreaking as well as uplifting, joyful and empowering'

‘An authentic account of an unforgotten and untold story. Sometimes brutal, sometimes beautiful

'Compelling and heartbreaking. It released all kinds of emotions in me, and has left me wanting to know more about the Vietnam war'

'Wow! One that you dream about at night and think about all day'

‘One of the most gripping historical fiction books I’ve ever read’

Enlightening, informative and a fitting tribute to the female service women and medical staff who served in Vietnam’

‘The story and the characters within will forever be imprinted on my soul

‘This isn’t just a story of the past, it’s a reminder of what we should not forget in the present

Ratings and reviews

4.9
39 reviews
marion mcsweeney
March 12, 2024
just finished The Women. At times I had to put it away as it was heartbreaking. it is a book about strength, love self love and friendship. It also made me realise the sacrifices of the many who were forgotten and condemned for answering their countries call. The strength of women shines through in this book. The struggles of the main character Francis have left me heartbroken, proud and a new empathy for the true survivors of war.
Theresa Connolly
November 15, 2025
a very moving and powerful read that is difficult to put down.
Barbara Evans
August 9, 2025
A very powerful story - must read.

About the author

Kristin Hannah is an award-winning international number one bestseller with over 25 million copies of her books sold worldwide. The Women, along with her recent novels The Four Winds, The Great Alone and The Nightingale, is already the winner of numerous best fiction awards, and is soon to become a major movie. Her earlier novel Firefly Lane was a number one blockbuster series on Netflix. Kristin’s writing has taken readers across multiple eras and to many places, but the thing that connects all of her work is the focus on what it’s like being a woman in challenging times. Kristin is a lawyer-turned-writer and is the mother of one son. She and her husband live in the Pacific Northwest near Seattle.

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