The Women

The Bestselling, Unforgettable Novel That Has Captured Millions of Hearts

By: Kristin Hannah

Narrated by: Julia Whelan

Read by Julia Whelan, including an Author's Note read by Kristin, revealing her inspiration for telling the women's heroic stories, which had been either forgotten or entirely overlooked.

Adored by millions and soon to be a major motion picture, The Women is 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'

Listeners love The Women:

'The sure touch of Golden Voice narrator Julia Whelan transforms Kristin Hannah's absorbing novel about Vietnam War combat nurses into an addictive listen' - AudioFile

'It honours ALL women: those who have fought for their rights and freedoms, those who have been overlooked and underappreciated, those who have been forgotten by families and society'

'I’ve been looking forward to this book’s release for months'

'Kristin Hannah has done it again'

The Women was a Sunday Times bestseller from 17.2.24-13.4.24

Critic reviews

Hannah’s tale, rich with period detail, is an impassioned tribute to the heroism of the many thousands who did serve, as well as a hymn to female solidarity in the darkest of settings. It’s a surprisingly original take on a well-trodden subject

Stuns . . . Uplifts with heroism (Bonnie Garmus, bestselling author of Lessons in Chemistry)

Astonishing. Compelling. Powerful (Delia Owens, author of Where the Crawdads Sing )

A sweeping, powerful story of courage with a detail-rich setting

An epic story

Hannah is in top form

Moving, exceptionally well researched (Stephen King)

Kristin Hannah’s novel shines a light on the sacrifice, commitment and heroism of the incredible women often forgotten about in history books. A truly emotional, realistic and unforgettable book

Epic and immersive, this is a moving novel

The author weaves an epic, luminous novel that explores the forgotten stories of heroic women who sacrificed all for their country

Hannah explores the forgotten stories of heroic women who sacrificed everything for their country

A beautifully written tribute to a group of veterans who deserve more appreciation for the incredible sacrifices they made (Bill Gates)

Brilliant!

Excellent story of women making a difference and standing together to be heard when it matters most

Beautiful & spellbinding

Loved everything about this book. The storytelling, the performance, the feelings it’s brought out. I had no idea about the journey of these women. Well done

The story travelled through a time in history least touched

The flow of the narrative, the points of interest entwined with historical events and the social landscape of the period. Wonderfully and compassionately presented.

a must read.

just phenomenal. highly recommended, full of insight and emotion, I was hooked from the beginning

An important time in history brought to life.

I learnt a great deal about a war I knew little about through this remarkable novel. Thank you for writing this book.