The Women by Kristin Hannah

The missing. The forgotten. The brave… The women.

From master storyteller Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Nightingale and The Four Winds, comes the story of a turbulent, transformative era in America: the 1960s. The Women is that rarest of novels—at once an intimate portrait of a woman coming of age in a dangerous time and an epic tale of a nation divided by war and broken by politics, of a generation both fueled by dreams and lost on the battlefield.

“Women can be heroes, too.”

When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these unexpected words, it is a revelation. Raised on 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 choice for her life. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she impulsively joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path.

As green and inexperienced as the 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 and politically divided America.

The Women is the story of one woman gone to war, but it shines a light on the story of all women who put themselves in harm’s way to help others. Women whose sacrifice and commitment to their country has all too often been forgotten. A novel of searing insight and lyric beauty, The Women is a profoundly emotional, richly drawn story with a memorable heroine whose extraordinary idealism and courage under fire define a generation.

Kindle Edition, 480 pages

Expected publication February 6, 2024

 by St. Martin's Press

5/5 stars

My love for Kristin Hannah's writing is what made me read The Women, Vietnam is not a place I visit in my HF reading. I am very glad I read this book, it was an eye-opener to say the least.

Frankie is a naïve 20-year-old raised with privilege, an impulsive decision sent her to nursing school and then she enlisted in the army. The author didn’t hold back on what transpired in the war, from the brutal conditions, the violence as well as the friendships that develop.

I was very thankful that the publisher gave me a digital arc along with the audio book. I found myself listening to the audio following along on my Kindle - it wasn't the type of story that I multitasked with but sat and absorbed it. The story was compelling and gripping.

I'll confess that there were times I have visions of Mash (the tv series) in my brain, but with more primitive conditions. It’s after Frankie comes home that the story becomes more heartbreaking and emotional. It’s during a time when PTSD was not really a thing and the fact that nurses were not considered Vietnam vets, making any type of help unavailable to her.

I’m also thankful also that my copy included the author notes with the authors inspiration, her numerous sources, and her strong desire to get this story out.

The Women is a well written strong historical story, it is a story of friendship, heartache and family along with addiction and longing. I think Kristin Hannah’s best book to date. One that will stay with me for a long while.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for advanced copies.  The Women releases on Feb 6, 2024.

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

Texas, 1934. Millions are out of work and a drought has broken the Great Plains. Farmers are fighting to keep their land and their livelihoods as the crops are failing, the water is drying up, and dust threatens to bury them all. One of the darkest periods of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl era, has arrived with a vengeance.

In this uncertain and dangerous time, Elsa Martinelli—like so many of her neighbors—must make an agonizing choice: fight for the land she loves or go west, to California, in search of a better life. The Four Winds is an indelible portrait of America and the American Dream, as seen through the eyes of one indomitable woman whose courage and sacrifice will come to define a generation.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Nightingale and The Great Alone comes an epic novel of love and heroism and hope, set against the backdrop of one of America’s most defining eras—the Great Depression.

Hardcover, 464 pages

First published February 2, 2021

by St.. Martin's Press

4.5/5 stars

Kristin Hannah is a go to author for me mainly for her historical fiction. I looked forward to reading this book and even pre-ordered it, but with all the buzz around I waited a bit so that my expectation weren’t too high. When I did start it it was a combination read and audiobook. Julia Whalen was the narrator and she did a stunning job.

I am not at all familiar with the Dust Bowl and what transpired there so this book was a real eye-opener. Following the story of Elsa as she navigate through this horrible time in history was hard to read at times, heartbreaking with the whole situation ultimately made this a hard book to put down.

I love the historical aspect and the educational lesson. It wasn’t just the Dust Bowl but the reactions of those they seeked help from, be it people or the government. Even now 10 months after reading this book it has stayed with me (yea I’m behind in my reviews.)

The Four Winds is an engaging novel, while it a story set during the 1930's it’s also a story of relationships, perseverance and family. Kristin Hannah has solidified herself yet again as a go to author.

This book was part of my 2021 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge

Audio Review: Firefly Lane (Firefly Lane #1) by Kristin Hannah

From the New York Times bestselling author of On Mystic Lake comes a powerful novel of love, loss, and the magic of friendship. . . .

In the turbulent summer of 1974, Kate Mularkey has accepted her place at the bottom of the eighth-grade social food chain. Then, to her amazement, the “coolest girl in the world” moves in across the street and wants to be her friend. Tully Hart seems to have it all---beauty, brains, ambition. On the surface they are as opposite as two people can be: Kate, doomed to be forever uncool, with a loving family who mortifies her at every turn. Tully, steeped in glamour and mystery, but with a secret that is destroying her. They make a pact to be best friends forever; by summer’s end they’ve become TullyandKate. Inseparable.

So begins Kristin Hannah’s magnificent new novel. Spanning more than three decades and playing out across the ever-changing face of the Pacific Northwest, Firefly Lane is the poignant, powerful story of two women and the friendship that becomes the bulkhead of their lives.

From the beginning, Tully is desperate to prove her worth to the world. Abandoned by her mother at an early age, she longs to be loved unconditionally. In the glittering, big-hair era of the eighties, she looks to men to fill the void in her soul. But in the buttoned-down nineties, it is television news that captivates her. She will follow her own blind ambition to New York and around the globe, finding fame and success . . . and loneliness.

Kate knows early on that her life will be nothing special. Throughout college, she pretends to be driven by a need for success, but all she really wants is to fall in love and have children and live an ordinary life. In her own quiet way, Kate is as driven as Tully. What she doesn’t know is how being a wife and mother will change her . . . how she’ll lose sight of who she once was, and what she once wanted. And how much she’ll envy her famous best friend. . . .

For thirty years, Tully and Kate buoy each other through life, weathering the storms of friendship---jealousy, anger, hurt, resentment. They think they’ve survived it all until a single act of betrayal tears them apart . . . and puts their courage and friendship to the ultimate test.

Firefly Lane is for anyone who ever drank Boone’s Farm apple wine while listening to Abba or Fleetwood Mac. More than a coming-of-age novel, it’s the story of a generation of women who were both blessed and cursed by choices. It’s about promises and secrets and betrayals. And ultimately, about the one person who really, truly knows you---and knows what has the power to hurt you . . . and heal you. Firefly Lane is a story you’ll never forget . . . one you’ll want to pass on to your best friend.

Narrated by: Susan Ericksen

Series: Girls of Firefly Lane, Book 1

Length: 17 hrs and 54 mins

Unabridged Audiobook

Release date: 04-29-08

3/5 stars

I have read some of Kristin Hannah's latest books, The Nightingale, The Great Alone and Winter Garden, her latest Four Winds has already been preordered.  These all are historical which is my favorite genre.  Slowly making my way through her backlist I grabbed Firefly Lane because it comes out next month on Netflix and I took that as opportunity to read the book first, we all know the book is always better, right?

It's 1974 when Kate and Tully are only in grade 8, not friends yet.  The author did a great job with the first part of this book.  I loved getting to know both these girls, learning who they are, where they came from and how they finally become friends.  Personality wise they are opposites but once the friendship is sealed its sealed.  From there the story continued and I liked watching them grow up and develop into strong young women - it wasn't always an easy path.

I loved the era, it's the same time I grew up in.  It was like a walk down memory lane with the music, news events and even books read.  I could relate to what these girls went through in terms of a career vs staying at home, dating and relationships.

I know that I'm going against popular opinion but I struggled about half way through this book. The pace slowed down, personalities changed and things didn't add much to the story. Coming in at almost 500 pages (depending  what format you read), that's a lot of pages and my attention just started to wean.  

Sorry if this a spoiler but the blurb talks about a big betrayal, I kept waiting for it. It ended up coming too late and was predictable. At that point I was not as invested as I should have been.  Maybe if the author took off 100 pages it might have worked better for me.

All in all the book started as a 4 and slowly went downhill, round off to a 3.  There is a sequel to this book, Fly Away.  Given my feelings for some of the main players I'll most likely pass.  Kristin Hannah's new book,  Four Winds releases next month and I am looking forward to reading it.

Review: Comfort & Joy by Kristin Hannah

New York Times bestselling author Kristin Hannah is beloved by readers around the world for her unique blend of powerful emotion and exquisite storytelling. In Comfort & Joy, she offers a modern-day fairy tale--the story of a woman who gets a miraculous chance at happiness.

Joy Candellaro once loved Christmas more than any other time of the year. Now, as the holiday approaches, she is at a crossroads in her life; recently divorced and alone, she can't summon the old enthusiasm for celebrating. So without telling anyone, she buys a ticket and boards a plane bound for the beautiful Pacific Northwest. When an unexpected detour takes her deep into the woods of the Olympic rainforest, Joy makes a bold decision to leave her ordinary life behind--to just walk away--and thus begins an adventure unlike any she could have imagined.

In the small town of Rain Valley, six-year-old Bobby O'Shea is facing his first Christmas without a mother. Unable to handle the loss, Bobby has closed himself off from the world, talking only to his invisible best friend. His father Daniel is beside himself, desperate to help his son cope. Yet when the little boy meets Joy, these two unlikely souls form a deep and powerful bond. In helping Bobby and Daniel heal, Joy finds herself again.

But not everything is as it seems in quiet Rain Valley, and in an instant, Joy's world is ripped apart, and her heart is broken. On a magical Christmas Eve, a night of impossible dreams and unexpected chances, Joy must find the courage to believe in a love--and a family--that can't possibly exist, and go in search of what she wants . . . and the new life only she can find.

Paperback, 256 pages

Published October 6th 2020

 by Ballantine Books 

(first published November 1st 2005)

4.5/5 stars

Kristin Hannah published this book in 2005, this is the first year I've heard of it - thank you Instagrammers.

It's shorter than her usually fare, but not too short, and it's different. Christmas is a time of family, of healing.  There is magic in the air, even if it's 2020.  Comfort & Joy is a magically story of relationships, discovering what matters and sadly, grief for what's been lost.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't fathom the ratings.  It's a fable and everything a Christmas story should be plus some.  There is mystery, a great setting and flawed characters that are totally connectable.  There are chuckles and a twist that I didn't see coming. An ending that was magically - yea a great Christmas read.

Definitely a book I recommend, but ya gotta read the whole thing to get the full picture.

My copy was part of my 2020 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge.

Audio Review: Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah

Meredith and Nina Whitson are as different as sisters can be. One stayed at home to raise her children and manage the family business; the other followed a dream and traveled the world to become a famous photojournalist. But when their beloved father falls ill, these two estranged sisters will find themselves together again, standing alongside their disapproving mother, Anya, who even now offers no comfort to her daughters. On his deathbed, their father extracts a promise: Anya will tell her daughters a story; it is one she began years ago and never finished. This time she will tell it all the way to the end.

The tale their mother tells them is unlike anything they’ve heard before—a captivating, mysterious love story that spans more than sixty years and moves from frozen, war-torn Leningrad to modern-day Alaska. Nina’s obsession to uncover the truth will send them all on an unexpected journey into their mother’s past, where they will discover a secret so shocking, it shakes the foundation of their family and changes who they believe they are.

Mesmerizing from beginning to end, Winter Garden is that rarest of novels — at once an epic love story and an intimate portrait of women poised at the crossroads of their lives. Evocative, lyrically written, and ultimately uplifting, it will haunt the listener long after the last word is spoken.

Audible Audio, Unabridged

 Published January 14th 2010

by Brilliance Audio

 14 hours, 43 minutes

*****

Peer pressure drove me to the Winter Garden. With so many raving about The Nightingale and The Great Alone, readers were also saying great things about this book. It must have been an audible special at one time and has been sitting patiently waiting in my library. I didn’t read the blurb just jumped in blind.

I didn’t know what to expect and as the story progressed I heard a hard time putting it down. The fairy tale aspect was a unique idea, even though I kinda sensed the direction where that was going.  With the POV's from 2 sisters and the fairy tale Winter Garden is a book of secrets, forgiveness and healing.  It's a part of Russian history I am unfamiliar with, showing with vivid descriptions what the citizens of Leningrad endured.

Whether I would have enjoyed this as much if I read (verses audio) it, it's a story that will stay with me.  Kristin Hannah has cemented herself into my 'read new book upon release' author.

Review: The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

Alaska, 1974. 
Unpredictable. 
Unforgiving. 
Untamed. 

For a family in crisis, the ultimate test of survival. Ernt Allbright, a former POW, comes home from the Vietnam war a changed and volatile man. When he loses yet another job, he makes an impulsive decision: he will move his family north, to Alaska, where they will live off the grid in America’s last true frontier.

 Thirteen-year-old Leni, a girl coming of age in a tumultuous time, caught in the riptide of her parents’ passionate, stormy relationship, dares to hope that a new land will lead to a better future for her family. She is desperate for a place to belong. Her mother, Cora, will do anything and go anywhere for the man she loves, even if means following him into the unknown.

 At first, Alaska seems to be the answer to their prayers. In a wild, remote corner of the state, they find a fiercely independent community of strong men and even stronger women. The long, sunlit days and the generosity of the locals make up for the Allbrights’ lack of preparation and dwindling resources.

 But as winter approaches and darkness descends on Alaska, Ernt’s fragile mental state deteriorates and the family begins to fracture. Soon the perils outside pale in comparison to threats from within. In their small cabin, covered in snow, blanketed in eighteen hours of night, Leni and her mother learn the terrible truth: they are on their own. In the wild, there is no one to save them but themselves.

 In this unforgettable portrait of human frailty and resilience, Kristin Hannah reveals the indomitable character of the modern American pioneer and the spirit of a vanishing Alaska—a place of incomparable beauty and danger. The Great Alone is a daring, beautiful, stay-up-all-night story about love and loss, the fight for survival, and the wildness that lives in both man and nature.

 Kindle Edition, 448 pages

 Expected publication: February 6th 2018

 by St. Martin's Press
*****

“One thing every child of a POW knew was how easily people could be broken.”

My only experience with Kristin Hannah was with The Nightingale, I believe it was her first venture into historical fiction - it made my best of 2015 list.  (My review can be found here). When I saw The Great Alone was coming out I jumped at the chance. Having visited Alaska on a cruise once it wasn’t hard for me to visualize so much of the landscape with its remoteness, harsh weather element as well as beautiful scenery.

What I loved about this book, other than the location was the time period.  The lack of modern electronics was a plus for me. With virtually an untamed landscape, it was a time when cruises and tour groups were sparse.

I appreciate the research that went into this book.  It wasn’t just the landscape with vivid descriptions of the various seasons but what the residents endured, the struggles of 18 hours of daylight and 18 hours of darkness. Even those not suffering from PTSD had to find ways to cope.  The author put me in those scenes of darkness and despair as well as appreciate the beauty of Mother Nature.

The synopsis above does a great job outlining this wonderful book. The Great Alone opened my eyes and gave me a clearer view of PTSD, it helped me to understand this condition and see how Ernt would grasp at anything for a new beginning.  But Alaska back in that time, where authority is scarce and limited phone service is asking for trouble, he was so focused on himself and the present forgetting to look ahead.

“He needs a chance. A new start. We all do. Maybe Alaska                                  is the answer.”

Leni is great character, she misses so much of her childhood, forced to grow up before her time and along with her mother live a life walking on egg shells. Getting inside her head, feeling the raw emotions of this young girl had me connecting right from the first pages. This is a capivating coming of age story, it was a pleasure to read and hard to put down. 

They are many layers to The Great Alone, a story of survival, heartache and challenges. It is one of those books that will stay with me for a long time.

This was one of my last books of 2017, making my ‘best of 2017’ list.  Many thanks to St Martin’s Press (via Netgalley) for and advanced copy.

My best of 2015

I surprised myself with how many books I read last year,150 to be exact. I didn't plan on that many it just happened.

Some interesting facts:

-the longest was 1059 pages with Voyager (Outlander #3) by Diana Gaboldon and the short with 34 pages was Kika the Upside Down Girl Jessica Tudos
-43 were audio books
-54 were new authors to me
-12 new series started
-12 series that I got caught up with or finished
-still plugging away at (Outlander)
-51 books reviewed for netgalley

My top 10 audio books of 2015 - in random order

1) The Secret Life of Violet Grant by Beatriz Williams
2) Lyrebird Hill by Anna Romer
3) The Wild Girl by Kate Forsyth
4) Shadow on the Crown by Patricia Bracewell
5) The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
6)  Inside the O'Briens by Lisa Genova
7) Castles, Customs and Kings by various authors
8) Dolores Claiborne by Stephen King
9) Misery by Stephen King
10) Mr. Mercedes/Finders Keepers by Stephen King
notice a tread there, sadly that trend was broken when I tried Revival in audio

My top 10 (actually 13) books of 2015 - remember in random order

1) A King's Ransom by Sharon Kay Penman
2) The Lake House by Kate Morton
3)  Lost in the Barrons by Farley Mowat
4) The Ones We Trust by Kimberly Belle
5) The Particular Appeal of Gillian Pugsley by Susan Ornbratt
6) Helen of Sparta byAmalia Carosella          
7) The Things We Keep by Sally Hepworth
8) Medici's Daughter by Sophie Perinot
9) Letters from Skye by Jessica Brockmole
10) Lady of the Eternal City by Kate Quinn
11) The Tapestry by Nancy Bilyeau
12) The Voyager by Diane Gabaldon
13) To Catch a Falling Star by Anna Belfrage

So that's my year, how was yours?

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

In love we find out who we want to be.
In war we find out who we are.

FRANCE, 1939

In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn’t believe that the Nazis will invade France... but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent. When a German captain requisitions Vianne’s home, she and her daughter must live with the enemy or lose everything. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates all around them, she is forced to make one impossible choice after another to keep her family alive.

Vianne’s sister, Isabelle, is a rebellious eighteen-year-old girl, searching for purpose with all the reckless passion of youth. While thousands of Parisians march into the unknown terrors of war, she meets Gäetan, a partisan who believes the French can fight the Nazis from within France, and she falls in love as only the young can... completely. But when he betrays her, Isabelle joins the Resistance and never looks back, risking her life time and again to save others.

With courage, grace and powerful insight, bestselling author Kristin Hannah captures the epic panorama of WWII and illuminates an intimate part of history seldom seen: the women’s war. The Nightingale tells the stories of two sisters, separated by years and experience, by ideals, passion and circumstance, each embarking on her own dangerous path toward survival, love, and freedom in German-occupied, war-torn France--a heartbreakingly beautiful novel that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the durability of women. It is a novel for everyone, a novel for a lifetime.

Hardcover, 448 pages

Published February 3rd 2015 by St. Martin's Press

arc - netgalley

*****

I am relatively new to Kristin Hannah, Home Front was my one and only book of hers that I've read, which I loved.

I finished The Nightingale a couple days ago and needed a day or two to gather my thoughts and calm my beating heart.  It's not that often that a book affects me like The Nightingale has and I don't even know if I can do this review justice.  Oh I've read plenty about France during WW II, but The Nightingale is different.

Isabelle and Viann are sisters, different as night and day.  I connected right away with  both of them and it wasn't hard to, the author's writing style just drew me right in.  Written with much detail and emotion I couldn't stop reading.  I got to know both of them so well and as the war progressed their true nature took over.  What lengths will you go to protect those you love?  Or fight for something you believe in? This is a book about survival, loyalty, family, forgiveness and love (plus more).

Beautifully written The Nightingale shows vivid details of what the French had to endure, it didn't matter your religion or nationality or even your age you were at the mercy of the Germans.   Heartbreaking, this book will stay with you long after you are finished.