Book Reviews: Some Outstanding and Then, Others

I love to read, but I will only do it voraciously if a book is truly outstanding. This week, I had the pleasure of reading such a book.

Historical Fiction

I read “The Women” by Kristin Hannah (2024). If you haven’t read this book, I highly recommend it. Set in the years during the Vietnam War, it follows the main character, Frankie, a young girl, through the war and the years following.

Frankie signs up to be an Army Nurse and heads off to war after finishing nursing school. From a privileged upbringing on Coronado Island, California, to a dirt-floored hut where she stays with fellow nurses, Frankie learns about life and death during this war.

Warning: There might be a few spoilers ahead.

There’s a hint of romance throughout the book that highlights Frankie’s Catholic upbringing and schooling, as she’s determined to be morally correct. She’s a virgin for most of the book, finally giving in to her needs in post-war days at home.

Frankie is a relatable character, especially for me. I was a nurse and can relate to the things that are expected of her as well as the things that happen to her. She’s naive, sweet, and trusting until she isn’t anymore. Most of all, she learns to trust herself.

Her parents…well, instead of being proud of her as a combat nurse, they are ashamed of her. I won’t say more than that, as I don’t want to spoil this aspect of the story.

Frankie comes home after two tours in Vietnam and experiences what most Vietnam Vets experienced – a lack of understanding and appreciation, even hatred. It was not a good time to be in the service.

You meet Frankie’s friends throughout the book – nurses, doctors, and patients. Two of her fellow nurses hold her up more than once throughout the story.

I’m a child of the sixties, but I remember little of the Vietnam War. In 1972, I was nine years old. I remember the POW/MIA bracelets that my Dad (a Vet who served in the late 50’s – but not at wartime) and grandfather both purchased and wore. I remember being told what they were for.

Jumping forward, when I was in nursing school myself in the early 1980s, my psychiatric nursing clinical rotation was at the VA Clinic in downtown Rochester, New York. There, I met my first Vietnam Veterans. They were as messed up (or more) than Frankie in the latter part of Hannah’s book. It was the first time I realized how devastating war can be, even for those who live.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Women. It brought back more fictional memories for me of the show China Beach, which ran from 1988 until 1991, a period of time when I was a practicing nurse in the Intensive Care Nursery.

Hannah is an extraordinary writer. Her characters are so fully developed that you feel you know them. I devoured this book. It only took me three days to finish it. Now, I’m at a loss for something to read.

Other books

Earlier this summer, I read two non-fiction books. The book before I read The Women was Doug Tallamy’s The Nature of Oaks (2021). While it was interesting, and I enjoyed the author’s style of writing, I was anxious for it to end. I gleaned several new facts about oak trees from the pages, and will save it as a reference book for myself. The upshot is that everyone should plant an oak, for the biodiversity this species supports is unmatched. I was surprised at the limited number of species of oaks that grow in Wisconsin. For some reason, I thought there were more.

I could relate to Tallamy in that he lives his passion for oaks and practices what he preaches in his own yard – as do I with monarch butterflies and other pollinators.

Before The Nature of Oaks, I read Where the Grass Still Sings, by Heather Swan (2024). My husband bought it for me as a Mother’s Day present because he heard Swan speak on NPR and thought she would be someone I’d enjoy because of our shared interest and concern about the environment. I did enjoy this book, actually, much more than Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Kimmerer’s book got a lot of press, while Swan’s book has not.

I’ve also been enjoying books by Evie Woods. I started with The Lost Bookshop, followed by The Story Collector, and lastly read The Mysterious Bakery on the Rue de Paris. Wood’s books are filled with a little whimsy, a little romance, and again, relatable characters, as well as some that are a bit quirky.

Books vs. Kindle Paperwhite

I noticed that I am still ordering and reading hard copies of books, despite buying myself a Kindle Paperwhite. I like the Kindle, but I also like the feel of a paper book in my hands. I tend to forget that I read the books on my Kindle, as is the case with the second book I read by Woods. I guess it’s a case of out of sight, out of mind.

Have you read any great books lately? If so, let me know in the comments. My favorite genre is historical fiction, but I like a good mystery, too. Thanks.