The winner was The Women by Kristin Hannah! We'll meet at Tired Hands again but as the weather gets warmer and it stays lighter later we may start looking at outdoor meeting spots. For this book, and moving forward, I will list content warnings after the book synopsis as applicable. Take care of yourselves!
Book Summary:
Women can be heroes. When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path.
As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is over-whelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. Each day is a gamble of life and death, hope and betrayal; friendships run deep and can be shattered in an instant. In war, she meets—and becomes one of—the lucky, the brave, the broken, and the lost.
But war is just the beginning for Frankie and her veteran friends. The real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America, to angry protesters, and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam.
The Women is the story of one woman gone to war, but it shines a light on all women who put themselves in harm’s way and whose sacrifice and commitment to their country has too often been forgotten. A novel about deep friendships and bold patriotism, The Women is a richly drawn story with a memorable heroine whose idealism and courage under fire will come to define an era.
Content Warnings: Sexism, Infidelity, Attempted suicide, Miscarriage, Psychiatric hospitalization, Graphic blood, gore & injury depiction, Medical procedures, Death of a brother, Gun violence, Explosions & bombings, Military violence & Vietnam War (theme) including mentions of chemical gassing
