The Women; A Novel

From the acclaimed author of The Nightingale and The Four Winds comes The Women—a powerful coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of a fractured nation at war.

Women can be heroes. For twenty-year-old Frances "Frankie" McGrath, these words ignite a revelation. Raised in the sunny, sheltered world of Southern California, she has always followed the rules. But in 1965, with the world shifting around her and her brother heading off to Vietnam, Frankie makes a bold choice: she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows him into the heart of war.

Thrust into a world of chaos and destruction, Frankie faces the brutal realities of battle. Each day is a fight for survival, where friendships are forged and shattered in an instant. She stands among the lucky, the brave, the broken, and the lost—forever changed by what she witnesses.

But war is only part of her journey. Returning home, Frankie and her fellow veterans find themselves in a country eager to forget Vietnam, greeted not with gratitude but with anger and indifference. The greatest challenge she will face is finding her place in a world that no longer understands her.

More than just one woman’s story, The Women honors the courage, sacrifice, and resilience of the often-overlooked women who served. A stirring novel of deep friendships, unwavering patriotism, and the cost of war, it introduces an unforgettable heroine whose strength and idealism define a generation.