Overview
Kristin Hannah’s The Women follows Frances “Frankie” McGrath, a young nurse serving during the American conflict in Vietnam in the late 1960s. Frankie, a 20-year-old from a privileged background, seeks purpose and swiftly develops into a talented Operating Room (OR) nurse. However, the horrors of combat make the transition to civilian life difficult. Hannah thinks that through Frankie, she may shed light on the lesser-known women who fought in Vietnam. Kristin Hannah is a former attorney and author of 20 novels that primarily focus on women in American society. Hannah’s works have been on various best-seller lists, including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, and Publisher’s Weekly. The Nightingale (2015) was named the best book of 2015 by Amazon, The Wall Street Journal, Buzzfeed, and others. Hannah’s Firefly Lane (published in 2008; premiered in 2021) was adapted for television, while The Nightingale and The Great Alone (released in 2018) were considered for cinema adaptations.
Plot Summary
Frances “Frankie” McGrath, 20, attends a party celebrating her brother Finley’s graduation from the Naval Academy at their parents’ home in Coronado, California. Finley will shortly be serving in the Vietnam War. During the party, Frankie analyzes images of ancestors who served in conflict, which she refers to as the “heroes’ wall.” Rye Walsh, Finley’s buddy, joins her and proposes that she, too, could become a hero someday. With this in mind, she completes college, receives a nursing degree, and works at a nearby hospital, but is only assigned mundane chores.
Thinking of Rye’s remarks, Frankie enlists in the army as a nurse, intending to accompany Finley to Vietnam. Her parents are appalled by her idea and try to persuade her to reconsider. They later discover Finley was killed in action and his body could not be recovered. When Frankie arrives in Saigon, he is immediately put to work as mass victims come. She tries to keep up, but colleagues nurses and roommates Ethel and Barbara (Barb) provide assistance. She is subsequently transferred to the neuro ward for the night shift, which is peaceful. Over time, Frankie becomes close to Ethel and Barb, and they spend their leisure time resting or dancing. Surgeon Jamie Callahan expresses interest in her, but she loses interest when she learns that he is married.
However, when he begs her to transfer to the OR, she does. Frankie becomes a seasoned nurse in the operating room, and she also begins to drink and smoke. When Jamie leaves Saigon, his chopper is shot, and he is taken to the OR. He had a heart arrest and is taken to another facility, but Frankie believes he will not survive. She is eventually promoted and sent to the 71st Evacuation Unit, a mobile unit closer to Cambodia’s border; Barb requests to accompany her.
The women encounter mass casualties almost every day, and in their spare time, they enjoy parties with helicopter pilots. One day, a pilot presents Frankie to his captain, and she is astonished to learn that it is Rye. She develops a connection but maintains her distance after discovering he is betrothed. Barb leaves Saigon, and Frankie writes messages to her mother and Ethel. She becomes frustrated by her patients’ high mortality rate and the media’s portrayal of the war.
As a result, she is sent to Hawaii for six days to recover. There, Frankie meets Rye, who claims he ended his engagement, allowing them to start a relationship. Frankie returns to the Cambodian border and learns that her tour is over. Rye’s tour will end 27 days after her own, and they intend to stay together in California. She decides to surprise her parents with her arrival, but when she arrives in Los Angeles, she is shocked to see anti-war protests. Frankie is spit on by a protestor and is unable to convince taxi drivers to pick her up while in uniform. Her parents are surprised to see her and refuse to ask about her two years in Vietnam. Frankie’s mother attempts to make her a socialite, but she is uncomfortable. She feels anxious, and her sleep is plagued by nightmares about Vietnam. She calls Barb frequently and counts down the days until Rye returns. Frankie gets a nursing job but is only assigned menial tasks. Barb suggests planning a welcome party for Rye. However, when she contacts Rye’s father, she discovers that he was killed in action. Frankie falls into depression. She is fired after breaking protocol to save a life during her night shift at the hospital. She later erupts in a drunken rage, berating her father for his embarrassment over her service.
Frankie leaves the house and crashes her car. She calls Barb, who travels to California with Ethel to retrieve her and transport her to Ethel’s horse farm in Virginia. Frankie and Barb live at Ethel’s house while she attends veterinary school. Barb, whose brother was killed in a riot, participates in anti-war protests, while Frankie studies to become an operating room nurse. Barb persuades her to attend a veterans’ march in Washington, DC. There, she meets with a psychiatrist.
They strike up a conversation, and he inquires about Frankie’s well-being; they leave without her learning his name. Later, Frankie’s mother has a stroke and rushes home. As her mother recovers, Frankie and her father reconcile. He gives her a cottage, and she accepts a position as a surgical nurse. When she learns about an organization dedicated to releasing prisoners of war (POWs), she volunteers to help by writing letters, which becomes a passion. When Frankie runs into Henry Acevedo, the DC psychiatrist, again, they begin a relationship, despite the fact that he is still grieving the loss of his wife to cancer, and Frankie still loves Rye. She becomes pregnant, and the couple prepares a small wedding.
The war is finally over, and American POWs are released and televised. Frankie watches the broadcast and is astounded to see Rye among the POWs. She, Ethel, and Barb travel to the airport to greet the POWs arriving in San Diego. Frankie yells at Rye, but he rushes to another woman with a child. She realizes he lied to her about his “engagement,” claiming he is married. She develops depression, loses her pregnancy, and ends her engagement to Henry. Frankie’s mother gives her sleeping pills (later revealed to be Valium), and she becomes reliant on them. She discovers Rye’s family at the beach and follows them home.
Rye notices and later visits her. He claims that he married before arriving in Vietnam and later regretted it. He intends to get divorced, so Frankie agrees to an affair. However, she is plagued by guilt and takes more Valium. When her substance abuse starts to interfere with her job performance, she is suspended. When Frankie hears that Rye’s wife is pregnant, she believes he will never follow his pledge. One night, under the influence of drugs and alcohol, she wades into the ocean, convinced she can hear Finley. She wakes up in a psychiatric ward and is then transferred to a rehabilitation facility run by Henry, who explains that she has post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Months later, Frankie returns to her cottage but decides she needs time away from her hometown to heal. She sells her cottage and relocates to Montana, where she purchases a ranch and pursues a psychology degree. By the 1980s, her ranch had become a safe haven for women who had served in Vietnam. In 1982, Frankie attends the 36th Evacuation Unit reunion to commemorate the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. There, she meets surgeon Jamie, who has survived his injuries from Vietnam
Part 1, Chapters 1 – 10 Summaries
The first portion of The Women illustrates Frankie’s turmoil. She aspires to find purpose and make a meaningful contribution to the world, extending the theme of Discovering One’s Purpose. She is aware that the men in her family have received recognition for their military service. Her parents also praise her brother, Finley, for taking this path. Frankie understands that expectations for women differ: her mother wants her to marry, while she pursues a nursing degree in the hopes of making a meaningful contribution. She is intelligent and capable, but she has little opportunity to succeed. Frankie pursues military duty for this purpose, further developing the idea of Women as Heroes. Furthermore, the narrative emphasizes the strong relationship between Frankie and Finley. Frankie is at a loss as Finley serves abroad. As a result, she thinks entering the military will help them stay together. Her naiveté reflects her youth, and Finley’s death makes her regret enlisting.
In Saigon, Frankie struggles with flexibility: she follows regulations, pretending that combat is as ordered as her socialite life. The other nurses are pleasant but blunt, and she must adapt to befriend her housemates Ethel and Barb. Frankie is shoved into her job with minimal introduction and feels unprepared. However, she is a quick learner, and others appreciate her efforts. Nonetheless, it takes surgeon Jamie Callahan’s encouragement for her to switch to surgical duty. Frankie is captivated to the vivacious Jamie, but when she discovers he is married, she distances herself. While he is willing to participate in infidelity, it goes against her moral code. The novel discusses adultery as one of the probable realities of war, as a result of being apart from one’s home and family for an extended period of time. Jamie is a healer, but he is also willing to damage his wife by engaging in an affair.
While Frankie claims to have morals, as the conflict progresses, she gets more relaxed about her principles; in this way, her relationship with Jamie foreshadows her affair with Rye. As a result, her tour tests not just her professional abilities but also her emotional needs and integrity, emphasizing The Emotional Cost of War. Frankie is initially taken aback by the amount and severity of losses in Saigon, as she arrived expecting the war to be easily won. However, because she must prioritize patients, she has little time to emotionally or mentally digest reality. She is forced to adapt, and the horrors of war become her new reality. The story portrays drinking, smoking, and partying as modes of escape from this norm, while their long-term viability is called into question. Frankie first dislikes these customs, but she eventually embraces them in order to bond with other nurses and troops. While drinking and smoking are unhealthy habits that threaten to kill her later in the story, they bring some sense of tranquility. Similarly, as the narrative proceeds, she sees decorum and decency as futile in battle, which may explain why married men like Jamie and Rye behave carelessly. Overall, the work contextualizes characters in combat without justifying their actions.
Part 1, Chapters 11- 19 Summaries
Frankie’s move to the 71st Evacuation Unit demonstrates she has grown into her own as a nurse. While the Frankie who came in Vietnam would have been scared of dealing with further death, the new Frankie is unfazed. She develops the ability to remain calm under harsh settings, such as assisting with surgeries during mortar assaults. Yet, she is no less horrified by the injuries and deaths of both American soldiers and Vietnamese people, who all feel The Emotional Toll of War. While Frankie arrived in Vietnam intending to become a hero, conditioned by her father to consider combat as patriotic, she begins to question the purpose of this war. She no longer tailors her letters to her mother, seeking to be honest about her hardships.
This will prove ironic once she gets home, as the narrative deals with real-life rage and shame about the Vietnam War. Frankie is worried about the conclusion of her tour but dedicated to it after completing an additional year of service. She worries living in California will be different, given that she has encountered atrocities. Furthermore, nursing has become her purpose, and civilian life (i.e., marriage, socializing) will likely pale in contrast, related to the theme of Discovering One’s Purpose. At home, Frankie is surprised to be the target of anti-war demonstrators. She is disappointed by their impersonal judgment, but more so hurt by her parents’ lack of judgment—or interest in her in general. She longs to share her two-year tour, to be comforted, and to make her parents proud—when in fact, they are embarrassed of her, having lied to friends and acquaintances about her duty.
They prioritize reputation above Frankie’s genuine nature, presenting her as classically feminine and worldly rather than someone who engaged in battle, pushing back against the concept of Women as Heroes. This decision is also likely influenced by Finley’s death and the public’s anti-war mood. Frankie’s bond with Rye and his apparent death are important to her development. She is instinctively drawn to Rye, having never forgotten his encouragement to become a hero like others on the heroes’ wall. She is positive that without his idea, she would have never come to Vietnam—though this does her a disservice, as she sought for purpose and desired to join Finley on her own.
With that considered, Rye does provide a living connection to Finley, whose memory remains significant to Frankie. This relationship grows into love (or at the very least, passion) for Rye, but like with Jamie, she resists becoming engaged with a “taken” man. She follows to her moral standards, only reciprocating his crush when he pretends to have ended his engagement. Previously, Frankie was devoted to not being sexually active until marriage; however, her time in Vietnam has made her merciful. In their short time together, she falls in love with Rye, his sense of security anchoring her in an otherwise scary scenario. Thus, the news of his death is terrible and exacerbates her sadness. Whether or whether Frankie will overcome her sadness adds tension.
Part 2 Chapters 20 – 27 Summaries
In this section, Frankie experiences additional challenges that make her adjustment to civilian life difficult. Yet, through her pursuit of civilian nursing and Ethel and Barb’s support, she can live with Rye’s death. Though she is considered as inexperienced, she maintains confident in her two years of experience. When presented with a life-and-death crisis, Frankie rescues a patient and loses her job; the hospital’s routine contrasts with the loss of etiquette and propriety in combat, which isn’t to say war is without order, but it tests morals. Being dismissed exacerbates Frankie’s sadness, and her unhappiness with being judged by the public and her parents. While her parents want her to socialize and date—as is expected of young women—she has seen too much and thinks civilian life is no longer her life. She feels herself anxious, but cannot explain why discourse of the war affects her—reflecting the period’s lack of talk of mental health, and the avoidance of the problem of The Emotional Toll of War.
Frankie’s parents and acquaintances are ashamed of her, and when she tries to communicate with male veterans, she is belittled and accused of lying, indicating the reaction against the idea of Women as Heroes. She seeks therapy for her PTSD, but a doctor feels she is overstating her symptoms as a non-combatant. Thus, alcohol consumption and seclusion from social situations become her means of coping. It is vital to highlight that despite Frankie’s respective challenges, she still benefits from relative privilege: While her parents first struggle with her return, they ultimately appreciate military service and use their riches to help her rehabilitate. Frankie’s emotional and mental stability briefly improves when she moves to Virginia with Ethel and Barb. With this relocation, she may receive support from two people who understand her difficulties and take on more hard job.
While she still requires medical treatment, her nightmares reduce while around her pals. Both Ethel and Barb have found methods to deal through their trauma—Ethel by studying toward a veterinarian degree, and Barb by speaking out against the war, developing the topic of Discovering One’s Purpose. Anti-war activism—specifically, efforts to free POWs—also becomes a helpful way for Frankie to cope with frustration. She and Barb channel their passion into something purposeful, determined to engage with the fight despite being targeted by fellow veterans and the public. Frankie is forced to leave Virginia after her mother suffers a stroke, which allows her to reconcile with both parents. Caring for her mother fulfills her, and while her father still suffers with her decision to go to war, he is delighted that she is home again. As for romance, Frankie initiates a relationship with psychiatrist Henry Acevedo, whom she meets in DC; he subsequently diagnoses her with PTSD. While dating, she is convinced that she cannot love him as she still loves Rye. Yet, like Ethel and Barb, Henry proves a key source of support, understanding Frankie’s sense of loss as a widower and willingness to speak out against the war as a worried uncle. This portion concludes in Frankie being pregnant and committing to marriage, a chance at life after two years of death.
Part 2 Chapters 28- 35 Summaries
Rye’s survival sends Frankie into a tailspin: because she has never stopped loving him, she is unsure about marrying Henry as intended. Seeing Rye confirms her platonic love for Henry, but not romantic love. Frankie’s pregnancy loss disrupts her newly found stability. The unconscious loss of her son and the conscious loss of her fiancé foreshadow Rye’s inability to fulfill herself. Against her moral code, she stalks Rye’s family and convinces herself that he is unhappy—a correct deduction that reinforces her need for medical treatment, as this is not a healthy mindset, demonstrating The Emotional Cost of War. While she believes he is her “cure,” her love reads more like desperation than true affection, a desire to be whole again; additionally, he remains a living link to her beloved brother Finley, presumably the only man who believes in Frankie other than former fiancé Henry.
Rye returns her love, but it is far from satisfactory. Like his initial deception about being engaged rather than married, their affair is motivated by lust and secrets. Frankie feels guilty for going against her belief in fidelity, but she pushes it aside when Rye says he’ll divorce his wife. However, Frankie’s happiness is short-lived as his wife gives birth to a second child, and he realizes he will never be true to either of them. Again, the novel contextualizes characters in war without justifying their actions: Rye consoled Frankie in Vietnam and suffered as a POW, but he, like all humans, has flaws. While he may have feelings for her, as Jamie and Coyote do, he most likely pursued her for practical reasons. Frankie’s breakup with Rye worsens her depression. She continues to cope with alcohol and substance abuse, but this puts her in a dream-like state, causing her to lose her nursing job and nearly kill a cyclist. Both cases fail to address the underlying trauma.
Frankie is finally treated after nearly drowning: Henry admits her to his rehabilitation facility after conducting research and diagnosing her with PTSD. Trauma (grief over Finley and terror over having been in a war), according to Henry and other mental health professionals, is central to her substance abuse and must be addressed in order to heal. While difficult, it is made easier by a network of like-minded people. Frankie’s and other nurses’ shared trauma is based on shame, as they survived a war only to return to a society that values traditional masculinity.
With this belief comes a downplaying of women’s experiences, evoking shame for simply being a woman. Frankie helps other women live peacefully in a self-made safe haven. This network of female veterans mirrors that of nurses, healing and honoring the sacrifices made by male veterans. In the end, Frankie becomes a hero in her own right, realizing that the war will have a long-term impact, but that she has the ability to make it a positive one, connecting to the themes of Discovering One’s Purpose and Women as Heroes.
Key Takeaways
Here are some key takeaways of Kristin Hannah’s novel “The Women”:
The Power of Female Friendship: The story centers around the strong bonds between women, particularly the deep friendship that forms between the main character, Frankie, and the other nurses during the Vietnam War. This enduring connection provides them with crucial support as they navigate the trauma of war and the challenges of reintegrating into society.
The Unseen Scars of War: The novel sheds light on the psychological impact of war, particularly on those who served as nurses and witnessed its horrors firsthand. Frankie’s struggles with PTSD highlight the lasting emotional toll that war can take, even on those not directly in combat.
The Struggles of Returning Veterans: “The Women” portrays the difficulties faced by veterans returning to a society grappling with a divisive war. Frankie, like many others, encounters a lack of understanding and appreciation for her service, adding another layer to the challenges of readjusting to civilian life.
The Importance of Facing Trauma: The novel emphasizes the importance of acknowledging and confronting trauma.Through therapy and the support of her friends, Frankie is able to begin healing from her experiences.
The Enduring Strength of the Human Spirit: Despite the hardships they face, the characters in “The Women” demonstrate incredible resilience. Their determination to overcome their struggles and find happiness is a testament to the strength of the human spirit.
Character Analysis
Frances “Frankie” McGrath
The protagonist is 20 years old. When The Women first begins, Frankie is an intellectual and compassionate lady. She has a tight relationship with her brother, Finley, but when she finishes college in California, she feels detached in her own life, unwilling to become a socialite as their wealthy parents desire. Her choice to participate in the American army as a nurse is an attempt to retain her link with Finley (who is stationed in Vietnam as a soldier) while also finding her purpose, which relates to the theme of Discovering One’s Purpose. When Frankie leaves for Vietnam, she is naive and determined to please people by following the rules. She quickly realizes that order is difficult to come by in wartime. Still, she grows as a nurse and discovers that mending is her calling. Frankie’s morals soften throughout the course of two years of service, as she consumes alcohol and cigarettes. However, she maintains faithfulness by refusing to date married men—until she falls for Finley’s buddy Rye Walsh. Frankie’s tragedy has permanently altered her life since she returned home from her tour. She anticipates the transition to civilian life to be difficult, but she does not foresee her undiagnosed depression and PTSD.
Anxiety and dreams make her miss her friends and purpose in Vietnam. Frankie’s emotional and mental health deteriorated throughout the 1970s as a result of her parents’ guilt and others’ antiwar emotions. Despite the efforts of former nurses Ethel and Barb, as well as psychiatrist fiancé Henry Acevedo, she continues to rely on booze and Valium to cope with her PTSD. She seeks to access veteran services, only to be told she is not a non-combatant, let alone a woman. Frankie’s unresolved sadness over Finley and others she failed to save in Vietnam, along with her love for Rye, who proves to be a liar, exacerbates her mental health. It is not until she miscarries her and Henry’s son and nearly drowns while hallucinating Finley that she admits Rye’s infidelity—along with her internalized shame, substance abuse, and trauma. She heals with ex fiancé Henry’s assistance and eventually helps other women with PTSD at a self-built safe haven near Montana.
Rye Walsh
Rye is Finley’s friend and a pivotal figure in Frankie’s life, as he advises she become a hero despite their society’s emphasis on traditional masculinity. In this sense, he differs from previous men in her life by acknowledging her brains and potential. She finds him appealing, and when they reunite in Vietnam, she is lured back to him but keeps her distance because he is betrothed. Aside from this romance, Rye is portrayed as a capable and respected captain by his fellow pilots. He consoles Frankie and helps her fulfill her full potential as a nurse, and she believes she would not have gone to Vietnam without his encouragement.
As a result, she believes his promise that he will end his loveless engagement in order to properly pursue her. Their relationship is brief, as her trip concludes and Rye is purportedly killed in action. Frankie is devastated when she realizes he is not only alive (having been imprisoned rather than slain), but also married and has a child. The narrative takes effort to contextualize both characters while without justifying their behavior: Despite Rye’s prior friendliness and Frankie’s discussions about morals, they begin an affair—possibly because they both have living connections to their beloved Finley. As Frankie works through her guilt and seeks recovery, she understands Rye will never be faithful to her or his wife. He claims to have had a crush on Frankie for a long time, and while this is certainly true, it is also plausible that he sees their reunion in Vietnam as a matter of convenience, a chance for her to finally be outside of her typical setting after feeling out of place with her wealthy family.
Ethel and Barbara (barb)
Ethel and Barbara (Barb) are Frankie’s fellow nurses and roommates in Vietnam, and they become lifelong friends during and after the conflict. Initially, both ladies pose as foils to the naive Frankie, since they are seasoned and jaded about combat. Despite their differences, they help Frankie by offering guidance on love interests Jamie Callahan and Rye Walsh. Overall, they deal with trauma by telling jokes, drinking alcohol, and dancing. Following the war, Barb, in particular, remains Frankie’s confidant. They trade letters and phone calls, and Barb pushes her to seek a new purpose in her civilian life. Barb expresses this through anti-war protests, particularly following the death of her brother in a riot. She ultimately reveals to Frankie that she, too, has dreams about the war. Ethel discovers meaning in becoming a veterinarian and invites Frankie and Barb to live on her horse farm in Virginia—a setting that inspires Frankie’s future safe refuge near Montana. Overall, Ethel and Barb’s love is more likely to complete her than Rye’s.
Henry Acevedo
Henry progressively enters Frankie’s life, eventually playing an essential role in her trauma healing. He is friendly to her since their first meeting at a veterans’ march in Washington, DC; he opposes the war but respects veterans. As a psychiatrist, Henry can detect Frankie’s PTSD. As he falls in love with her, he maintains her limits and his feelings for Rye. When she becomes pregnant and he proposes marriage, she feels happy for the first time in months, even though she is unsure of her love; in fact, in her traumatized state, Frankie believes it does not compare to her lust for Rye. Henry is hurt but understanding when she calls off their engagement. Following her near-drowning, they are reunited at his rehabilitation facility, where he diagnoses and assists her in dealing with her trauma. Overall, Henry is one of the few people who fully understands Frankie’s pain, even if it comes from a platonic, professional standpoint rather than a romantic one.
Discussion Questions:
- Friendship and Identity: How does the war shape the friendships between the nurses? Discuss how these experiences impact their sense of self.
- The Cost of War: Beyond the battlefield, how does the Vietnam War impact American society? Consider the social and political climate Frankie encounters upon returning home.
- Gender Roles: Explore the societal expectations placed on women during this era. How does Frankie challenge or conform to these expectations?
- Unseen Wounds: The novel explores the psychological impact of war on veterans. Discuss the challenges of PTSD and the importance of acknowledging and addressing these issues.
- Moral Dilemmas: Throughout the story, characters face difficult decisions. Identify a specific situation and discuss the ethical considerations involved. Would you have made the same choice?
Critical Thinking Exercises:
- Character Analysis: Choose a character from the novel besides Frankie. Write a character profile that explores their motivations, actions, and how they develop throughout the story.
- Alternative Ending: Imagine the story unfolded differently. Rewrite the ending, focusing on a specific character’s decision and how it impacts the outcome.
- Creative Project: Design a monument or memorial that represents the experiences of the nurses in the Vietnam War.
- Historical Research: Research the role of the Army Nurse Corps during the Vietnam War. Compare and contrast their experiences with those depicted in the novel.
- Modern Connections: The novel explores themes of war, trauma, and female resilience. Consider how these themes resonate with current events or social issues. Write a short essay connecting the novel to a modern-day situation.