Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

The Women by Kristin Hannah

10 reviews

mbrogs2024's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Vomit, Car accident, Murder, and Pregnancy

Minor: Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

knkoch's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This is an impressively researched and thorough historical novel that gives attention to a neglected contingent of the Vietnam War: the women and men who served as combat nurses and surgeons. The detail in the medical, shelling, and in-country scenes was gripping. I do appreciate that the entirety of Frankie's two tours only covers the first half of the book, as understandbly Frankie's main battle after surviving Vietnam is surviving and eventually healing from the PTSD she acquires. I don't doubt the raw depictions of drug and alcohol abuse, depression, and suicidality she experiences were informed by Kristin Hannah's research into the accounts of real women who served as combat nurses. It does feel a little as though MC Frankie is present for and experiences a bit too much plot, which turns this from a realistic historical novel (character-wise) into a more educational amalgam of many experiences embodied by virtually a single character. That's not the worst thing, but it does change subtly what this is. I was reminded of Brotherless Night and how V.V. Ganeshananthan expertly established an entire community of Tamil Sri Lankans to spread out the impact of the events and impacts of civil war. In that book, the characters shown through a bit more because no one or two character withstood every personal challenge. So, while The Women felt detailed and real, I don't know that I quite believed Frankie was a real person, as much as she felt like a vessel.  

I think Hannah did well at balancing respect for the horrors of war that service members of all divisions experience without engaging in uncritical patriotism. Frankie and her fellow nurses were among many vets who ended up protesting U.S. wartime policy decisions, as well as their treatment by institutions like the VA and the invalidating dismissal of their roles they received once home. Self advocacy is a huge component of this story. Ultimately, there are so many people who got swept up and away by the larger political forces at work that initiated and sustained U.S. military operations in Vietnam. It's a complicated thing to both care for and support healing for veterans without condoning the governmental decisions that made them into veterans. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Infidelity, Miscarriage, Police brutality, and Pregnancy

Minor: Torture

Not trying to utilize every possible TW, but it's a pretty raw look at PTSD resulting from war. The medical gore is about as explicit as can be.

ksanderss's review against another edition

challenging emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation

thebookaddict's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Wat een heftig en mooi boek. Ik heb zo ontzettend genoten van dit verhaal. Je leert heel veel over de Vietnam oorlog en het is heel realistisch beschreven. Je voelt alle emoties alsof je her zelf meemaakt. Het verhaal en de gebeurtenissen die het hoofdpersonage meemaakt maakte diepe indruk op mij. Ik had het zo met haar te doen. Ik vind oorlogsverleden altijd erg interessant en dit is zeker één die ik kan aanraden. Het bevat erg heftige onderwerp dus lees wel vab te voren de trigger warnings!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Antisemitism, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

dev921's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and War

hmkuecker's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Oof… another book that I’m not sure I’ll ever have proper words for. It was so fascinating to learn about Vietnam, and like anyone else, left me so devastated that we didn’t know more. When I disagreed with things, I really grounded myself in thinking about how they were reactions to trauma. But, the 2nd part of the book did feel repetitive, and honestly wish there could have been a happy ending without love.  

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, and War

woodventures's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and War

jlye's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and War

It honestly took me a few chapters to really get into this book, but as the story progressed I couldn’t put it down. The ending felt a bit contrived and I totally predicted where things were heading with one character in particular, but overall, a fascinating read.

fanchera's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

maddiemadelineclaire's review against another edition

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Death of parent, War, and Injury/Injury detail