Kristin Hannah

Stark truths___5 plus

The wall of heroes in Frances Grace McGrath father’s house holds no place for women!
When a friend, Rye Walsh, says to Frances that women can be hero’s, she believes him.
Her brother Finley, a recently graduated naval officer, is deployed to Vietnam. He doesn’t return.
Kristin Hannah has taken the story of women who served in Vietnam and broken it open, revealed it in a way that breaks your heart.
I’m rendered speechless by this beautiful, sobering story of one show more woman’s journey.
Frances is a barely trained nurse, just turned twenty-one who enlists with the Army to nurse in Vietnam. Believe me she hits the ground running, all innocence lost in her introduction to the harrowing circumstances she faces. Vietnam! A place where she’ll grow, grieve, and work under atrocious conditions.
The scenes of the overcrowded Mobile Medical units, ‘in country’, close to the fighting, are horrendous. Apocalypse Now on steroids.
Frances is betrayed by her country, the man she loves, and her family. When she arrives home she’s spat on, she’s abused.
The forgotten women of the war. Even Veteran Affairs refused to acknowledge the women as vets!
I cried a lot during the reading of this. The silence is resounding.
We all know Vietnam was a war that should never have happened. Frances’ story encapsulates that.
Frances’ journey is one of hope and disappointment, of shame and guilt, of coming to the place of personal peace at a huge cost.
Hannah has written a novel for all the forgotten women who served in Vietnam in a myriad of capacities. It’s a tribute to the harsh retelling, of the psychologically wounded, of the people who came home to a government that failed to support them, that refused to acknowledge MIA personal may still being held by the North Vietnamese, that lied to them, and like Pontius Pilate washed their hands, in the blood of their people.
Heroic in scope, tragic in forgotten-ness, a generation lost through no fault of their own. Some bought into the myth, some endured, most lost themselves.
Frances’ story encapsulates them all.
Lest we Forget! I know I won’t!

A St Martin’s Press ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher. show less

Wow! This book was a ride! The depth and complexity of this book creates an emotional whirlwind, eliciting feelings of excitement, sadness, tranquility, frustration, hope, despair, heartbreak, pride, anger, and optimism...the list goes on. The journey isn not just a read but an emotional experience.

The authenticity with which the story is told really blew me away. The realism of the characters' lives moves the narrative beyond mere fiction into a reflection of life's unpredictable nature. show more Elsa's journey reflects this unpredictability. Just when I found myself cheering for her imminent victory, something happened and snatched away the hope I held for her. This repeated cycle of anticipation and loss created an emotional connection, making her journey emblematic of the human condition. I did find myself a little annoyed at how much she lamented about 'not being pretty' but with parents like hers, who wouldn't end up with that kind of trauma?

Loreda is another character wrapped in complexity. My feelings for her bounced back and forth between immense frustration and intense respect. The characters in this book mirror the contradictions and challenges of real life and it realistically reflects the battles between mother and daughter.

The political element of the story created a narrative that placed capitalism in a critical light, often portraying it as the antagonist in the lives of the characters, particularly the migrant workers. In stark contrast, concepts of communism and socialism were depicted with a sense of idealism and hope, suggesting a path toward equality and justice for the oppressed. It is important to highlight the struggles of migrant workers who are caught in the relentless gears of a capitalist system that prioritizes profit over people and this story does it well. I want to send this book to everyone who has knee-jerk reactions to the politics of today.

There are a lot of reviews criticizing how depressing and bleak this story is, but I can imagine that was the reality for so many during this time. I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did, and I highly recommend it if you aren't looking for a predictable fairy-tale of a story, even though it will break your heart over and over. show less

6/5 Stars – Emotionally Unwell and Low-Key Mad at Kristin Hannah

So apparently, Kristin Hannah’s goal with The Great Alone was to emotionally obliterate me and then casually walk away like it was no big deal. Mission accomplished, Kristin. Hope you’re happy.

This book is about a family that decides, “Hey, you know what sounds like a great idea? Moving to the middle of nowhere Alaska with zero survival skills and a boatload of trauma.” Spoiler alert: it goes exactly how you think it show more would.

Leni, our girl, is trying to grow up and find herself while dodging moose, surviving the wilderness, and also navigating the delightful chaos of an emotionally volatile father and a mother who deserves so much better. It’s like Little House on the Prairie meets The Shining, with bonus heartbreak.

The descriptions of Alaska? Breathtaking. So stunning that I briefly considered quitting my life to go live in a log cabin—until I remembered I complain when the Wi-Fi drops for two minutes.

By the end, I was a shell of a person. I cried. I yelled. I questioned why I thought this was a relaxing weekend read. And yet… it was amazing. The kind of book that grabs your soul, throws it around a bit, and then tenderly pats your head like, “There, there.”

Would I recommend it? Absolutely. Just don’t forget to hydrate—you’ll lose a lot of fluids from the crying. show less

Binged on this book right after I came from Vietnam (and the Cu Chi Tunnels, mentioned here too) and it really made me re-think the human tendency to think in absolutes and black and white regarding the war. There were a lot of innocent lives lost, I am glad Kristin Hannah was not biased and open about the pain caused to the locals in Vietnam. But it made me think about the number of soldiers that were...kids, who were fooled by the propaganda and didn't know what they were coming to. Also, show more them coming home was depressing.
I liked the character growth from being that cushy child to a veteran that was anti war. It made me question both over-nationalism, as well as being an anti-war protestor without understanding the nuances of the people going in. show less