ASD June Book Club: The Women
You may not have noticed, but we haven’t posted a book club recommendation for a few months. Even though Harriet and I read at least two books every month, we don’t recommend unless we love the book. And this month we finally read a book that we thought was fantastic: The Women by Kristin Hannah. We have previously read other Hannah books (The Nightengale and The Four Winds) and enjoy both her writing style and the topics she chooses. Our book club met last evening so I thought I would provide a synopsis of the book, the theme I selected for the club and some book club questions that resonated with our members.
Synopsis: The Women is the story of Frankie McGrath, a twenty year old nursing student who chooses to enlist in the Army Nurse Corp at the beginning of the Vietnam war. Frankie is a sheltered and somewhat naive woman; the atrocities of her experiences Vietnam are overwhelming and heartbreaking. But that is only part of the story. When she returns home, she finds a very different place than when she left. The country is immersed in war protests; Frankie discovers that her service, sacrifice and commitment is not only unappreciated but actually scorned by friends and family. Her difficulty in re-entering her previous life becomes unmanageable. But as Frankie navigates this new world, her strength and determination ultimately allow her to flourish. The Women is not only a story about America, the Vietnam War and the sacrifices soldiers made, but also discusses the changing role of women from the fifties to the seventies. The friendships Frankie forged with the other nurses, her changing perception of not only the world around her but also about her own evolution, makes this book a most compelling read.
The Theme: The Women takes place during the tumultous sixties so the theme focused on this timeframe. Trying to capture this period, I focused on bright colors, a retro menu and some very obvious icons from that period. Think Gerber daisies, lava lamps and black and white graphics.
The menu was rather challenging as I wanted to serve sixties cuisine but realized that some of the book club members might not love that idea. So I modified it. From the onion dip and potato chip appetizers, to the wedge salad as a starter, to the chicken cutlets, mashed potatoes and green beans almondine as a main course and finally, pineapple upside down cake with ice cream for dessert, the menu was a hit.
One of our bc members had seen a post from another club and thought it would be fun to dress up in sixties apparel. Some of us did; some did not. But you will see in the following pic that I did supply gerber daisies for everyone for the group photo. It was a fun nod to the sixties!
The Book Club!
Book Club Questions: Since it was my turn to host, I also prepared the questions. We always tend to write a lot of questions; some create impassioned discussion, some don’t seem to reasonate. I have only included the ones that created group participation.
1.What are your thoughts about Frankie, as the protagonist? How did she evolve from the beginning of the novel to the end?
2. When Frankie arrives in Vietnam, she discovers the war is very different than what she expected. It’s filled with chaos, with soldiers and nurses who are not prepared for the atrocities of war. What were your thoughts as you read all the hospital scenes?
3.Frankie develops a close friendship with her fellow nurses, Barb and Ethel. How did the experience of war forge their bond?
4.When Frankie arrived back home, the response from her parents, friends and even total strangers was at best dismissive and at worst belligerent. Why do you think the US populous reacted to Vietnam veterans this way?
5.The big twist comes out that Rye survived the war. But he lied to Frankie—he’s in fact married with a child. They eventually meet up again and he tells her he wants to leave his wife and they embark on an affair. Let’s discuss Rye’s manipulation. Do you think he ever cared about Frankie or was she merely an object to him?
6.Frankie hits rock bottom between her PTSD and Rye’s betrayal. What did you think of her parents’, Henry’s and Ethel/Barb’s reactions and support? Do you think the author adequately portrayed the depths of the Vietnam experience?
7.Although this book is about the Vietnam experience, both the actual war and the treatment and hardships the veterans endured when they returned, it was also about the evolution of the female role in society from the 50s/early 60s to the shift that occurs in the late 60s and 70s. Why was this transition so difficult for women?
8.Why was The Women the right title for this novel?
9.Did you like the ending of The Women?
Hopefully you will enjoy The Women as much as our book club did. We found the book to be brutally honest, sometimes painful, but ultimately incredibly uplifting. It is a compelling and acurate portrayal of the Vietnam War and the after effects. We give it our highest recommendation.
XO
Wendy