The Women by Kristin Hannah

 "Women can be heroes."

The first part:

"Frankie had never thought about nurses in Vietnam; the newspapers never mentioned any women. Certainly no one talked about any women at war. ... But could she? Really? ... How did you know if you had the strength and courage for a thing like that? ... She could earn her place on the heroes' wall, and not for marrying well. For saving lives in wartime."

 The second part: 

"She'd joined the Army to find her brother and found herself instead; in war, she'd found out who she really was and who she wanted to be, and as tired as she was of all the death and destruction, she was also more than a little afraid to go home. What would life look like stateside?" 

My thoughts:  Frances Grace McGrath's journey from her quiet, well-bred life on Coronado Island, California, to hot, steamy and war-torn Vietnam is both powerful and poignant. Dealing with the wounded and other horrific aspects of war is hard enough, but coming home is even harder for Frankie where she faces hostility, indifference and her own PTSD. Her strength and courage is tested at every turn. As is her heart. I found her to be a remarkable and memorable heroine. And Hannah's writing is very compelling. I liked getting to see the Vietnam War and its aftermath from the viewpoint of a combat nurse. (Certain parts really reminded me of that TV show China Beach, which I loved.) This novel is a moving tribute to all the brave women who served in Vietnam, and to the unspoken struggles they faced when they came home. 

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

Happy Reading!

 

The Drifter by Nicholas Petrie...

8 Things to know about Peter Ash:

• "Peter was lean and rangy, muscle and bone, nothing extra."
• "He had the thoughtful eyes of a werewolf a week before the change."
• "He'd fought two wars over eight years, with more deployments than he cared to remember."
• "But he liked fixing old houses. He'd done it with his dad in Northern Wisconsin. ... The job today was simple, a battle he could win using only his mind, his muscles, and a few basic tools. He could get lost in the challenge and let the war years fade."
• Peter is suffering from a unique form of PTSD. "He called it the white static. His very own war souvenir." It makes it impossible for him to stay inside for very long. So for the past year he's lived outside, wandering the North Cascades, hiking, camping, breathing, and hoping the static will go away.
• When he learns that his friend and fellow marine, Jimmy Johnson, has just committed suicide, Peter knows he has to come down from the mountain to do what he can to help out Jimmy's widow and their two little boys. 
• Somehow Peter ends up with the meanest, ugliest, and smelliest dog he's ever seen...because he can't make himself take it to the pound.
• When he fixes Dinah Johnson's front porch (for free), he finds a bag filled with money and plastic explosives. And Peter knows he has to find out how it got there, and who wants it back, before Dinah and her boys get hurt.

Action. Mystery. A totally likable character. And a dog! This book has it all. And it reads fast. I really liked this one. Can't wait to read the next book in the series.

Happy Reading!