The Women

I'd give this book ten stars if I could. I finished reading in sprints. I'd sleep two hours, read a chapter or two, then sleep two more hours. I not only couldn't put it down, I am moving and I needed to pack it. But I had to finish. I love this book. It's about an era I lived through and didn't understand. Mostly because I was dating a veteran at the time and I couldn't understand what he had gone through. And he didn't talk about it with me. I knew he started life as a country boy who loved to hunt and fish. The military took these skills and made him a sniper.I watched him suffer through fits of depression, addiction, and an inability to commit or sleep or do a dozen other things. This book explained so much to me. What he went through, his bad dreams, and how that poisoned our relationship. Oddly enough, I received a phone call 30 years after our breakup with an apology. I also didn't understand that either until I read this book.The Vietnam “Conflict” was not well understood. I protested with veterans which gave me a different perspective than the average peacenik at the time. So part 1 of the book helped me understand the war years, and part 2 helped me understand the aftermath. I can't believe a book of fiction, though well researched, could affect me so deeply. It seemed all that the protagonist Frances (also my middle name) went through, was directly connected to me, even down to the city where the book ended which was where my relationship ended with my vet. I don't think this is a book I could read again. My emotions are still that raw, always have been when a quandary persists in your life for decades. Now I know more. I think I understand. It's a good and peaceful feeling with just a touch of sadness and regret.That's how this tremendous book affected me. I doubt anyone who lived through the war years could be unaffected. It was not just a great read; it was a learning experience. Thank you, [a:Kristin Hannah 54493 Kristin Hannah https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1517255843p2/54493.jpg]!