The Women

About the book

Frances "Frankie" McGrath is a twenty-year-old nursing student who enlists in the Army Nurse Corps during the Vietnam War. Following her brother to the front lines, she encounters the visceral reality of combat surgery and the psychological toll of treating catastrophic trauma under fire. The narrative follows her from the chaotic field hospitals of Southeast Asia back to a divided United States, where the government and public deny the presence of women in the combat zone. Frankie struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder and chemical dependency while fighting for veteran benefits and social recognition in a landscape that ignores her military service.

Readers interested in the overlooked history of female veterans and the medical realities of the 1960s find a detailed account of wartime nursing here. It serves those looking for a depiction of how institutional sexism affects professional advancement and mental health recovery. You walk away with a specific understanding of the logistical roles women played in Vietnam and the long-term challenges of reintegrating into a society that lacks a framework for female combat trauma.

Details

Published

2024

Publisher

St. Martin's Press

ISBN

9781250178633

Language

EN