Frances
PLOT
To give a general idea of the story, we follow Frances (aka Frankie) and her life during and after the Vietnam War as a combat nurse. The book is roughly split into two parts: the first half describes her time during the violent war, and the second half describes her struggle to fit back into society (which isn't very accepting of her). It covers topics such as PTSD, discrimination, addiction, and more.
Despite this book being 400+ pages, I thought it was well-paced. I never felt like a part dragged on too long, and it was able to hold my attention the entire time. I do agree that the lead-up to the end felt a tad bit rushed, but it didn't bother me too much. In my opinion, the ending was wrapped up neatly and had a somewhat uplifting closure.
CHARACTERS
Frankie is the main focus here, as the story is only told through her POV. Throughout the story, we see how she falls and grows through it all. She starts her journey young, naive, and full of hope, and she comes out of the war angry, lost, confused, and betrayed. Despite the very tragic things she endures in her life (both war- and non-war-related), she powers through.
I felt like Frankie, as a character, was written well. There were some things I felt like she handled as best she could and some things she didn't handle very well, but either way, she's a good-intentioned, strong-willed person with reasonable flaws and a tragic story.
To further add on, I liked how each person Frankie encountered had an effect on her, both good and bad. I can't really pinpoint a side character that didn't influence her life in some way. Some helped support her in her darkest times, and some contributed (both directly and indirectly) to her downfalls. It was intriguing to see just how powerful words and actions (or lack thereof) can be to a single person.
AUTHOR'S WRITING STYLE
Although I can't attest to the accuracy of the historical details in the book, the book felt real to me. The author includes a lot of military terminology, describes the environment in a convincing manner, and overall, definitely put a lot of research into this book. In general, I felt like the author handled this sensitive topic respectfully and helped shine a light on America's past treatment of the Vietnam War and their veterans (especially the women).
RATING
I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.
PLOT
To give a general idea of the story, we follow Frances (aka Frankie) and her life during and after the Vietnam War as a combat nurse. The book is roughly split into two parts: the first half describes her time during the violent war, and the second half describes her struggle to fit back into society (which isn't very accepting of her). It covers topics such as PTSD, discrimination, addiction, and more.
Despite this book being 400+ pages, I thought it was well-paced. I never felt like a part dragged on too long, and it was able to hold my attention the entire time. I do agree that the lead-up to the end felt a tad bit rushed, but it didn't bother me too much. In my opinion, the ending was wrapped up neatly and had a somewhat uplifting closure.
CHARACTERS
Frankie is the main focus here, as the story is only told through her POV. Throughout the story, we see how she falls and grows through it all. She starts her journey young, naive, and full of hope, and she comes out of the war angry, lost, confused, and betrayed. Despite the very tragic things she endures in her life (both war- and non-war-related), she powers through.
I felt like Frankie, as a character, was written well. There were some things I felt like she handled as best she could and some things she didn't handle very well, but either way, she's a good-intentioned, strong-willed person with reasonable flaws and a tragic story.
To further add on, I liked how each person Frankie encountered had an effect on her, both good and bad. I can't really pinpoint a side character that didn't influence her life in some way. Some helped support her in her darkest times, and some contributed (both directly and indirectly) to her downfalls. It was intriguing to see just how powerful words and actions (or lack thereof) can be to a single person.
AUTHOR'S WRITING STYLE
Although I can't attest to the accuracy of the historical details in the book, the book felt real to me. The author includes a lot of military terminology, describes the environment in a convincing manner, and overall, definitely put a lot of research into this book. In general, I felt like the author handled this sensitive topic respectfully and helped shine a light on America's past treatment of the Vietnam War and their veterans (especially the women).
RATING
I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.