LIBRARY HIGHLIGHTS

Our church librarians are starting a new initiative to keep the congregation better informed about opportunities available in the library. Periodically, we plan to highlight a book or series we believe readers will find important, helpful, and entertaining. We will include books from all areas of the library collection. Our first selection is Kristin Hannah’s current #1 best-seller, The Women.

In this book, set in the Vietnam War era, Kristin Hannah writes about war from a woman’s experience and perspective. The main character is Frankie McGrath, a young nurse from a wealthy California family. When she volunteers for the Army Nurse Corps, she is sent immediately to a field hospital in Vietnam where she experiences all the horrors of war. She often fears she can not continue but soldiers on providing unbelievable service to her country. On the softer side, she develops relationships that will remain vibrant for the rest of her life. When the war ends, she returns home to an angry country and is greeted by all the negative responses that Vietnam veterans experienced. She is often told there were no women in Vietnam even though she knew over 10,000 women had served in the war.

The Women is one of the best books I have read in years, Kristin Hannah has painted such vivid images I felt I was actually there. She said she wanted to prove to the world that “women can be heroes too” and she has done that without question. While The Women is often emotionally draining, it is an important book that is well worth reading.

—Joe Webb