I was looking forward to another great Kristin Hannah book. As an author she has a remarkable ability to weave social and political affairs with the lives of women. Again here we have the Vietnam war told through the eyes of volunteer nurses or in this case one nurse. I think this is the first issue I had with this book, I think she picked the wrong nurse, Barb was a far more interesting character and had more to deal with in the Civil Rights movement when she returned to the US. Frankie McGrath, the lead, was a one dimensional character craving her father’s approval and a space on his wall of heros, family members who had served their country. 
I found the 1st half of the book rather boring and repetitive. Everytime they got in a helicopter and the scene below was described it was the same as were all the medical scenes. And most disappointing, for a young woman aiming to carve her own way of life against her society’s expectations it was still all about having a man and fashion. There was so many descriptions of the clothes they were wearing and interestingly the men and a “large woman” were always in polyester until Connor was coming good near the end and started wearing knits and double knits. Likewise the constant referral to music playing, in bars, the second they got into a car etc. emerged to be overdone. 

And yes a lot of issues were dealt with like the treatment of the Vets when they returned home and the changing attitudes of the American public against a backdrop of the Civil Rights movement and Watergate. Also the realisation that PTSD was very really and the beginnings of treatment. All very worth. 

It is a decent read and a page turner just for me not up to the author’s usual standards.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this DRC.