The Women | Holly Furtick Book Club

Welcome to the Holly Furtick Book Club. It is March and I am so excited that we have such an incredible book and such an incredible author tonight. And it's Women's History month, so what better book to be discussing than the Women by Kristin Hannah? I guys, I'm so excited. I absolutely love this book. I hope you did too. And I can't believe that the Holly Fury Book club has finally gotten Kristin Hannah to come and join us and talk with us. I'm so excited. I can't wait. Let me welcome a couple of you and see where you are joining us from. From Hello. Heidi Gorecki. She says it was so good. Shell says, hi, Holly. So excited for book club. Lisa Hughes says, this is amazing. Jennifer James hall, your favorite author. You finally got her. I know, I'm so excited. Let's see what else. Kristen Bosch says, such a huge deal.

Love.

Brinkley says, loved it. Amy Lynn Corbett is on. She says, so good. You guys. Amy was just texting me. I think she started this book like two days ago and she said to me, she said this was literally like 10 minutes ago. She said, I'm listening at 1.5 speed. I'm almost done. So Amy, let us know if you finished. I want to know if you finished. Hello, Donna Marie Mara. She says, so exciting. Ashley Tucker's here. Trenton's here. He says hello. Let's see who else. Donna is here. They're going so fast. Dobie from Connecticut, Jackie James from the uk. Hello. Kelly wants to know if I have an eagle on my sweatshirt. I on my T shirt. Yes, I do. What else do we have? Stephen Holman says, hey Holly, tell Stephen I love his book from Dallas nc. I will pass the word. A long spotted puppy says she was reading at two times speed trying to finish. Renee cup is on and she says goals is to have Holly text about books. Well, Renee, I think I reposted your Instagram today so I'm glad to have you on. Who else is here? Let's see if you're just joining us. It is Women's History month. It is the Holly Furtick Book club night and we are talking about this amazing book. It's called the Women. It's by Kristin Hannah and Kristin's going to be joining us in just a moment and I am so excited. Raquel says this is her first time with us. Welcome, Raquel. We all welcome you. Kristin Flanders says hi from San Diego. Cherise is in the chat and let's see, I don't know what else do we have going on except to talk about this amazing book, and I want us to talk about it before we get Kristen on, and I want us to do it quick, because we got to get her on, and we got to have our time with her. Right? Okay. So also, my WI fi is a little iffy, so make sure if it starts to, like, pause or something, just let me know. Okay, so let's jump right in. Okay. I. I don't even know where to start, but we'll start, like, we normally do. Things I loved about this book. Okay, so first of all, as you guys know, I'm a huge Kristin Hannah fan. I have read. Not all, because she's written a lot of books, but I've read many, many of her books. I would say the Nightingale is probably in my top five books that I've ever read.

And.

And. But I have really, really loved a lot of Kristin Hannah books. I'm one of those people. Like, she puts out a book, I'm gonna read it. And I've really enjoyed so many of them.

So.

But this one really got me because I loved. I'm a. When I was 15, I started watching ER from the very first season with George Clooney, and so I love er. I have. I'm like. I don't know. I think maybe at heart, I think I would have gone to Vietnam and been a nurse. I probably would have been a very terrible one. I probably wouldn't have survived the heat and the mosquitoes and all of the actual connection. Okay, I'm back. Let me know if the connection is. Okay, guys. Oh, everybody say hi to dead boy. Not my mom is on. Okay, so I was talking about ER So I'm actually sold from the very beginning or on this setting, this historical fiction, wartime emergency room nurse. And I'm like just totally love the whole setting. But then I. I don't know if you guys would agree with this. I was pleasantly surprised. So when I picked up the book, I really didn't know much about it. I'd heard Kristin Hannah say that these were some of her favorite characters that she'd ever written and that she'd wanted to write about Vietnam for a really long time. So I knew a little bit, but I didn't really know, like, where the book was gonna take me, and I think I just assumed the whole book was gonna be in Vietnam, but. Okay, you guys are saying my connection went out for a minute, but it's good now. Okay, keep me posted. So I was pleasantly surprised by the second half of the book because I didn't know that she was gonna come home from the war so early.

And.

And I was so bought into this. This story of watching her come home and obviously not receive a hero's welcome, even by her own parents, and then watch this. This journey that she. That she went through for years and years and years and all of the drama unfold. If you're just joining us, we read the Women by Kristin Hannah, and we're talking about this book tonight. And Kristin's going to join us, and we're so excited. Joe. Erica Lopez says, I agree. I had no idea where the book was going to go. So I agree. I was pleasantly surprised and I was totally on board for Frankie's entire journey. It's almost like a coming of age book, but for a women. A woman, which I love also. You guys know that women, female characters, strong female leads, female. Female friendships are like, my top favorite thing to read about. So I was so on board for the friendships and the way she had these relationships with these women. And they would fly across the country. They would call. I mean, this wasn't a time where you could text, but they would call and they would keep calling until she answered, and they would fly across the country when she didn't answer. And I just love the idea of women in our lives like that. I love the progression of Frankie's parents. I really want to talk to you guys about Frankie's parents, so get ready for that. And then I loved all the twists and turns. Stefan Allman just said there were so many moments of no way. And I totally agree. There were, like, several things that I did not see coming. So I just want to say, first of all, if you are just joining us and you've never been a part of the Holly Furtick Book club before, and you're interested in this book, but you haven't read it, I'm going to tell you that if you. This is not gonna be an interview where we talk about the book without talking about the book. We're gonna talk about the book, and there's gonna be some spoilers. So if you haven't finished the book, I'm gonna spoil some of the major, like, twists and turns because this book, like, really took me on a ride, and there were a lot of things that I didn't see coming. I love the progression of her parents. And then the last thing I was gonna say is I don't. I really don't like books that glorify extramarital affairs. And so I was a little bit nervous at that part in the book. But I really loved how even that part of the book, it was presented in a way that you were like, no, no, no, don't do this. Don't do this.

And.

And you knew there was something not right. Anyway, all of those things. Those are some of my favorite things about the book. I want to know what are some of your favorite things about the book? Bethany Ear says such a ride and slingshot. Bates says Rye was such a dirt bag. That's a great name for him. And let's see, what else are you saying, Porsch? Lynn says she was very torn about it. Yeah, about the affair. Lindsey Franklin says that she was sad when the book was over. I totally agree. This was one of those books that, like, grabbed you from the beginning, and then when it was all over, you were, like, sad and you missed the characters. It's just, like, everything that you want in a great book. So, okay, let's get started. Somebody tell me. Let's. Let's go. Let's just jump right into Frankie's, like, romantic relationships. Okay, so we had the Dr. Jamie, and you were, like, so on board with her being. Holding to her values and being like, I'm, you know, he's married. I'm not gonna. I don't care how much I care for him. I'm not. I'm not gonna do that to his wife. And so you kind of like Dr. Jamie, but you're like, ah, man. Okay, where's this going? Then Ry comes in, and then Henry comes in later. So my question for you is, which one of these men did you like, really like? Were you rooting for? Did you know that Ry was not good from the beginning? Who were you rooting for? How did you feel about the way she treated Henry? Kristen says the ending was truly the best part. It made it all worth it. Tor says Ry was trouble from the start. My dog drive Beth from my dog. Drives me crazy. She says, I was disappointed Ry came home, but guess the book wouldn't have worked. Okay, so we could talk about that for a second while you guys are telling me who you loved. I did not see that coming. I was just, like, into this book, and I did not see Ryder being alive. I don't know why. I feel kind of disappointed in myself that I didn't see that. Let me see what some of you guys are saying. Okay? Beth loved Jamie. Kania loved Jamie. Psy loved Henry Joyce's Dr. Jamie at the end. Let's see what else. Shel says she was hoping that he would end up with Henry. But, like, okay, let's be honest. We knew she wasn't going to end up with Henry. He was too nice. He was too good. And. And for whatever reason, like, she just couldn't. She just couldn't with Henry. All right, let's see. Somebody just said something. Nicole says, I fell for Rye twice, too. But Elaine says she was suspicious of Rye early on. And then. Okay, this is interesting. Katie says, honestly, I was so sad about all of the men. I just wanted her to catch a break. So something interesting that we can ask Kristin. And I heard her say that this book is really about Frankie's relationships with Barb and Ethel. And when I heard her say that, I was like, oh, yeah, it is. Because the men, they're there, obviously, but the people who were there for her all along was Barb and Frankie. My friend Christine Kane is on, and she's kind of fighting a little bit for Ry. She says Rye was human. Okay, I guess I can get on with that. Okay. Darnell says, I knew Jamie didn't die. All right, there's a good question for you. Give me a thumbs up if you knew all along that Jamie didn't die. And here's what I'm going to tell you. That I thought about Jamie. I thought when she gave Jamie. You guys, your comments are flying through so fast. When she gave Jamie the rock that she had, like, picked up from. From, like, going out and helping people, and she, like, wrote on it. I can't remember. She, like, wrote a me a message on it. I knew. I was like, I don't think that he's dead. But then I forgot about him. And I, like, till the. At the very end, I was like, I wonder if that. If that Dr. Jamie is going to come back. Okay, you guys are giving me the thumbs up that you knew Jamie was not dead. I mean, you just knew it, right when she gave him the rock. Okay, but with Ry, I. Give me a thumbs up. If you thought that Ry was going to come back from the prisoner of war. For some reason, I thought that maybe her brother was going to come back, but I really bought into Rai's death. I don't know. Me. I. I think I was just, like, so into it that maybe I just didn't.

I don't know.

I was so shocked when she was pregnant and she's engaged to Henry, and she sees Ry as a prisoner of war, and you're just like, oh, my gosh, of course. Because she. She wasn't his next of kin. She didn't know his Family. Emily says she knew it. Donna says she knew it. I know a lot of you knew it. And I was. I was honestly kind of disappointed in myself that I was. That I was so shocked by that. But then that's also what makes a great book, right? Simper. Simper Wife says I bought into Rise Death as well. Dina wants to know, did I audio read it? I definitely audio read it. Amy says that she kept thinking that the brother would come back. Okay, I'm. I guess I'm not alone in that, because then afterwards, I was like, why did I think her brother was gonna come back? Duh. But anyway. Okay, here's my. Here's my next question. Question for you. We all loved Frankie's friendships in this book. What did you feel about Barb and Ethel and their commitment to their relationship and how we got to track with it the whole way? Tell me about, like, your feelings for Barb and Ethel. Because, like I said, when I saw Kristen said that, that the book was really about Frankie's relationship with Barb and Ethel, it just, like, it all made sense of how you were, like, okay, this really was about how the power of friendships and how we're all meant to have women in our lives who come alongside us and who cheer us on and who call us when they know we're struggling and. And who show up for us when we're at some of our lowest moments. And I just truly felt like, what a gift. I think there was one scene where Barb, like, hopped on a plane and showed up at Frankie's door. Cause she wasn't answering the phone or something. And I had this moment where I was like, yeah, this is what Frankie deserves in her life. And we all deserve women like that who show up for us. Leanne says they were forever friends, and I loved how they stood with her no matter what. Gail says unconditional love. Lindsay says they were the best kind of friends. Christine says they supported each other and still had their own identity. That's true. Like, they weren't. They were all in, like, different parts of the country. And I think, like, obviously, there's all different types of female friendships, right? We have sisters. We have friends that are, like, in town. We have friends that we work with, and. And. And they all piece together. I always like to think about friendships as, like, you know, sometimes I think when you read a lot of books, you think that there's something wrong with you because you don't have this, like, one bestie, this one, like, Firefly Lane. Did anybody read Kristin Hannah's? Book Firefly Lane. And sometimes when you read a book like that, you think, like, oh, is there something wrong with me that I don't have this, like, lifelong bestie. But I loved how Barb and Ethel came along in Frankie's life when she was in her 20s. They weren't like her best friend from age 5, and they didn't live in the same town, and they didn't necessarily, like, they came together when they needed to. And I think a lot of times that we get friendships that. That support us, that come from all different parts of our lives. And I know I have friends that don't live where I live, and I have friends that do live in the town that I live in. And I think it's so important to really develop those relationships with people and be there for those people that are there in my life, anyway. Just made me think of all of those things and how special it is to have women like that in our own lives. And I know that we were all thinking of our own Barbs and. And Ethel's. And. Yeah. Anyway. Okay, it's time. It's time to bring Kristen on. I can't wait to talk with her. As always, if you have any questions for Kristen, throw them up in the chat. Make sure you give us all the hearts when you're liking what we're talking about, because it always makes me feel good. And if I can answer your questions or throw them at Kristin, I will certainly try. Okay, here we go. Let's see. I was really nervous about the My Wi Fi situation tonight. So let's see. Fangirl says Barb and Ethel are just like my two best friends. That's awesome.

Hi, guys. This is so great. What a fabulous book club. I have never had a book club where we actively got to talk about spoilers and all of the various versions and questions that readers have. So this will be very exciting.

Oh, I'm so glad, and I'm. I'm so honored that you would come on tonight and. And take the time to come and chat with us. We loved this book so much, and so many of the people here are, like, such big fans of yours. And so, first of all, thank you for coming on, and thank you for, like, pushing through and writing stories about women that just. That just come alive, but also teach us and challenge us. I'm just so excited to chat with you tonight.

Thank you. That's definitely what I'm always really trying to do. I mean, it's so obvious you mentioned Firefly Lane. You can mention Almost any book. And really female friendship, sisterhood, motherhood, you know, these female relationships are so important to me and the older I get, I think the more I realize not just that they're formative for us, but that they define us and enrich us and hold us up.

Yeah. And I think it's really special that that's what you love to write about because so many books are romance or, you know, fantasy and you sometimes find those friendships. But um, they're so important. And I think a lot of times because there's so such an emphasis on romance that we forget how important it is to have those females in our lives. Did you start, did you intend, I mean, you started writing in the 90s, you've written over 20 books. Did you intend, did you start out going like, okay, I want to write about women, I want about, want to write about female relationships. When where did you realize like, ah, this is the lane that I want to be in?

Well, you know, I started writing so that I could be an at home mom. So, you know, I wrote my first book when I was pregnant with my son and from then on I was just constantly writing. So my books have evolved, you know, over the course of all of these years, where early on I was very interested in being a young wife, in being a young mother, in raising children, in, in trying to get the work life balance, you know, all the things that my girlfriends and I were talking about. And it wasn't until, Well, I guess 40, when I hit 40 Firefly Lane, that was when I started sort of using fiction to look at my own life. That was the book I wrote about my mother's breast cancer.

Okay.

And actually, interestingly enough, I started that book at the age she was when she was diagnosed and I finished it at the age she was when she died. And since the whole book had been my journey to find her and understand her, it felt like, you know, she was guiding me through all of that. And then 10 years later, when my son was, you know, often and gone and I was an empty nester with my husband, that's when I sort of looked around and started thinking about all of the amazing stories about women that, that we had not been told, you know, that had not been taught in high school or college, that wasn't in the, the novels I was reading or the nonfiction that I was reading. And it started to make me angry because as I, you know, got a daughter in law and a granddaughter, I really wanted these stories of women and our resilience and our strength to come to the fore. And so that started with, basically, I think Winter Garden was the beginning, but Nightingale was, you know, the big one of that. And I think that this book, the Women, this is the one that, in a way, is the most personal and most important for me because I lived through the Vietnam War era. And now, of course, I've made a lot of friends who were nurses and other women that served in Vietnam. And when I see, I guess, the power of their friendship, even all these years later, and when I see the pain and the healing that still needs to be done for these veterans of Vietnam, just, it all sort of comes together in a really powerful way for me.

Yeah, I loved how. And by the way, if you're joining us, we're talking about the women. I've got Kristin, Hannah with me, and we're doing spoilers. So if you have not finished the women, you're going to want to get off and come back and watch this interview.

Yes, probably.

But I also love how. I mean, I have so many things that I want to ask you, but just along those lines, I loved how you took Frankie. Because there was a point where I felt like Frankie isn't really doing anything for anyone else. Like, she really was taking from her friendships, but you finally bring her to this place where she's able to really give back to other women. And again, it's like this whole full cycle thing of seeing the power of women helping each other, not competing with each other, but helping each other. And I loved it so much. Okay, so you started. You let me jump to one of the things that I like actually was like, I really have to. I told my husband. I was like, this is the. One of the things I really wanted to ask you. Okay, so around page, like, 50, 51, you have this line in the book where Frankie is sitting on the beach, and one of the women comes up to her and they're like, you really shouldn't be out here alone. Soldiers, not all soldiers are good men. And then they give this line and they say, the men out here, they lie and they die. And I was just reading, you know, like, I was like, no, they're not all that bad or whatever, but this is foreshadowing for. For the men, essentially, and not all of them, but. But for what's gonna. Like, somebody is warning her, giving her a warning.

Right.

Did you. Did you go back and put that in? Did that come out, like, on page 51? Or. Like, how does foreshadowing work?

Well, it's. It's hard to. Because My process is a very. I have a very convoluted and difficult process. So the book that you read is not necessarily even close to the book that I originally started writing.

Okay, tell me about what you originally started writing.

So the original story was a love story between Frankie and Ry that lasted the whole of their lives. So that was the beginning. And what happened was my phone keeps going here, as you point out, you know, you expect the book will be all Vietnam. And as I did my research, I really began to understand that, really, for a lot of these Vietnam vets, the real issues were upon coming home because, you know, Frankie was very representative of these nurses. She leaves as a 21 year old, good girl, virgin, raised in a good family, who feels very strongly moral and, you know, and believes that the world is a certain kind of place, and then gets over there and is completely taken aback and unprepared and, you know, and is confronted with the kinds of questions and horrors that she never imagined, and it begins to sort of pull her out of shape. And like you said, it's very clear with Jamie, this is who Frankie wants to be. I love you. I'm attracted to you. But no, that's. That's against, you know, my. That's against who I am. But as her world breaks down, you know, she breaks down.

Right.

And. And I thought that one of the things that was so interesting about the whole Rye situation and the decision she makes when he comes back, the terrible decision. I really wanted this book to say that of all the terrible things that Frankie had done and seen and experienced, all of the things in the war and the ptsd, what destroyed her was the choice to have that affair with Ry. And I'm like you. I don't write about extra marital affairs. It's a very uncomfortable thing for me, but I really wanted to sort of use that to show just how. How broken Frankie had become. Right.

She wasn't even herself anymore.

Right.

So take back, though. You start off writing about it's gonna be a love story, and then where did it. Where did it break down?

Well, I wrote it. And let's see, in that version, she and Ry got married in Vietnam. He was always a prisoner of war. He always came back unexpectedly. I can't help myself. I love the drama of. But then it was them trying to deal with this fact that she had PTSD and he really didn't. Because the prisoner of war experience was very different, you know, than her experience and her not feeling supported. And the problem was when all was said and done it was a letdown because the first half of the book had been so intense and so visceral. And then when I met with all of these nurses and talked to them, I realized that their struggle with PTSD and their struggle with coming home was a subject that they needed to have discussed in this book and that it needed to be part of Frankie's journey. And so that's when this book became, instead of a love story, this became a book about a woman finding her voice and finding her strength and using it to help, you know, other women. And as you point out, at that point, this becomes a book about. About female friendship as soulmates. You know, they are really the three. They each go their own way. They're entirely different, but they're there for each other.

Yeah. And. And I love how you. You so illustrate that Friendships like, that, they ebb and flow, too.

Right.

They went their own ways. They had their own lives, but. But they came there when it. When it. The time came. They were there for each other. And I think a lot of times, I think it's good for people to read stuff like that, because I think a lot of times we have this misconception of friendship, that if our friends, you know, live in another town or they end up, you know, chasing another job or a life or a family or whatever, that we don't realize that the friendships do. They're still there, though. When you put the work in and you have those moments with those people, they're still there. And I just thought it was really beautifully illustrated. When I read the scene in Hawaii with Ry and Frankie, I had this sinking feeling in my heart, and I wrote down, this book is going to break my heart. I was keeping notes because at that point, I knew I was going to get to talk to you. And I wrote down. I was like, this book is going to break my heart. Because it was too good to be true. It felt like this is too good to be true. It's too early in the story. Something bad is about to happen. So you do this thing in your books where you take your characters, like, down, down, down to the point where I am, like, I cannot. If this. If this woman does not catch a break, I think I'm going to die. I think. I don't. I'm going to throw this book across the room or whatever. I remember in the Four Winds, there's this scene where the. The mom and, like, her kids, they're hungry and, like, their money's been stolen. And you're literally like, if she doesn't catch a break. I can't breathe. And then this woman comes along and, like, gives her a box of used clothes or something like that. And I remember driving down the road because I'm a big audiobook person, just, like, bawling. And there were so many moments like that with Frankie where, like, she's. You know, she has this wonderful moment with her mom. Her mom recommends pills for her, and you're like, oh, no. And so, like, it just keeps. Like, she just keeps going down, down, down. What does it feel like when this is happening to your characters? Like, how do you feel and how do you know when to, like, bring us up for air?

It's, you know, it's a difficult thing, honestly, because part of the problem is I believe that adversity and challenges define us and sort of shape us into who we are. And I believe that when you go through this kind of adversity, you come out different on the other side. And so Frankie had a long way to go. You know, she grows up in this sort of idyllic home, which turns out to be, in time, not as idyllic as she had hoped, you know, that her parents didn't actually believe a lot of the things that they had, you know, passed along to her. And so there's this arc with the entire family coming to terms with how broken they were over the loss of Finley, and then Frankie coming home, someone else, and all of these difficulties. And I have to say, because I loved Frankie so much, I really wanted to stop doing this to her. I really wanted to go, okay, Henry's your guy. Mary. Henry, be happy.

Yes.

Yes. And yet I felt like if I did that, I would be unfair. I would be telling an inaccurate story about these nurses. And, in fact, one of the things that I have two things to say about the nurses who I. Who I met. One, they are, like, all Vietnam vets, really having trouble with Agent Orange, caused cancers and miscarriages and, you know, all of the things that are, you know, causing that. And they're, you know, 70, 80 years old, and so we are losing them. And a lot of these conversations are not being had. And I think that. That anything that we keep in the shadows, that we don't talk about, that we, you know, hide from ourselves and from others, can very easily turn into this kind of shame. And the shame starts. I think it's really difficult to be healed. And so, anyway, I don't know.

Did you. Did you cry? Do you, like. Because I've seen a lot of people write or when they talk about your books. They talk about how much your books make them cry. Do you ever, like, how emotional do you get while you're there with these characters?

You know, I don't ever cry when I'm actually writing it. And in fact, when I write it, the first time, I really pull back. Like, I put a barrier between me and what's going on. And because it's too much, It's. You know, it's too difficult. It isn't really until the book is finally done and I read it, like, in print. That's when it really hits me. And in this particular book, there were a couple of moments. I mean, really, to me, the biggest moment for me personally was when her father finally recognizes her. Her service, that was just like. That was big for me.

You did such a great job with the parents, because I was so mad at them. And I was so, like, when you find out that they've been lying to their friends about what even is. You're like, what in the world is going on with these people? But there was actually a moment in the story that was very touching to me where she tells. She comes to them, and she was like, I need to sell this house, and I. And I need to leave. And she's leaving the house, and she drives past their house, and they're standing there waving. And she says this. She. There's like a sentence that she's like, I have no idea how long they were standing there, because, like, this is pre life360. You know, they weren't. They didn't know when she was actually going to. So they had been standing there for a really long time so that they didn't miss it. And it was a very touching moment because you realize you're like, okay, they. They're flawed human beings. They're dealing with their own past and their own shame and trauma. The dad and the mom, and they did love her, and they really were proud of her, but they. They didn't know how to say it and how to express it. And when they were, like, standing there waving, I just had this moment of compassion for them. They weren't like these hateable villains. They were just human beings who were trying to grapple with everything that was going on. And then at the end, when they're there with her at the wall, do you. Did Frankie make it on her dad's wall?

Yes, of course. In my world, he did. Yeah. That was one of those things where I'm just like, oh, how do I. You know, how do I put all of this in there. But. But. And I didn't know, Honestly, I didn't know until I got there that Jamie was gonna be there. I was like, right on the fence. I was never 100% sort of sure. And by then I think I got to it, and I thought, you know what? She has healed. She has helped people. She's built a life. She is okay with being by herself. She has these girlfriends, she's close to her parents, and now she's got this life where she's brought Henry and his family in. And, like, everybody's this big family. And so I think to myself, you know what? She's. She's ready to be in love. And he was a good guy. I mean, if he hadn't been a good guy, he would have contacted her at some point, you know, during all of that. And the fact that he didn't was sort of his. His way of not pushing her to do what he knew she didn't want to do.

It was really. It was a really beautiful wrap up. It was like. It was. Because we always talk about in our book club, like, do you need a bow at the end of the story? You need everything to come together. And it was like, no, everything didn't come together. There was a lot of, like, grit and yuck along the way. So it wasn't that you wanted the whole story to come together. It was just that you wanted one more win for her.

Right?

And you were like, oh, yeah, that's. That's perfect. And I, I. And I again, like, in the back of my mind, I was always like, where is he? Because you never heard anything else about him. And so I just thought it was really, really nice, like, the perfect touch on. On how I didn't know that I wanted the story to end. Can you talk about the title? Because your past several books have been, you know, the Nightingale, the Great Alone, the Four Winds. So did you. Were you going with, like, this Definite article thing or how did you, like, also have the guts to just call it the Women and know?

It was hard. It was hard, let me tell you, because I kept. I can't remember what I wrote it as now, but I could not title it. I just. Nothing felt right. And I think it might have been in country for a while. I'm not sure. But I kept trying and reaching for something that felt important because by the time I got to the end of this book and I had met with these nurses, and I met them at the wall and at their memorial in D.C. last Veterans Day, and I was so blown away by seeing, you know, there's probably a hundred nurses at the Wall at the. At their memorial at night, and seeing them hug each other and cry and introduce their families to these women that they hadn't seen maybe in 40 years. It was just. It was so incredibly powerful. And I had started to understand that this book mattered in that way. And so I kept pitching to my editor, the Women. Let's call it the Women. And everybody said the same thing, and I thought the same thing. Well, what women? Like, that doesn't say anything. Why would anybody buy a book that's called Just the Women? And so we kept, you know, going back and forth, and finally my editor texted me one day and she wrote the Missing, the Forgotten, the Brave, the Women. And that was the moment. That was when it all came together. And we. We did the, you know, the helicopter, and it just. It felt right.

It's a great title when you finish it, but at the same time, I find it very interesting that you said, who would buy a book called the Women? Because I'm like, women, first of all. And second of all, like, you could put out a book that was untitled, and I would still buy it, you know, thank you.

I may.

I just thought when I really processed it, though, yeah, it was not. It was about the women, like Hurt, Frankie and Barb and Ethel, but it was also about the women who served right and who were overlooked. And such a great book for. Also, like, for March for Women's History Month. I just love how that all came together.

So.

Okay. Do you have a Barb and Ethel in your life?

I do, actually. And it's funny because you mentioned Firefly Lane earlier, and I moved around a lot as a kid, and so that idea of somebody that had been best friends since seventh or eighth grade, you know, that was something that I dreamed of. I mean, I really wanted this friendship that lasted, you know, the whole of my life. And I never had it, so I, you know, I created it fictionally. But what I do have are a group of friends, were mostly mothers, mostly writers, not entirely that. All sort of, you know, came together in the beginning of our writing careers when our kids were little and who. We are all still, you know, best friends and hang out. In fact, my girlfriend Megan Chance and her husband are, you know, coming to spend some days with us this week. And it's really the older I get, the more important it is. And I think for me, interestingly enough, when friendship really started to matter and when I really started to prioritize It. Because, like you were saying earlier, people come and go in our lives, and it takes a real effort to keep up, you know, friendships. And now, of course, we have texting and everything. But, like, in the women, you know, their phones were expensive. You had to write letters, you know, so it was a difficult thing. And it was really motherhood that. That really showed me how important friendship was because there were days, good days and bad, some that I needed to celebrate and some that I wanted to, you know, commiserate.

I just. I think it's obvious that you have women in your life because you wouldn't be able to write so authentically about it if you didn't. And I think it's such a great challenge for. For so many of us. Okay. A couple. A couple of quick. I know our time is almost up, but it's going so fast. I mean, such a great time talking to you. So you. You talked about how Firefly Lane was biographical, in some ways, of your mother. I talked with an author one time who said she always put her grandmother as a character in all of her books. Is there any other. Is there someone that, you know that you put in the women or that you envision when you were writing these characters?

No, this is one of those books that really came pretty wholly from the research from, you know, who these women actually were. And like I said, the more I met them, the more I talked to them and read their stories, and the more, I guess, angry I felt that they had been so entirely forgotten. And I'm really, really proud to be able to shine a light on not just women who served in the Vietnam War, but really, frankly, all Vietnam. I mean, all military, female. Yeah, because, you know, our stories are just not told often enough. And I'm really glad to be able to do that.

Okay. Did you read any other great. Have you read any other great books about women in the military that you would recommend?

Well, I'll tell you in the back of.

Yeah, you list a bunch in the back.

Yeah. I would say there's a book called Healing Wounds by Diane Carlson Evans and a book called Home Before Morning by Linda Van de Vener, who were both nurses in Vietnam. And those are amazing, amazing stories. I'm trying to think what else. You know, it's not something that you read about a lot.

I went back through my books that. That I have read over the years and tried to find ones that were about nurses or women in the military and all of that, and I only had two that I could find or recall. And one of Them is a book called My Name is Mary Sutter, and it's a fiction book about a woman who wanted to be a surgeon in the Civil War. And great, great story. And the other one that I read was Band of Sisters, which was about the women and nurses in World War I. Yeah. And I love that. Okay, so just, like, a couple final questions. So I'm just curious. You've written over you. I heard you say, like, some of your books don't count. Some of them aren't even in publication. You've written around 20, 25 books. Which of your books do you feel like is the most underrated? My husband and I like to talk about. My husband writes songs, and we like to talk about the song that we think people just didn't catch on to.

Didn't catch the first time. I would say, say Winter Garden, which is about World War II, Russia, magic hour.

Okay.

Which is a strange little book that. That I still love.

Okay. Are you working on anything new?

No, I need to. I need to be working. And in fact, one of the reasons my girlfriends or girlfriend is coming down this week is, is we need to, like, have a spa day and try to come up with something for me to be working on.

So do you have it? Like, do you just wait until the idea comes? Is there anything you're like, do you ever go to any of these places? Like, did you go to. What was the town Stalingrad, which was when you wrote about Winter Garden? Or did you go to Vietnam? Or do you go on site to any of these places and get inspired that way?

I do. I, you know, I know Alaska very well. For the great alone, I did Texas and. And all of Route 66 for the four winds. Of course, I went to France for the Nightingale, but I wrote this book during COVID so I went nowhere, you know, and now I'm dying to go to Vietnam, but I haven't been able to make it yet.

Maybe that's where you'll get the inspiration. Maybe it's a sequel. I had some people ask to ask you, would you write a sequel about Barbara, Ethel and their perspective?

You know, that's an interesting question. You know, I hear. I hear that a lot. I hear it actually a sequel question on almost all of my books. This one, there's a lot of story left to tell, so we'll just see if that comes up. And yes, I love bookstagrammers. Thanks, guys. Hi. I can't read this fast.

There's so many book lovers that are on tonight. Somebody said they love your Book Home Front, too, of your. Your backlist. Okay, last question. Who do you read for fun?

Well, it depends on the. Where I am in the whole book process. I, I love thrillers. Like, if, If I am working and writing and, and like, deep into a book, I'm more likely to read someone like Michael Connelly or Chris Whitaker or, you know, something Tammy Hogue like that during that period. And then I get all of my books and I, I saved them. You know, my to be read pile. I still love historical fiction. I like epic fiction. I'll still occasionally read fantasy. I love Alice Hoffman. I love Pat Conroy. I mean, anything that is a big emotional read, I'm pretty much down for it.

Yeah, me too. And I can tell that that's what you love because that's also, in a lot of ways, what you write. I actually usually open up my book club by talking about other books that we've read, and I get people to recommend books. I was so excited to have you on that, I forgot. But a book that you might enjoy that I just finished was called Young Bright Women and Jessica Knoll. Yeah, Jessica Noel. And it's sort of like a retelling of the Ted Bundy case. But what's so fascinating about it is that she. She never names Ted Bundy. She. The defendant the whole time. Because her whole thing is like, we're obsessed with serial killers and we know nothing about the women that they. That, that they murdered. And so I thought that was like a really great, great read. And it kind of went along with this book as well. And just a great book for March, so.

Well, thank you. I mean, yeah, that's. That's a great book. I liked her first book, too. I can't remember the name of it now, but I think. Isn't that who I'm thinking of?

Yeah, I did. That's the first one of hers that I've read, but I know she has. She has some other ones. Okay. And one more thing, but I have to say for my mom, who my mom was in the seventh grade when, during the Vietnam War. And she says she remembers waking up every day and hearing the death count on the radio. And when she read this book, twice she called me. Well, once she called me and just started crying. And she was like, I don't know why this book is making me feel this way. But she was like, I didn't even realize that the things that they were. That I was hearing on the radio wasn't even, like, accurate. It wasn't even, like a true Picture of what I was seeing as a child. And she texted me today and she's like, I can't even talk to you about this book. It just makes me cry. And so just like, for all the women who lived through, through Vietnam and didn't have any words for it, and all the women like me who didn't and didn't know that much about it, thank you. Thank you so much. And just thank you for your stories, because I feel like your stories make me feel like no matter what I go through, no matter how hard it gets, you know, I can make it through. And so thank you so much.

Well, thank you so much. Thank you to everybody who showed up and thank you as an author, speaking for all authors. Thanks for this book club. I think it's so important and it's one of the ways that women really connect. I have met book clubs that have been meeting for 30 years when their kids were born, up to their grandkids being born. And that kind of cohesion and camaraderie is so important.

That's awesome. This is our 43rd book with my book club.

Well, thank you so much. Thanks, everybody.

Thank you. Have a great night.

Take care.

Okay, guys, that was amazing. I hope you enjoyed that as much as I did. A few really quick things to tell you. If you want more about Vietnam. You want to read more about Vietnam. I went back through a couple books that I recommended. One of them is a book called Tap Code. I meant to ask Kristen if she had read this book. It's called Tap Code and it's like a memoir or I guess a biography slash memoir about the. The guy that invented, Remember the people who were in prison. The guy that invented the tap code that they talked to each other about. But it's also about his wife. It's like half about his wife stateside. And he was in prison for like eight or nine years and then his side of the story, too. So. Excellent, excellent, excellent. Highly recommend. Tap Code. Also Absolution is sort of like pre Vietnam War, but women who were living there in the military. Very, very character driven and sort of a heady story if you like. Very like prose kind of fiction. And then another book that I read years ago was called the Things We Carried. And I'll put it in our email who it's by because I just wrote down the title. But the audiobook is narrated by Bryan Cranston and it is excellent. You know Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad Guy. And his voice is so deep and he's such a great narrator. And it's truly about the soldiers in Vietnam. And excellent book. So if you want to read more about Vietnam. And then I also mentioned the Nurses, Band of sisters, World War I and then my name is Mary Sutter, Civil War and Happy Women's History Month. And thanks for being on for the Holly Furtick Book Club. We will be meeting again. Let me look at my notes. I'm going to be in touch with when we're going to be meeting again because we're slated to meet again in July. But if we get a great book and we get a great author, you know, I'll always let you, you know, and we'll hop on here together. I make sure I'll give you plenty of time to read the book. I am so happy that you guys read the Women so quickly with me and that you were on for this discussion tonight. If you aren't a part of our email and you want to get the email, go to Holly Furtick.com, click book club and then put in your information. I only send out an email like once a month and I'll give you my books that I'm reading and when we're going to meet again and what we're reading and all of that. And and that's it. I hope you guys really enjoyed this conversation. There's no way you enjoyed it as much as I did because truly I have been waiting to talk to Kristin Hannah for 43 Holly Furtick book Club books. And tonight was finally the night. And just love being on here with you guys. Thanks for being a part and we'll see you back here next time.