It’s May of 1966 and 20-year-old Frances “Frankie” McGrath of Coronado Island, California and her family are celebrating, as her brother Finley prepares to follow in the family footsteps and head off to war – in Vietnam. As she gazes at the Hero Wall in her father’s study – a tribute to those male family members who have served their country in wars past, she has a chance encounter with her brother’s best friend, Rye – who tells her how the world is changing. Women can be heroes too. A comment that will prove to be life changing for Frankie.
With Finley off to war, Frankie finishes nursing school, starts her first nursing job and corresponds faithfully with her brother. One night on rounds, she meets a young patient who had lost a leg in the war and was still struggling to recover. He tells Frankie about a nurse who cared for him in ‘Nam and how she got him through the worst. As she holds his hand while he falls asleep, she makes her decision – she too, is going to join the military and serve her country – as a nurse.
When Frankie finishes up basic training, she receives her orders and heads in-country, where nothing is remotely as she anticipated. As she settles into her lodgings, she meets roommates Ethel and Barb, and the three women soon become one another’s lifelines in a world of sheer chaos. As Frankie slowly adapts to her surroundings, and ultimately excels, she finds equal amounts love, loss, heartbreak and hope…
With her tour finally complete, she returns stateside – to derision, apathy and disrespect. The public has become increasingly anti-war; her own father lied about her whereabouts to friends. No one understands what she’s been through, and even worse, her own family doesn’t want to hear about it and cannot understand why it haunts her so. It will take a hard fall, a visit to rock bottom, and the love of family and her two Vietnam hooch mates to help her find her find the light once more. Complete with an unexpected (or maybe not) ending, that I absolutely loved!
This novel was absolutely amazing!!! The scenery was described so vividly, the characters so…real! I felt like I was in the wings, watching! I laughed, I cried, I learned a lot about a war that was before my time – and I mourned…I simply could not stop reading! So, grab some Kleenex, a snack, a beverage and a nice comfy place to settle in for a few hours because you will not be able to put this one down.
I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley & St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an objective review. Do you love to read?? Visit netgalley.com and start reviewing books today!!
Tropical Delusions...... 