The Women by Kristin Hannah
Week 3: Sisterhood — Frankie, Barb, and Ethel
Read the chapters focused on Frankie's deepening friendships with her fellow nurses, particularly Barb and Ethel.
Previewing Week 3 of The Women
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 14-week guide when you’re ready.
In a war zone stripped of almost everything familiar, friendship becomes both a lifeline and a form of survival — and Hannah writes these bonds with remarkable tenderness and specificity.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Hannah gives Barb and Ethel distinct personalities, backstories, and ways of coping with the war. How does she use the contrast between these three women to explore different responses to trauma and fear?
2.The friendships between the nurses are forged with an intensity that civilian friendships rarely match. What specific shared experiences or moments of crisis bring Frankie, Barb, and Ethel closer together, and how does Hannah make the reader feel the depth of those bonds?
3.Barb, in particular, is often the group's anchor and comic relief, but Hannah also gives her real vulnerability. How does Barb's character complicate or deepen our understanding of what it takes to survive — emotionally — in a war zone?