The Women

Synopsis: Frankie McGrath is a 20 year old nursing student in 1967. Her older brother has just graduated from the Naval Academy, and is heading to Viet Nam. Frankie decides to enlist herself, and is sent to her first tour of duty right out of nursing school. To say she’s overwhelmed would be an understatement. Her innocence is shattered, and lack of experience is rapidly corrected. The first half of the book deals with her tour of duty “in country,” and it is horrific, though strong friendships are forged and some romance found along the way. The second half of the book is another eye opening experience when Frankie returns home to find that not only do Viet Nam veterans not rate a hero’s welcome, most people don’t even acknowledge that she is a veteran at all. PTSD, bad decisions and more drama ensue.

Review: I’ve had an up and down relationship with Kristin Hannah. The first book of hers that I read was The Nightingale, which I loved. The Great Alone was OK, and The Four Winds was a little disappointing. To be honest, I wasn’t sure I wanted to read another of her books. However, I was intrigued by this period of history so I decided to go with it, and was rewarded with a well researched historical novel. Hannah specializes in the strong female protagonist up against the patriarchy, and this is no exception, but that is not a criticism! I learned a lot and found the medical related story elements to be fascinating. Frankie was a mixture of admirable and annoying, which to me makes her a very believable human. With so much to like about the book, as usual there are a few … suggestions I might make. The product placement got a bit heavy handed for me at times. Referencing the music of the times did help to create a certain atmosphere, but I didn’t need all the brand name dropping. “I’m drinking Tab! It’s the 60’s!” The prose is nothing to write home about, and the romance heavy plot was very predictable. Still, I was rooting for Frankie, and was touched by the ending, even if I could see it coming from a mile away. Kudos to Hannah for shining a light on the unsung role of women during this war.

Rating: 4/5

Recipe: Frankie takes some R&R in Kauaii between her two tours of duty in Viet Nam. She enjoys a nice meal of lamb chops and Baked Alaska, which is certainly a dessert of the 1950’s and 60’s. Leave it to Ina Garten, to update it in a form that is a bit easier to manage at home. From Cook Like a Pro, this is an updated classic with a few short cuts, so you can have it ready in less than an hour. You could bake your own pound cake, but it’s a relatively minor component of the dessert, and this is what bakeries are for.

1 (1 pound) store bought pound cake

1 pint raspberry sorbet

1 pint good vanilla ice cream

For the Swiss Meringue:

8 extra large egg whites

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Fresh Raspberry sauce:

6 oz fresh raspberries

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup (12 oz) seedless raspberry jam

1 tablespoon framboise

1) Slice the cake into six 1/2 inch slices. Cut six 2.5 inch circles (one from each slice) with an unfluted round cookie cutter, or use a small knife. Place them 2 inches apart on a flat tray or dish that will fit in your freezer.

2) Soften the sorbet and ice cream just enough to be able to scoop them with a standard ice cream scooper. Fill half the scoop with sorbet, and the other half with vanilla ice cream. Place the ice cream flat side down in the middle of the cake round. Freeze for at least 30 minutes.

3) Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

4) To make the Swiss meringue, place the egg white and sugar in a heat proof glass bowl and seat over a pan of simmering water. Whisk the mixture almost constantly, until it reaches 120 degrees on aa candy thermometer and the sugar is dissolved. Pour into the bowl of electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Add the vanilla, cream of tartar and salt and beat on medium speed for one minute, then high speed for 5 minutes, until the egg whites form stiff glossy peaks.

5) Transfer the cake rounds and ice cream to a sheet pan lined with parchment. Quickly spread the meringue over the cakes, making lot of peaks all over, or get fancy and use a pastry bag. Be sure all the ice cream is covered in meringue.

6) Bake 2.5-3 minutes until the edges are browned, turning the pan once to brown evenly.

7) Transfer to dessert plates, drizzle the raspberry sauce around each baked Alaska and serve immediateley.

8) For the raspberry sauce Bring raspberries, sugar and 1/4 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan, then lower heat and simmer for 4 minutes. Pour the cooked raspberries, the jam and the framboise into a food processor and process until smooth. Pour in a bowl and chill.