A Passport-Free Journey Through History:
My Tribute to Kristin Hannah
Step into three unforgettable stories, no boarding pass required.
I recently took a trip like I haven’t in years.
No TSA headaches or five-star resorts. Instead, I found myself in three very different parts of the world: Vietnam, Alaska, and Nazi-occupied France.
Packing was simple: three books, my iPhone, and a pair of headphones. By the end, there were truths faced, tears shed, perceived victories, and plenty of defeats. I flew there for free. And while a part of me wished I could stay longer, help the people I met, or rewrite what I was witnessing, that wasn’t the point of the journey.
The goal was simple: to grow as a human, and to remember things I’d forgotten ever existed.
Of course, you don’t need a passport to experience what I did. In fact, you could be blind and still take the same trip, because all of this came from fiction. From one of the greatest American historical novelists of our time: Kristin Hannah.
You may already know her. You may have read her and forgotten. Or you may be meeting her for the first time right now. Either way, I hope this article reconnects you with an author who brings humanity to history like no one else.
In 2025, Hannah celebrates the 10-year anniversary of The Nightingale. And yes, I must confess with a bit of shame that I just read it. It wasn’t even my first book of hers, but in honor of that anniversary, here are my top three favorites from her remarkable catalog.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting my work and the causes I care about.
3. The Women (2024)
This novel has everything you thought you knew or couldn’t remember about the Vietnam War.
It’s beautifully written, deeply researched historical fiction with flashes of a medical thriller. As a physician, I was pulled right into the action in the Central Highlands of Pleiku, following the heroine who serves as a combat nurse.
This is a chronicle of poorly planned war: of its toll on soldiers, families, and innocent bystanders. But most importantly, it’s about the women veterans whose stories have too often gone untold. Hannah sheds light on their service, their trauma, and their strength.
But it is not just missiles, tears, and blood. There’s also love, longing, deception, and moments of triumph. The author’s relentless research uncovered the stories of many heroic women veterans of this war, revealing their powerful impact and the many ways redemption and healing can come, even from the deepest wounds.
Here’s my favorite quote from the book. Nothing to do with bullets, just pure fictional ecstasy.
After all, very few authors can create worlds like her.
“I love you, McGrath. I know I’m not supposed to…”
She longed to say it in return, but how could she? Words were creators of worlds; you had to be careful with them.
―Kristin Hannah, The Women
2. The Great Alone (2017)
Picture yourself as a teenager, forced to move to the wilderness of Alaska, far from everything familiar. You had little to begin with. Your family wasn’t rich. But this new adventure made your previous idea of a hot bubble bath seem like a luxurious experience.
Welcome to a remote cabin deep in Alaska. Within these pages, the beauty of America’s “Last Frontier” is revealed in a novel about the struggles of Vietnam veteran survivors with PTSD and how these scars ripple into the lives of their loved ones.
It’s also a story about survival, identity, and unleashing peace in the unlikeliest of locations. After all, when one changes the lens through which you see life, you can find warmth in the coldest of places.
Here’s one of my favorite quotes from the book, but it might not be the truth—believe it or not.
A thing can be true and not the truth, now shush.
―Kristin Hannah, The Great Alone
1. The Nightingale (2015)
Set in Nazi-occupied France, this is a masterclass in storytelling. The world is rapidly being consumed by power, hate, and fear. Told through a dual timeline, this novel does what only Hannah can do best, walk you through one of the worst periods of history and make you realize this war wasn’t just won by soldiers, but by women. Mothers, sisters, and daughters, forced between survival and resistance, came together to fight.
From the injustices inflicted on the French people by the German empire, to the genocide of the Jews, as they had to endure the Holocaust, this novel has all the makings of a classic. The descriptions of the cruel conditions, from hunger to bombings, to the injustices caused by Hitler’s xenophobia, make this story one of the best I’ve ever read.
The prose is exquisite and sad, uplifting and maddening. It’s a powerful reminder of what we value about our country and why we must always oppose dictatorships in the free world.
Here’s my favorite quote from the book.
Some stories don’t have happy endings. Even love stories. Maybe especially love stories.
―Kristin Hannah, The Nightingale
And that’s it, my top three! Have you read them? Did I miss your favorite?
If you’re discovering Kristin Hannah for the first time, I envy you. And if you’re returning to her words that create worlds, welcome back. Either way, let me know which one you enjoyed most.
I’d love to hear from you.
This article will be published in the September 2025 issue of Stroll Holliday Farms.
