The Enigma Girls by Candace Fleming

 

Over the weekend, I finished reading The Enigma Girls: How Ten Teenagers Broke Ciphers, Kept Secrets and Helped Win World War II by Candace Fleming. This narrative nonfiction book is about ten teenage girls from all over the British Isles who worked at Station X, the codename for Bletchley Park, during World War II. Although they didn't know who recommended them or why they were chosen, these girls could often do advanced math or speak a second language. Their tasks included running the bombe machines, making sense of wireless soundwaves, and sorting the decoded messages. While keeping this vital work a secret, the information from the Nasi missives they code-cracked could determine whether the Allies won or lost against the Nazi army.

This book was absolutely fascinating. I was intrigued about the subject matter of teenagers doing secret work during World War II from moment I read the subtitle on the cover. I especially enjoyed getting to know the different girls and learning how they each had a skill in which they specialized that was useful at Bletchley Park. What I also loved about this book is how there was a section called "Top Secret" after each part, dedicated to explaining the actual techniques that were used to encode and decode messages. It certainly brought to light the challenge of breaking codes in another language, which is something I never really thought of before. Additionally, the book was suspenseful and the reactions of the girls to the successes and failures of the Allies showed just how much their work mattered. Finally, I liked looking at the photos scattered throughout the chapters. The back matter includes an author's note, a bibliography, source notes, photograph and illustration credits, and an index. In conclusion, I recommend The Enigma Girls to anyone who has an interest in code-breaking, history, or real-life spy stories.