The Rose Code, by Kate Quinn

The Rose Code, by Kate Quinn is the story of three women living in WW2 Britain. Beth, a timid Brainiac, Osla, a cunning socialite, and Mab, a strong-willed fireball come together while working at Bletchley Park, Britain's greatest war secret. Bletchley (BP)is a front for the world’s greatest codebreaking operation to date. Meanwhile, the setting switches to the wedding of Philip and Queen Elizabeth, where the women must wrestle with the secrets of their past lives. Beth, Osla, and Mab must navigate Britain during wartime, all while balancing a secretive job with their own personal journeys for love.

I loved this book and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys mystery novels or romance novels. The author does a beautiful job of combing the past with the present, so the setting switches flow very nicely. I also enjoyed the historical factuality of the setting in the book because it allowed the characters to come to life in a way that I have never seen much in other novels. The events reminded me of the storyline in Hidden Figures, because both stories highlight the women who helped behind the scenes of big historical events that history books often forget to mention. This book was very well written and I could hardly put it down.

Reviewed by AL, Grade 12

Glendale Central Library