Whew, it’s been a really long time since I’ve posted anything so, upon finishing my latest book, I decided it was time to post again. I don’t really like reading about war. It’s sad and horrible…the people in these stories usually break your heart, no matter what side they are on. Code Name Verity is just such a story.

Writing, always writing. I am writing it all for them. They read it every day, picking out the important bits…codes, air fields, air planes. Queenie writes her story for her captors. She is taken just after landing in occupied France. It was an emergency landing because their plane had been hit. Her friend Maddie is the pilot for this ill-fated mission. Now, Maddie is probably dead, burned in her crashed Lysander and Queenie is in prison telling them everything they want to know so that she can have small comforts, a blanket, a cigarette, water, her life. War is hell and Queenie and Maddie, best friends, are in the thick of it. Survival depends upon the story Queenie writes on whatever paper her German captors can find for her. But, Queenie is clever…she writes a story within a story, a code, of sorts. Ever on duty, Queenie is a spy and has gleaned important information while in captivity, information the Allied forces need to know. She knows her fate, that she will not get out of this alive but she must find a way to get those pages into the right hands, not just for England but for Maddie, for her family, for herself.

Elizabeth Wein delivers and emotionally charged story of some of the women who were involved with World War II and not just Rosie the Riveter but also as spies and pilots. Her characters are engaging and well-crafted. As the two friends divergent paths unfold, a glimpse into unfamiliar history is revealed. The author’s notes are nearly as interesting to read as the story. Wein reveals her research and just how much truth is in the story. When one thinks of female spies, Mata Hari comes to mind but these two young women are far more real and engaging than their flamboyant counterpart. History buffs and anyone who likes a good war story will not be able to put this down!