The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

 

The Bletchley Circle on Netflix piqued my interest in the female code breakers of Bletchley Park during World War II. It made me conversant with the existence of such unsung heroes and also the contribution of women in the Second World War. Thenceforth I have been hunting for books based in Bletchley Park. Rose Code fits the bill to a T, so I dived into it without second thoughts.

Setting

The story alternates between two time periods- 1939 to 1944 during  WW2 and 1947 with a countdown to the royal wedding of the future queen of Great Britain with Prince Philip of Greece. Kate Quinn has evocatively painted a word picture of the inner workings of Bletchley Park. People were assigned huts based on their capabilities and everything was on the need to know basis. Workers were not allowed to discuss or disclose the nature of their work to even their colleagues. These people worked relentlessly to break German codes to help Allied forces. 

Storyline

Mab Churt was a plain-speaking, tough as nails East Londoner who yearned to be a well-read lady married to a gentleman. She met Osla Kendall, a Canadian debutant on a train to Bletchley. Osla belongs to an affluent family with Lord Mountbatten as her godfather. She was out to disprove the silly deb label which she loathed. She was dating Prince Philip. Her character is based on Osla Benning, Prince Philip's first girlfriend who also worked at Bletchley Park. Mab and Osla were billets- mate and their landlady's daughter was Beth Finch. Beth was a twenty-four-year-old girl living with her parents. She was often called slow-witted and incessantly mentally abused by her mother. Osla and Mab encourage her to join Bletchley Park where she finds her real calling, the code-breaking. 

Advance to the year 1947,  the world was waiting with bated breath for the royal wedding and on the other hand, Beth was incarcerated in an asylum for over three years on charges of treason. Trying to keep herself sane, she was trying to figure out the traitor amongst her BP co-workers. She, Beth and Mab overcome their differences to nail the turncoat.

My Thoughts

The Rose Code is a story of the role of code breakers during WW2. It is a gripping tale with friendship at its heart, a story of love, betrayal and heartbreak. The writing holds your attention throughout and never slackens its pace. The characters are well-sketched out and leave a lasting impression. I was unable to put it down and breezed through it in no time. To all historical fiction buffs out there, this is a book to read. The Huntress by Kate Quinn is definitely next on my list.

Star Rating - 4.5/5

Recommend - A big yes!