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A review by catherine_t
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Three very different women find purpose working at Bletchley Park during World War II. Osla Kendall is a Canadian-born debutante who fled cousins in Montreal for London so she could join the fight and do her bit. Mab Churt is a Londoner who's struggled to put her past behind her, looking for the next rung on the ladder that will lift her out of the poverty she grew up in. Beth Fitch is a mousy spinster under her domineering mother's thumb. Together, they join the women and men breaking codes to win the war.
But there's a traitor in their midst, and only Beth can crack the code to learn their identity...
I can't say I enjoyed this book as much as the last one of Quinn's I read. I figured out who the traitor was early on, and basically read through to the end to see if I was right. In fact, barring one twist, I saw everything coming. I'm not sure if I'm particularly sharp or if the twists were just that obvious.
I'm also not sure that Quinn realizes that Canada declared war on Germany just days after Great Britain did, from the attitudes she has Osla express. Women here might not have been building bombers, but they were definitely building bombs for the bombers to drop, among other important war work. (And yes, some of them worked in intelligence--even as spies for the Allies.)
I didn't dislike The Rose Code. I liked the characters, especially Beth, who had the most dramatic transformation, from beaten-down woman dominated (even abused) by her mother to brilliant code-breaker with a life of her own. Overall, it was an enjoyable read.
But there's a traitor in their midst, and only Beth can crack the code to learn their identity...
I can't say I enjoyed this book as much as the last one of Quinn's I read. I figured out who the traitor was early on, and basically read through to the end to see if I was right. In fact, barring one twist, I saw everything coming. I'm not sure if I'm particularly sharp or if the twists were just that obvious.
I'm also not sure that Quinn realizes that Canada declared war on Germany just days after Great Britain did, from the attitudes she has Osla express. Women here might not have been building bombers, but they were definitely building bombs for the bombers to drop, among other important war work. (And yes, some of them worked in intelligence--even as spies for the Allies.)
I didn't dislike The Rose Code. I liked the characters, especially Beth, who had the most dramatic transformation, from beaten-down woman dominated (even abused) by her mother to brilliant code-breaker with a life of her own. Overall, it was an enjoyable read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Grief