Enigma Girls (Candace Fleming)

 

I was especially struck that these girls/women did not say anything about their experience for 30+ years! This is another example of women's stories going untold. They were compelled to be silent about their experience because of the war - but it is interesting how long they maintained their silence! At Bletchley Park there were over 8000 employees, 75% of which were female.

The stories are compelling. The chapters are short. It fills a gap in our understanding of World War II. This would be an okay book for some of the best readers in grade three. Imagining someone they know that is the same age and comparing their life experiences to what these girls were doing is eye-opening. These are ordinary teenagers who are entrusted with detailed and top secret codes. 

All this got me curious to see if there were Canadian women involved in code-breaking. There were. There is a CBC article here about Elsa Lessard.

Olive Bailey, who lives in BC and Marjorie Stetson in this video:

Goodreads says:

From award-winning author Candace Fleming, comes the powerful and fascinating story of the brave and dedicated young women who helped turn the tides of World War II for the Allies, with their hard work and determination at Bletchley Park. Scholastic Focus is the premier home of thoroughly researched, beautifully written, and thoughtfully designed works of narrative nonfiction aimed at middle-grade and young adult readers. These books help readers learn about the world in which they live and develop their critical thinking skills so that they may become dynamic citizens who are able to analyze and understand our past, participate in essential discussions about our present, and work to grow and build our future. "You are to report to Station X at Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire, in four days time....That is all you need to know." This was the terse telegram hundreds of young women throughout the British Isles received in the spring of 1941, as World War II raged. As they arrived at Station X, a sprawling mansion in a state of disrepair surrounded by Spartan-looking huts with little chimneys coughing out thick smoke—these young people had no idea what kind of work they were stepping into. Who had recommended them? Why had they been chosen? Most would never learn all the answers to these questions. Bletchley Park was a well-kept secret during World War II, operating under the code name Station X. The critical work of code-cracking Nazi missives that went on behind its closed doors could determine a victory or loss against Hitler’s army. Amidst the brilliant cryptographers, flamboyant debutantes, and absent-minded professors working there, it was teenaged girls who kept Station X running. Some could do advanced math, while others spoke a second language. They ran the unwieldy bombe machines, made sense of wireless sound waves, and sorted the decoded messages. They were expected to excel in their fields and most know how to keep a secret. Candace Fleming is the award-winning and highly acclaimed author of Crash from Outer Space , The Curse of the Mummy , and many other nonfiction books for young readers. With her canny and compelling narrative voice she makes history come alive. Thick with tension and suspense, this is an extraordinary and relatively unknown story of World War II that will fascinate readers who will be thrilled to see young people playing such an important role in the wartime effort.