The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

I love a good historical fiction book. Quinn crafts an exciting narrative that demonstrates the unique, interesting history of Bletchley Park, England’s World War II code-breaking center. I enjoyed the three female protagonists, particularly the way that friendship, love, tragedy, and meaningful work changed them throughout the story.

I thought Quinn’s alternating between past (1939-44) and present (1947) added a nice element of anticipation to the book. Sometimes seeing glimpses of how things end makes learning how they wound up that way more interesting. She also fooled me a few times – I thought I’d figured out where things were going, only to be surprised by a sudden turn of events.

The brief section at the end of the book explaining the connections between history and the story was a nice touch as well. I’d like to see that done more often.