What an intriguing story! A novel that will make you take a second look at the Bletchley Girls and their major contribution in hastening the end of World War II. It offers an original angle on the people involved. It is a story of secrets, of course, as it was a secret operation. But the friendship between these women who take centre stage, is heart-warming as they offer each other support through thick and thin. The letters they write maintain a continuing thread of hope. We see their dedication, courage, love, forgiveness, survival, loyalty and loss but also deserved moments of joy.
The story opens with each lead character feeling a sense of mystery once approaching Bletchley Park for the first time. For it is the highest level of secrecy they will ever experience. These girls have a lot to learn, digest and protect as they find their position in the domain of government secrets.
I was filled with intrigue and stayed fixed to the pages wanting to know what would happen to our heroines Steffie, Fran and Ailsa. Although they meet for the first time at Bletchley Park and get to know each other, two of these women are granted missions offshore while one remains on the home front. We are provided three points of view which add wonderful layers and insight to the story’s fabric—a cloth that is woven strong but where threads wander into domains of unfamiliarity or new territories. Which is basically evidence of the novel’s success for it is an original take on Bletchley Park, well fashioned and firm with accurate historical details. But this story does not stay behind the four walls of Bletchley Park, it ventures beyond to hazardous locations.
The first chapter, carefully constructed, allows us to meet the three ladies individually who become the story tellers of the novel. Even with three perspectives, the flow is seamless. The transition is well signposted with a name at the head of each chapter. The dialogue is genuine and you never forget who is speaking. It was easy to put myself in the characters’ shoes, too, and to empathise. I felt their sadness, fears and passions. The settings were vivid and I was easily transported to each location in the plot through Anna’s exceptional descriptions.
If I had to pick a favourite character that would be hard. I admired each of the three women for various reasons. Steffie is the daughter of major general with a gift for languages. She is filled with determination, fortitude and fearlessness. Her love for Matteo is endearing but it puts her in a bad position. These two were together before the war, engaged to be married. But shortly before Germany defeats France, Italy becomes an ally of Germany and this divides the lovers in the world’s eyes making her fiance part of the enemy forces. Will her loyalty be questioned during her valuable work in Egypt?
Determined Ailsa is a skilled radio operator with a thirst to see the world. She escaped her Scottish home, the wee island of North Uist, where her parents were trying to marry her off to an older man. She has a passion to use her skills to help her country defeat the Nazis. Her offshore experience is action filled and extremely moving. She ends up on Malta dealing with the trauma of war up close. With the island cut off at times from supplies and communication, she is dealt a heavy hand in severe rations, bombings and loss of communication with her family and friends. The effects of her experiences stirred up a lot of emotion in me. I appreciated her strength, courage and dedication. Her fierce Celtic heart shone through. Even in the war zone, she never gave up and found something lasting. A beautiful love-- pure and protective.
Fran is a lover of Shakespeare (who isn’t?) and comes from a family a medics who want her to follow in their footsteps. So, they do not appreciate her desire to take an English Literature degree. She lands a job at the University Library ‘doing research into the obscure ends of classical literature’. It is here, under the influence of an English don, her talent to dig out gems from rare collections is revealed and honed. This leads to her work at Bletchley. Fran, unlike the other two girls, does not go off to another country but remains on the home front offering her valuable services as a logistic genius. It is here, where she discovers more about herself and an unexpected romance.
This novel was hard to set down once I got into the flow of the story. It is a fantastic offering that made my heart pump faster and allowed me to enter an intriguing realm before my time. The second world war was a difficult, heart-breaking period for those who lived through it. But Anna has allowed us to have more than a bird’s eye view of the women who helped bring victory in ending that war; rather, we slip into their shoes and experience each of their journeys. I highly recommend The Bletchley Girls for it is well written, wonderfully captivating and honours those who made sacrifices for freedom. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for my review copy.
