Review of 'The Girl From Bletchley Park' by Kathleen McGurl

E-Book Due out November 3, 2021 and Paperback January 5, 2022. Publisher HQ HarperCollins

I truly appreciated and enjoyed Kathleen McGurl’s The Girl From Bletchley Park for it addresses the power and bondage of secrets, unexpected betrayals, the challenge of trust issues, close quarter friendships, love and attraction, appearances and reality, females struggling for achievement in a man’s world, sacrifices in business leadership and the pressure of family expectations. But it also covers the positive power of choice in both the past and present timelines and how sometimes hard decisions have to be made.  

This beautiful generational dual timeline novel contains Julia’s view point set in 2019 and Pamela’s in 1943. Although the book begins with Julia’s, I will address Pamela’s first since the heart of the story is in the book’s title. In 1943, Pamela has earned a well-deserved spot at Oxford University. She is a brilliant mathematician but an opportunity arises that leads her in another direction. She is presented with the chance to do her part for the war and to use her skills for a worthwhile cause. She is assured she can reclaim her Uni placement once these important tasks are completed. She decides to take a leap of faith into the unknown and become one of the codebreakers at Bletchley Park. At the same time, her brother leaves home to be trained as a war pilot in the fight for freedom. Both siblings are doing their part to help but one has the higher risk.

The 1943 setting of Bletchley Park focuses on the British government’s cryptological establishment that operated during World War II. It carried a hefty responsibility of decoding the enemy's secret messages, particularly those encrypted with the German Enigma and Tunny cipher machines. The workers were required to sign an agreement to never discuss what went on inside the facility. This novel covers the agony and weight of such secrets: when they must be kept and how strong one must be to maintain such a task. The story makes you question: could you do this, if you had to? Well, the codebreakers chosen at Bletchley Park for their special mental skills had to follow the iron clad requirement. It is interesting to note that three quarters of these positions were filled by women. The job had its challenges for even after the war ended, the participants had to remain silent, until the mid 1970’s when the secrets of their work became known after the British government released the information.

Before reading this novel, I watched the Bletchley Circle television series to gain insight of what it might have been like to work in this role and I also read some true accounts by the women who participated. I believe Kathleen has done an excellent job giving us a bird’s eye view of the inside activities. Not only has she shown us a glimpse of the workings of Bletchley Park but also the social scene that was fairly active and how it offered support to those who would have otherwise led a lonely existence. Working together closely in this facility led to some strong bonds between these ladies and men, since they could only talk among themselves about their secret ventures. 

As it would have been for many ladies in this situation, our main character Pamela faces even bigger issues when keeping secrets of her work spills over into her personal life. She is caught in a tug of war of feelings between her quiet steady minded co-worker, Edwin, and her exciting attractive gardener boyfriend, Frank. Because of Edwin’s position, she can talk to him about anything and she is at ease in his presence. But she cannot share her activities with Frank who is the outsider. Yet she is attracted to this seemingly charming man. Until certain events cause her to wonder what secrets he may be hiding. Then suspicions and fears begin to mushroom and torch her trust in him when she discovers some distressing evidence. What should she do with this new found knowledge? 

We see very clearly in this novel how the greatest enemy of trust is doubt. And when suspicions begin to loom large, hard decisions must be made.

Then there is the comparison of secrets in the modern day relationship with couple Marc and Julia. It appears they are going in different directions. The strain between business and family responsibilities intensifies. Julia is working hard to keep everything afloat in her business. She has had a successful career in IT but trust in her business partner and friend, Ian, becomes challenged when she runs into some unexpected financial issues. And then her relationship with her husband wobbles because her business consumes so much of her time. Is he jealous or feeling left out? Are her children being neglected? Julia does make the effort to maintain both facets of her life. But there just aren’t enough hours in a day. Sacrifices are made that pinch the other party. And both her personal life and business venture come unravelled. Some naked truths surface that become hard for Julia to shoulder. 

But in the midst of Julia’s troubles, one silver lining reveals itself. Bob, her airline pilot brother (a great parallel to the past of Pamela and Geoff) diverts the stress by giving her a box of their grandmother’s personal items. This leads Julia on a mission of discovery to uncover the story of why Pamela never discussed her position at Bletchley Park. I found this part of the story particularly intriguing. 

Like Pamela, Julia becomes lost for a while in a state of self-doubt, as suspicion slowly erodes her faith and confidence in her long standing unions— personally and professionally. Will she find a way through the tangled mess? I’m delighted to say that Kathleen weaves all lines together with appropriate resolutions. I found the novel gained an exhilarating momentum as it headed toward a satisfying climax. I did not want to put it down until I reached the end.

In each timeline, we see issues surrounding women of strength. With the present, it’s the complications that can arise when a woman’s work capacity outshines her husband’s. Once jealousy rears its ugly head, it can cause the loss of love if it leads a person into another direction. What lies at the heart of this green-eyed monster? The feeling of being threatened by another person’s success or income can create a lot of negative emotions and self-doubt. This can sometimes drive people to do unexpected things to make them feel good about themselves. But here lies the danger: what direction will a person go? And what are the consequences?

In the past timeline, we see how strong a Bletchley woman can be as well. And even though women had less choices in the 40s, those who fought hard for their rights, gained in limited measure, a few seeds of satisfaction. For the self-assured female would not let convention rule her heart and life. In this, Pamela is an excellent example.

Trust is a big cornerstone in relationships and I felt Kathleen explored this well in The Girl From Bletchley Park. George MacDonald once said: ‘To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved.’ Pick up a copy of this insightful gem when released on November 3rd. I highly recommend this to lovers of intriguing dual timeline fiction. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me.

Many thanks to Kathleen McGurl and HarperCollins for a copy to read and review.

 

Cindy L Spear