“The reigning queen of historical fiction” — Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Lions of Fifth Avenue
The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Huntress and The Alice Network returns with another heart-stopping World War II story of three female code breakers at Bletchley Park and the spy they must root out after the war is over.
1940. As England … War II story of three female code breakers at Bletchley Park and the spy they must root out after the war is over.
1940. As England prepares to fight the Nazis, three very different women answer the call to mysterious country estate Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes. Vivacious debutante Osla is the girl who has everything—beauty, wealth, and the dashing Prince Philip of Greece sending her roses—but she burns to prove herself as more than a society girl, and puts her fluent German to use as a translator of decoded enemy secrets. Imperious self-made Mab, product of east-end London poverty, works the legendary codebreaking machines as she conceals old wounds and looks for a socially advantageous husband. Both Osla and Mab are quick to see the potential in local village spinster Beth, whose shyness conceals a brilliant facility with puzzles, and soon Beth spreads her wings as one of the Park’s few female cryptanalysts. But war, loss, and the impossible pressure of secrecy will tear the three apart.
1947. As the royal wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip whips post-war Britain into a fever, three friends-turned-enemies are reunited by a mysterious encrypted letter–the key to which lies buried in the long-ago betrayal that destroyed their friendship and left one of them confined to an asylum. A mysterious traitor has emerged from the shadows of their Bletchley Park past, and now Osla, Mab, and Beth must resurrect their old alliance and crack one last code together. But each petal they remove from the rose code brings danger–and their true enemy–closer…
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Great historical fiction. I was hooked immediately!
Great story of three young women who worked at Bletchly Hall as code breakers during the second world war, their interaction with fellow workers, and how their friendship fell apart. Years later they have to come together to solve the mystery of the Rose Code. The book is on the long side with over 600 pages! But really interesting.
A novel based on historical events. Well written and enjoyable read.
This is the story of the famed Bletchley Park in England during World War II. The story is told through the eyes of three young women who worked in the code breaking factory. It is also the story of the power of friendship when one of the women is sent to an institution for the ‘insane.’ And how the power of friendships formed in war can overcome gender and class differences.
I have loved every Kate Quinn book I have read, and this one did not disappoint! The characters were realistic and entertaining. There were plot twists and enough suspense to keep the reader engaged. Excellent!
Would give this 10 stars…. Wonderful characters and an easy read Couldn’t put it down.. Love Kate Quinn
This is an amazing book that delves into the secret world of the Bletchley Park codebreakers during World War II. From brilliant mathematicians, to quirky puzzle masters, to linguists, to the mechanically minded, to clerical workers, they all played an important part in breaking the enemies’ codes and helping the Allies win the war.
While following the relationships of three very different women who work at BP, we get a fascinating look at the pressure of codebreaking, the strain of keeping everything top secret even from their families, and the empowerment these women felt for the first time in their lives. Kate Quinn makes even the tedious parts of codebreaking appear fascinating and vital. The storylines are at times heartbreaking, but the overall mystery of what went wrong among the main characters and the search for the traitor really keeps you speeding through the book to unlock the clues and find the solution. And what a great ending!
I listened to the audiobook version, and I highly recommend the narrator. She does a fabulous job with all the characters and makes the scenes unfold like a thrilling spy movie.
kept my attention I really like this author
I enjoyed this book and do recommend it. However, I did like The Huntress by her more.
One of the best books I have read this year.
Once again Kate Quinn writes a page turning story both familiar and unexpected. Witty, smart characters fill the pages and the ethos of war threatens them at every turn. A can’t miss read about friendship and the unexpected ties that bind.
10 shiny stars! I didn’t think Kate could outdo The Alice Network and The Huntress, but she proved me wrong. The Rose Code was impossible to put down. Loved the romantic subplots. I’ll definitely be reading it again.
This is really a good story that is very believable.
The Rose Code is only my second time reading Kate Quinn, but she is quickly becoming a favorite for me in historical fiction. This book was powerful, gut-wrenching, and an incredible look at what it was like being a codebreaker and a woman during WWII. The audiobook was fantastic and is narrated by Saskia Maarleveld. I don’t think I could have asked for anyone better to voice this novel and I am a huge fan of her overall. I have listened to a few books now that she has narrated, and she does an amazing job every time. I would highly recommend the audio, but I think it would be good to have a copy of the book as well. I definitely couldn’t listen to this at my normal speed and had to slow it down, so I didn’t miss a single word. I would have loved to have a physical copy to reference.
I am just blown away by Quinn’s storytelling abilities and I can tell that a massive amount of time and research went into making The Rose Code the book it is. I love that she chose to do two different time periods and a few different viewpoints, and I simply adored Osla, Mab, and Beth. Their friendship and the way they come back together again was a highlight for me in the novel and this is a great book if you are a fan of strong female characters. Some of the content was quite jarring but so beautifully done, and I both laughed and shed more than a few tears while listening to it. This is a historical fiction novel that you can really sink your teeth into, and there is also a bit of romance as well. Heartbreaking at times, but also full of hope and a few moments where I was just like YES, this is what I am here for. I love what I have read of Quinn and I hope to read many more of her books in the future! She is now officially an autobuy author for me, that is for sure, and if you love her other books you will love The Rose Code as well.
I appreciated the information detail on aspects of WW11 history re role of Bletchley. So good that more is being written about the role of women in this project and the difference they made and significant contribution. Sad that these women were unable to tell their stories about what they contributed and the incredible difference they made in winning the war due to their work as a result of the Official Secrets Act.
I enjoyed this book very much and was surprised by a couple twists/betrayals. That said, the middle section which focused on the romances of the various characters slowed the pace for me (surprising since I usually enjoy love story threads). There were a couple events toward the end that felt predictable to me, but the novel feels very well researched and the bits about Bletchley Park were fascinating. I enjoyed each of the three POV characters and how they grew/changed throughout the course of the novel. Definitely for fans of historical fiction and those who enjoyed Quinn’s earlier books will enjoy this one too.
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn is a marvellous historical novel that blends fact and fiction. It consumed me from the start.
The action alternates between November 1947 just before the Royal Wedding and the war years, mainly at Bletchley Park. The reader learns that there has been a severe miscarriage of justice, as the novel progresses we see the roads that led there.
Bletchley Park was a place of secrets. The people who worked there had to learn to lie about their work or be guilty under the official secrets. It is against this background that three young women from differing walks of life meet and form a friendship. Bletchley Park was a unique place to work. Pockets of friendship groups sprung up supporting each other. It was a closed community and strong bonds were formed. These bonds would remain long after the war ended. If one of their own was in trouble, others dropped everything to offer support.
War is hard for all. Some are facing the enemy for the second time. The nightmares from World War I still loom large in a life. “I haven’t seen the world in full colour since I was sixteen years old and buried in mud at the front.” The battle scars never leave as the memories play on.
For some war is an escape from a severe home life where religion is used as a punishment. “[She] didn’t think God was nearly as severe as her mother made Him out to be.” People should never misrepresent God. God is love in contrast with those who used religious rules to scold and punish.
The reader witnesses the awful effects of the Blitz up and down the country. Loss cuts a character to the core. “Why did no one tell her how to keep living?” The loss is tangible. So heavily invested in the lives of the characters was I that I must admit I gasped out loud and was shocked by events. I, too, felt the loss.
A sanatorium is a terrible place to be. It was a place not just for the ill but a place where perfectly sane women could be locked up under the instructions of men, forever. We see a life abandoned because of the threat posed to criminal minds.
The Rose Code was an all-consuming read. It had a very familiar feel to it as there were real life names and situations. It was a powerful read that I could not put down.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.
I wish I could give The Rose Code more than 5 stars.
I hated this book to end.
No one does historical fiction quite like Kate Quinn.
The Rose Code is the fascinating story of the code breakers during World War 2 at Bletchley Park.
The pages turned quickly, the history was fascinating and I had to find out what happened.
Please take the time to read the Author’s Notes at the end of the book: they add even more to the story.
Historical fiction at its very best.
After the first couple of chapters, I could not put this book down.
Un-put-downable….