The Rose Code is a historical fiction mystery novel by Kate Quinn, published in 2021. It takes place in England during and after World War II. The book follows three women who work as codebreakers at Bletchley Park. After the war, they try to identify a traitor among their former Bletchley Park colleagues. The novel explores the women’swomen’s experiences working in the top-secret codebreaking operation.
Secret Codebreaking Efforts Help the War
They must work secretly at the estate of Bletchley Park. There, the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes. The book tells the story of their friendship, work, disappointments, and triumphs.
Indeed, their work is highly secretive. Bletchley Park considers treason by revealing anything about their work. Together, they work on decoding German communications encrypted with variations of the Enigma machine.
Osla, Mab, and Beth connect over their shared love of literature. They started a book club called the Mad Hatters Tea Party.
You will enjoy reading about Osla Kendall, Mab Churt, and Beth Finch. I like that these women try to be themselves in an era where women must become wives. Women were not considered competent, or at least not as bright as men. Working on special projects means a lot. Being considered valuable for such work must be enormous.
Osla Kendall, naive but kind-hearted
Osla is a wealthy young woman who begins dating Prince Philip of Greece shortly before he leaves for war. She starts working at Bletchley Park. At BP, Osla initially did secretarial work but later translated into German.
As time passes, Osla continues to see Philip. But, she’sshe’s told to break things off with him due to his Nazi familial connections. Soon after, there are rumors of Philip and Princess Elizabeth being romantically linked. This news affects her and makes her feel betrayed and used.
Besides, Osla strikes me as very naive in many ways in life. I think deep down, she believed in those romantic stories. This probably led her to be with men who could not offer her the future or the relationship she hoped for. Yet, it took her time to realize reality.
I like how Osla is conciliatory and supportive of women in adverse situations. She is supportive. However, she is not my favorite character.
What I’m saying,” Osla continued, “is if she’s asking us for help after everything that happened, it means she’s absolutely dished and has no one else.”Mab’s mouth was dry. I have a family now. I’m not putting them at risk for a woman who betrayed me. “She says we betrayed her, too. And she’s not entirely wrong.”
Mab Churt is independent and resilient.
Mab comes from a poor background and lives with her mother and 4-year-old sister, Lucy. She works punching in messages to be decoded. Later, she operates bombe machines. These test different settings to decode encrypted messages.
Meanwhile, Mab meets and marries a good, loving man, Francis Gray. She’s also able to reveal Lucy’s secret to him. He is supportive of her sister.
On the other hand, I think Mab was the most realistic of the three. Her life experience gave her greater clarity on what to expect from men. It was easier for her to decipher a man with good intentions than one without. She had learned this from a very young age. So, when she met Francis, she appreciated the man he was. He made her feel loved and respected.
You don’t know how men sometimes use women.” A long exhalation. “How they use and then leave women they never intended to marry. Nice boys do that. Gentlemen do that. Even princes.”
Mab stands out for her resilience. She lived through challenging situations but managed to get ahead. Also, she believes in second chances, not only in love but also in friendship. Mab is my favorite character of the three because of her realism, personality, and desire to move forward. I like that she shows the facets of anger, forgiveness, and vulnerability that all humans have in the face of certain events.
Beth Finch, a gifted mathematician
Osla and Mab are housed together at the Finch family’sfamily’s home. There, they meet 26-year-old Beth, who lives with her parents. Beth is soon recruited to work at Bletchley Park with Dilly Knox’s team of female cryptanalysts. She does arduous decryption work.
Afterwards, Beth gets involved with a man named Harry Zerb. He is legally married, but he and his wife are only together for their child’s sake.
Beth was a young girl mentally emasculated by her mother. Her mother put so many negative things in her head. She made Beth believe she was worthless and useless. Her place was to serve and care for her mother. I admire Beth’s willingness to get out of her mental prison. Also, I think Osla and Mab were very supportive in showing her other options for life.
However, Beth’s rigidity in many aspects, mainly her work, led her to make decisions that later affected her friendship with Mab. Mab’s life changed completely, losing the people she loved most. Something that could have been different if Beth had revealed confidential work information.
Of the three women, Beth is the strongest. Having a mother like hers takes work. Getting out of that mental prison imposed by her mother requires courage. Enduring loneliness and confinement in a sanatorium for years is a considerable challenge. Trying to prove she was there by mistake took persistence. She is a character whose bravery I admire.
Conclusion
The Rose Code vividly paints a portrait of brilliant Bletchley Park women. They used their minds to crack codes, fight fascism, and prove women belong in power. This exhilarating friendship, betrayal, and redemption story will appeal to fans. It features strong female characters, World War II fiction, and courageous women. Moreover, these women overcame adversity through bonds of loyalty and love.
If you like stories of women showing virtues and defects, plus suspense, this novel is for you.
