Brenda's Reviews > Code Name Verity

WWII brought together two young women on the shores of England – Maddie of Manchester and Queenie of Scotland. Without thought, they became best friends while training and working as radio operators. Maddie was a fresh, young pilot and when she was flying Queenie into France, trouble struck. Suddenly they were separated – Queenie was captured by the Gestapo and feared for her life.

Writing her account of why she was in France; delivering coded secrets; laying bare her thoughts – Queenie did all those things, though never willingly. Meanwhile Maddie had a different story to tell. Queenie was code name Verity; Maddie was code name Kittyhawk. Those two young women, with families at home – would they ever see the shores of England again?

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein was a gutsy, heart wrenching narration, both by Queenie and Maddie. The horrors of war; the lightheartedness they kept up before leaving England to take away the fears; the need to keep busy to stop thinking – all culminates in an exceptionally interesting and gripping historical novel which I enjoyed. Recommended.