It has been almost a month since my last post, but this title is definitely worth the wait!!
Code Name Verity is told in two parts, by two different characters. The story opens in a prison in Nazi-occupied France where a British operative (she's Scottish, and you better not EVER call her English!) is being held. The British operative is writing her story of how she came to be in France in exchange for more time alive. The Nazis are expecting her to give up secret information about the Allies' plans to invade France, while she is weaving a narrative. This operative goes by many names in the course of the book, some of which could give away part of the story, so I will just refer to her as Scottie (this is one of her nicknames in the book).
Scottie is from the upper, upper crust in Scotland, with royalty in her blood. In the beginning of the war, she makes friends with a working-class girl, Maddie, and they soon become best friends, despite their differences. Maddie is a pilot and a mechanic--on cars, motorcycles, airplanes, basically anything with an engine. But she is working as a wireless operator since women haven't been called up to fly for the war effort yet. Flying is what gives Maddie purpose. Scottie is an invaluable asset because she speaks French and German, can think on her feet quickly, and likes to make up stories. The two girls are first paired up to talk down a lost German pilot and get him safely to their English base. Later, they are paired up in the drop that gets Scottie arrested. (If I say much more here, I will give away some of the best parts of the plot, so I will stop.)
The two other minor supporting characters are the Gestapo officer, Hauptstrumfuhrer von Linden, and the female guard/interpreter, Anna Engel. Neither of these characters are stock characters; both are rounded characters who have surprises in them that you don't see coming.
I was up until late last night/early this morning finishing this book, because I couldn't put it down. I wanted to find out what happened at the end.
There are lots of World War II and Holocaust books and books about men fighting and women at home, but this is the first book I've read about women being a part of the fighting and ferrying of planes, pilots and refugees and I hope to see more!
I was provided with a free galley copy of this title by NetGalley. All statements are mine. This book is now available for purchase, but in print and as an ebook.
I hope you find this one as enjoyable and not-put-downable as I did!
Happy Reading!!
