Reading History: The Rose Code

Kate Quinn’s new historical novel is a brilliant story about female codebreakers in World War II Britain.

Warning: Some spoilers for the book ensue.

I distinctly remember when I first read Kate Quinn. I was still a master’s student at Syracuse University, and I happened to see a copy of her first book, Mistress of Rome, for sale at my local Wegman’s. Seeing that it was a book about ancient Rome, I scooped it up and, shortly thereafter, eagerly devoured it from cover to cover. Since then, I’ve read every book she’s written, whether they were set in ancient Rome, Renaissance Italy under the Borgias, or the 20th Century. I’ve never been disappointed in a Kate Quinn book, and so I knew that The Rose Code would be no different. The book got its hooks in me from the first page, and I can’t tell you how many nights I would stay up past my bedtime, just trying to finish another chapter. Yes, it really is that good.

The Rose Code focuses on three women recruited by British intelligence to serve as codebreakers during World War II. Osla is a society girl who moves in the most rarified circles and who even manages to snag a dalliance with none other than (the recently deceased) Prince Philip. Mab is a young woman from Shoreditch who yearns to escape from her humble beginnings and…