Mabs has grown up in Shoreditch but longs to escape. War introduces something new to their lives.

At its centre are young women who don’t quite fit into their worlds. There are two timelines 1947 as the royal wedding of Princess Elizabeth approaches, and 1939 at the outbreak of war. I was drawn in by the WW2 setting and promise of mystery, but it’s much more than that. ‘The Rose Code’ by Kate Quinn is the first book I’ve read by this author. Was also really amazing to discover that right up until the 1970’s those who worked at the park were prohibited from talking about their time there, and even after that, for many the secrecy was so engrained that they never spoke of their experience.Ī real must for any historical fiction lover! Loved the added element of the late Duke of Edinburgh, and was so interesting to read in the notes that he did actually date a girl named Osla who worked at Bletchley before marrying the Queen, and that the Duchchess of Cambridge’s great grandmother was also there! The character development was brilliant and although it’s a pretty long book I just couldn’t put it down. I learnt so much by reading this book and the duel timeline added an extra element of intrigue. Oh wow, this book has it all and gave me such a book hangover!īeth, Osla and Mab spend WW2 working at the now famous Bletchley Park, although they come from very different backgrounds they soon form a close bond.

The rose code by kate quinn summary