Code Name Verity
Youth Book (14+)
By Elizabeth Wein
Book Review: April 12, 2018

Are you are looking for a gut wrenching story of friendship? If so, I have the book for you! Code Name Verity is a historical fiction novel. This means its a novel in which the story is fictional yet set in the past. Sometimes they will borrow true characteristics of the time period in which it is set. I find these are some of the most interesting stories because they draw from reality to create interesting works of fiction. In the case of this novel, the story takes place in Nazi-occupied France in World War II. Elizabeth Wein is the writer and she is also a pilot who flies extensively in eastern Scotland, where she has now lived for over fifteen years (she is originally from the United States but has lived all over the world). Interestingly, one of the main characters of the novel, Maddie, is also a pilot. Wein wrote all but one of her novels since moving to Scotland.

My take on Code Name Verity is that its a heartbreaking story focused on the friendship of Julie Beaufort-Stuart (known as Queenie in the book) and Maddie Brodatt, two young women that lived during World War II.

The book opens in November, 1942 with “I am a coward. I wanted to be heroic and I pretended I was. I have always been good at pretending.” Spoken by our narrator Julie (Queenie), a female spy born in Scotland who was caught in occupied France because she looked left first when crossing the street. Of course, in France, one looks right before crossing the street so this one, small act had significant consequences. In my opinion, this was a powerful detail to add as it lends a sense of realism to the book. Once captured, Queenie didn’t have any papers with her so she was imprisoned in the Château de Bordeaux, a once elegant hotel in now Nazi-occupied France, serving as Gestapo head quarters. This Chateau is just one of the real-life locations in France that the author uses throughout the book which made me feel like I was actually there, in France.

While imprisoned by the Nazis, Queenie takes time to reflect back on he life and her relationships, the most prominent being the one she had with Maddie, a pilot and her best friend. With the threat of torture and death, Queenie decides to give up information on “everything I can remember about the British War Effort”. This being said, the information she gives is more than just a list of aircraft types and wireless codes, it’s an account of her friendship with Maddie.

Throughout her story, that she is writing down as she forms it, are real details of the British War Effort such as the breaking down of class barriers, the opportunities the war brings, as well as the fears of not only the war, but of daily life. I believe that this book also has some great villains such as SS Officer Von Linden who she describes, in an almost casual way, The man who has the power to determine whether she gets to live or die.

I feel that with each new chapter of Queenie’s story, characters come to life and take on deep and complex personalities. Half way through the book there is a twist that the reader does not expect and it adds an entirely different dimension to the book.

Wein has done much research and weaves an interesting and exciting story that will keep even the most distracted reader engaged.