The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
THE ROSE CODE
KATE QUINN
As England prepares to fight the Nazis, three very different women answer the call to mysterious country estate Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes.
Vivacious debutante Osla is the girl who has everything—beauty, wealth, and the dashing Prince Philip of Greece sending her roses—but she burns to prove herself as more than a society girl, and puts her fluent German to use as a translator of decoded enemy secrets. Imperious self-made Mab, product of East-End London poverty, works the legendary code-breaking machines as she conceals old wounds and looks for a socially advantageous husband.
Both Osla and Mab are quick to see the potential in local village spinster Beth, whose shyness conceals a brilliant facility with puzzles, and soon Beth spreads her wings as one of the Park’s few female cryptanalysts. But war, loss, and the impossible pressure of secrecy will tear the three apart.
REVIEW
The Rose Code tells the story of three very different young woman who are recruited to the legendary Bletchley Park where they become part of the war effort to decipher enemy codes. Osla Kendall is a beautiful socialite wants to be recognised as something more than a silly debutante and Mab Churt wants to escape the poverty of the East End of London by finding a wealthy husband. Both women come from vastly different backgrounds but they become firm friends from the moment they meet on the train to Bletchley and are delighted when they discover they are bunking together in the Finch household. They soon meet Beth Finch, the quiet daughter of their domineering landlady, and notice she has a talent for solving crossword puzzles. With the encouragement of Osla and Mab, Beth is soon recruited to Bletchley Park where she grows increasingly independent.
While the book is mostly set during the Second World War, the story jumps forward to 1947 where preparations are under way for the wedding of Princess Elizabeth to Prince Philip. Osla receives a message pleading for help from one of the women who has been confined to a mental hospital since the end of the war, it becomes apparent that something has driven these three women apart and shattered their friendship. The mystery at the heart of the novel is slowly revealed within both timelines as the women race against time to find a traitor.
The chapters detailing the work carried out a Bletchley Park are very well written and Quinn does a good job of explaining all the different processes and machines that were used to crack enemy codes, however the whole thing is still bamboozling. The more interesting part for me was the psychological effect the work had on the analysts as they could not discuss anything that went on at Bletchley with anyone, even with each other, and the responsibility of knowing lives depended on the breaking of the codes took its toll. It was heartbreaking to realise the young men at the Park were often vilified by the locals for not being in uniform as they did not understand the important work being carried out on their doorstep. Quinn also goes on to explain how Bletchley became a haven for those who were considered outside of the norm, particularly those who were socially awkward and/or neurodivergent.
The secrets of Bletchley Park have only started to come to light in recent times but I found it fascinating to learn that many of those codebreakers still maintain their silence over their activities as they still feel bound by the Official Secrets Act. Even weirder are the true accounts of married couples who discover they were both working at Bletchley unbeknownst to the other as their paths never crossed. When our three protagonists begin their careers at Bletchley, the place is still quite small but by the time the war ends it has grown significantly. As well as fictional characters, Quinn blends in real life figures from the time and most blend in seamlessly. Although this might be down to the fact that I didn’t really know who they were.
Osla Kendall’s character is based on Osla Benning, a Canadian debutante who was said to have been Prince Philip’s first girlfriend. Quinn says in the afterword she chose to change Osla’s surname out of respect for her current family but it seems odd to me to keep her distinctive first name. Either way, Osla’s romance with Prince Philip as detailed in the book made me uncomfortable and it gets worse as Osla is still pining for the prince as he is about to get married to Princess Elizabeth. The relationship between the real Osla and Prince Philip fizzled out during the war and she had already married by the time the royal wedding took place. The royal connection continues with the brief appearance of Valerie Glassborow, the grandmother of Catherine, Princess of Wales. The princess is later mentioned, as the Duchess of Cambridge, while opening Bletchley Park to the public.
The character of Beth was inspired by two different women who worked at Bletchley Park and Mab is a representation of the women from working class backgrounds who worked there. While both of these characters are likeable, their storylines are a bit more melodramatic and predictable. Although this is a long book, it still feels like the author was limited in the development of their friendship, however they are all posted to different huts and there are times when they never see each other so it is a difficult one.
