I do love a good spy novel - even more when they're real. Bletchley Park will be most infamous for Alan Turing but the other men and women who worked there were under the National Secrets Act until around 10 years ago and so we're just now earning their fascinating stories.

I would've liked this better if it had read less like a history lesson. I liked how Daisy's story started at the beginning, with her childhood between the two World Wars. I was intrigued by the impact the secret-keeping had for so long after the war ended, and this book will probably inspire me to find out more about Bletchley and its people. Unfortunately, the book went off on a lot of tangents about the start of the Second World War, distant family members who didn't really play any part in any of it, famous people at Bletchley whom Daisy may or may not have met, while at the same time not really giving much attention to the war experience of Daisy's fiancé and its impact. This seems like a bit of a missed opportunity.

This is a well-written memoir about the intricacies of the author's mother's life during WWII and the impact on her mental health from the strain of keeping secrets for a lifetime.  The narrative explores the pain her mother experienced forevermore despite her attempts to cope with the secret memories of her work in the aftermath of the war and life at Bletchley Park.  Unfortunately, for all who worked under intense stress in mostly poor conditions to help the Allies win the war, the threat of prison, or worse, loomed over them for the rest of their lives as a direct consequence of uttering any information about their work, discussion between coworkers was even forbidden because the civilian workers had all signed agreements of absolute secrecy as a requirement of the Official Secrets Act in Great Britain. The work at Bletchley Park, undertaken mostly by young civilian women, was so very segregated by specialized activities that roommates were not even aware of the specific duties performed by each other. The legacy of the codebreaker girls at Bletchley Park should be studied and recognized by all future generations for its historic impact on the outcome of the Second World War. 
Two suggestions for the publisher:
First, consider moving the Abbreviation Table to the front of the book so readers will be aware of its availability and for ease of access because it is a great resource due to the high number of acronyms used throughout the text. 
Second, consider hyperlinks to the End Notes in digital editions of the book to allow the reader easy accessibility for each referenced End Note. 
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book to read and review. The opinions expressed here are my own honest opinions written voluntarily.

I really wanted to read this book. I love reading about the people of Bletchley Park so this appealed to me. Unfortunately it wasn't what the cover and summary suggested. 

The parts following Daisy and her story were interesting and it would've been better if that had been the format of the book throughout. I was especially saddened and intrigued by the mental impact of secret keeping post war.

I found it went off into long tangents about distant family members, how WW2 started, other famous people at Bletchley that Daisy didn't perhaps meet, and so on. Daisy's fiancee's story is only skimmed over and that could've been fascinating, how they both dealt with their very different war trauma.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a dense, info packed examination of the life of a Bletchley Park operator, and the context of the war efforts depending on her work.

There is a lot of information provided in this book, which sometimes can feel overwhelming. The work that was done at Bletchley Park was highly technical and skilled that was all described very intricately in the text. There are lots of references provided, and a lot of people to keep track of. All of which combines to make a very dense read.

I was expecting more of the other young women who worked in Bletchley Park, which there wasn’t a lot of. What wasn’t about Daisy was about the enormous historical context of a global war or the technical details of the machines and work.

The last quarter was perhaps the best part for me. I had not realized that the author is actually the daughter of the focus of this work. The last quarter provided a strong emotional context for how the stress of such a job, a vow of secrecy of such important work, and the lack of proper resources after the war ended affected Daisy in her years after WWII.

As a personal preference, I feel that the whole book would have been stronger if it was the story of Slimming’s journey from the beginning researching and discovering all of this information about her mother’s work, providing an emotional line throughout.

Informative, Informative, Interesting! I was blown away by the amount of people and the fact that so many were able to keep it “MUM”! What an amazing and awe inspiring experience except the emotional stress must have been excruciating at times.
Daisy, a young woman was recruited for a program and she ended up at Bletchley Park for three years. This was to be her home away from home without the comforts and the family dynamics. The mind is a funny thing and it may seem in one piece now, but after years of solitude in little to no stimulation other than a few others it could affect you later in life.

Daisy is engaged and her fiancé is captured by the Japanese and she is helping to break those very codes. Can you just envision that she can’t tell anyone if he is alive even if she did know! That strain in itself would have been a difficult situation for her to come to grips with knowing that she can’t say one word. 
Two people in the same house suffering from PTSD, but one cannot talk about what she did for the war effort and the other doesn’t want to talk about the torture he had to endure. It is truly no wonder Daisy was closed off from her husband and children.

The author has went into such technical details and war details that it detracts from the core of the book which is the Codebreaker Girls. I was expecting a book more about the women and their lives , but instead I got history and technology lessons. I definitely thought it was interesting, but it was over my head at times that I skipped paragraphs to get into the lives of Daisy and the others.

I would recommend this book if anyone was looking for a book on codebreaking during the war and who was responsible for inventing what techniques. However, to say this was about Codebreaking girls, I would say 25% of the book was centered on their lives. 

I received a free advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

“We rubbed shoulders with brilliance, and we did our bit to win the war, but who would believe you?”
 
Slimming tells the story of her mother, Daisy Lawrence, who worked at Bletchley Park as part of its codebreaking operations during WWII. Unlike most books I’ve read on this subject, this one focuses on the consequences of the Official Secrets Act. Once the war ended, Lawrence was unable to tell anyone how much of a contribution she had made. While everyone thought she had worked as a clerk, she had in fact done much more important work. 

The mental health effects of keeping such a large secret are hardly examined in the literature, but Slimming pays a lot of attention to this aspect of her mother’s life. I really appreciated this fresh perspective. Would recommend for anyone else who loves books about female espionage. 

Thank you to netgalley and Pen & Sword for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book very interesting showing the workings of the Betchley code breakers and how they kept their silence about the work they had done during war time.

I was interested to receive an arc of this book as I have always been fascinated by the role of women in the second world war and the secret duties many performed and once met a member of the SOE. This is a story of a young woman, Daisy, her fiancee imprisoned by the Japanese sent to Bletchley Park to work alongside the codebreakers. It was a bit of a dusty read and I wanted to learn more about Daisy's emotional struggle to keep her wartime experiences secret following demobilisation. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the arc.

Codebreaker Girls is a historical true story of a young lady’s work at a secret facility in England. An interesting and informative read, the book follows the life of Daisy Lawrence pre-WWII and beyond. 
  I was intrigued reading of how her fiancee, Stan, goes off to war, yet she proudly offers her service to help at home. Daisy had to leave her family home, unable to let them know where or what she was doing. Her life during the war remained a secret for the rest of her life, and sadly hiding it made her suffer. 
  The book is about more than just this strong woman’s life, but a walk through the historical WWII era life. Packed with history and emotion, this book was hard to put down, especially knowing that it was true. 
(I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher for my honest review. Thank you Pen and Sword!!)
#Codebreakergirls
#NetGalley

Thank you to the publisher for an advance copy of this book!

It is hard to believe that this book isn’t fictional! It reads as good as any novel yet is mesmerizing due to the fact that it tells the story of the real Codebreakers girls! Very personal and well researched,  definite read for any history buff. Glad to see writers shining the light on females who broke down barriers in difficult times and helped the nation strive! Loved the picture of the girls holding a beer!

Author Jan Slimming published the book “Codebreaker Girls: A Secret Life at Bletchley Park” in 2021 (March). This is Ms. Slimming's first publication and focuses on her mother. 

I categorize this novel as ‘G’. This is the story of Daisy Lawrence and her experiences at Bletchley Park during WWII. The story begins before the war and gives background information on Lawrence. The focus then shifts to her wartime experiences. It finishes up with the troubles Lawrence had after the war. She had to sign the Official Secrets Act to work at Bletchley. The restrictions placed upon her proved to be detrimental to her mental health. 

Lawrence had become engaged early in the war. Some of the book follows the plight of her fiancee after he became a POW after the fall of Singapore. The later part of the book tells of her life in the years after the war.

While I enjoyed the 9.5+ hours I spent reading this 352-page WWII history. I have read and listened to podcasts about Bletchley Park. This book gave more everyday details than the other sources. I like the selected cover art. I give this book a 5 out of 5.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Can a book about Bletchley be anything other than fascinating?? A recommended purchase for general nonfiction collections and some HS collections.

I loved this book because of the topic more or less. I was really unsure going into this novel about whether or not I would like it, and while I do like it, it is not the best book I have ever read. It was spiratic and could have been more cohesive as a whole.

Super interesting book about the women who worked at Bletchley Park during WW2. 
There are many other books on this topic, but this is told from a totally unique point of view. 
A must read for anyone interested in this group of heroes and how they served in this unique role.

I am very interested in the role played by women in the IIWW, and I had read some about Bletchley Park, so I was super excited when I got this book. It lived up to my expectations for sure!!
The book explains how Daisy got selected for the job as a codebreaker in Bletchley, and not only focuses in the historical facts and the role this women played in the war, but also on their day to day lives: the living quarters, clothes, food... There are several pictures, letters, newspaper clippings, funny anecdotes...added to the narrative that make it even more interesting.
The story about Daisy's fiancée got me hooked until the end.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in WWII, and I'm very grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read it.

Codebreaker Girls: A secret life at Bletchley Park is one of those rare gems that if you're lucky, you will stumble upon and give it a read. It's a bit intense and filled with so much information about the early days of computers and the men and women who saved thousands of lives by using their wits to decode the enemies of Britain and the Allies during WWII. I was familiar with some of the names... but, the vast majority of these heroes will quietly slip from memory unless someone like the author takes a stand, digs deep into historical records, and interviewing those who were there or were somehow connected to those working at Bletchley Park. A very enjoyable read! Lots of tidbits to absorb. A must-have novel for those who have an interest in WWII as no library will be complete unless it has novels such as this, to get a full account of the very real history of those who fought with only their brains and aptitude to see patterns!

An interesting history.. Always great to read about women who were Trail Blazers before their time and who had the guts to do what they believed in.

Codebreaker Girls: A Secret Life at Bletchley Park is a fantastic blend of history and personal experience.  Slimming combines the experiences of her mother, Daisy Lawrence, with enough historical information to give her mother's story the needed context. The photographs and documents help bring Daisy Lawrence's life story to life.  

For those who enjoy the history of World War II, Codebreaker Girls give a personal insight into Bletchley Park and the critical events that transpired during the war.  Being familiar with Bletchley Park, I was fascinated with the personal details of how Daisy come to work there, her years there, and the effect it had on her personal life following the war.  The secrecy of Daisy's work at Bletchley Park in combination with Slimming's father, a Japanese prisoner of war, is compelling as they marry, raise a family, and navigate life.   Codebreaker Girls shares a little told story of the hope, hardship, and postwar reality through the life story of Daisy Lawrence.

What if you found out that your mother had a secret life that you never knew about? What if that secret was of worldwide historical value? How did keeping that secret for decades affect your mother’s life? Your life? Your extended family‘s life?  Codebreaker Girls is the true story of Daisy Lawrence who, as a young woman , was selected to work at Bletchley Park.during WWII. Sworn to secrecy by the government, those who worked at Bletchley were unable to share their experiences with anyone except each other.  Carrying a secret of this magnitude takes a toll,
The author is one of Daisy’s daughters.  Upon finding some long hidden documents, she begins to investigate her mother’s role at Bletchley Park.  The book weaves historical facts with her mother’s photos as well as documents and photos from others.  At times there are long dry stretches of information about the buildings and  processes.  It is not that this is not of interest, but it is presented in a very textbook fashion.  The portions of the book which I found most interesting were Daisy’s story,  The impact on Daisy post war  and through decades later as she struggled to keep the secrets she knew was impactful.  This took a huge toll on how she raised her family, I would have enjoyed the book more if there was more of Daisy and lest of a history lesson. 
My thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.