An engaging read based on a true story. Having read a story about the women at Bletchley Park I had wondered if I would find this underwhelming but it was a sufficiently different story from the Australian side and adjusting to life after the war. ( )

"The Codebreakers" was a fascinating novel by Alli Sinclair. It was inspired by the work Australian women carried out during WWII. Despite the loss of loved ones, harassment and sexism, these women were courageous, inspirational, loyal and highly intelligent. Sworn to secrecy, these women were responsible for saving hundreds of lives as they intercepted signals from around the world, mainly those being sent in the Pacific region. Their work and the need to keep what they did top-secret put a strain on their relationships, and it wasn't until 2011 that they were formally recognised for their efforts in helping to reduce the war by at least two years. It makes me sad knowing that, while their male counterparts were showered with medals and accolades, what these amazing women did was hidden for so many years. Shameful!

While I am familiar with Bletchley Park and its role in the war efforts, I had no idea that there were women doing a similar job in Australia. This story was beautifully written and extremely well researched, and highlighted the special work these women did in a garage at Nyrambia. I loved the close bond that formed between the Garage Girls. With very likeable characters, strong female camaraderie, a rural Queensland backdrop and highlighting an interesting part of Australian history that was not known until recently, "The Codebreakers" was a terrific read and would make an exciting movie. ( )

The Codebreakers is a novel that makes a story out of a little-known part of Australian war history and brings it to life through fiction. Set in World War II Brisbane, the story focuses on Ellie O’Sullivan who is recruited to work for the little-known Central Bureau. Through Ellie and her friends, the novel covers many of the facets of war in a story that is never boring.

Ellie is working as an engineer for Qantas when she keeps getting requests from a mystery army man. Eventually she gives in and takes the test he’s asking about, followed by recruitment into Central Bureau. Ellie has no idea who put her up for this or what it entails, but she wants to do her part for the war effort. This means moving from away from her roommate and landlady (who have become friends) and into the barracks. Once there, she finds an old friend in Florry and new ones. The work of the Garage Girls, as they call themselves, is to decipher communications from the Japanese using the Typex machines and support the work of Bletchley Park and other codebreaking units. But it’s not all codes, as the women have to fight their own battles – which include loss, betrayal, assault and the secrets that they must never reveal. These secrets hang heavy on the women in different ways, with some not wanting to discuss their war jobs and others like Ellie, wanting to be able to unburden on to others.

Alli Sinclair has done a great job of bringing these women to life and illustrating what an important job that did during the war. The research that has been done is clear, from the references to the grand house and garage where the women worked (Nyrambla – worth checking out) and the way the machine worked. There is a lot of drama happening and at times I wished that there was more on the dramatic events (for example, a character gets stabbed, wakes up in hospital and is back at work within a few pages) to really tease out the high stakes. Ellie is a great character who goes through a lot, but sometimes I did agree with other characters who said she looked on the bright side too often! (Although I don’t think I would have liked her so much if she was a misery guts). It was also nice that the story didn’t end with the end of the war, as the post-war years were just as tumultuous in different ways. I felt Ellie’s boredom and feelings of no longer being useful were captured really well. It’s an easy read, even though it’s quite big at over 460 pages as the story is gripping with never a dull moment. It’s a great read to learn more about little known aspects of Australian history and have fun along the way.

Thank you to Harlequin for the copy of this book. My review is honest.

http://samstillreading.wordpress.com ( )

Inspired by the women who secretly served the Australian Central Intelligence Bureau during World War II, The Codebreakers by Alli Sinclair is a highly engaging historical fiction novel about war, friendship, secrets, love and loss.

When Elanora (Ellie) O’Sullivan is approached to take up a clandestine role with the Australian Women’s Army Service, she is reluctant to give up her position as a member of the ground crew for Qantas Empire Airways, whose planes transport supplies to New Guinea as WWII continues to rage across Europe and the Pacific. Accepting the post will mean she will have to leave the home of Mrs. Hanley, where she shares a room with fellow crew member Kat Arnold, and will have to keep her activities in her new job a secret from everyone. Yet she feels compelled to accept, and finds herself living and working with a group of women whose role is to decode intercepted enemy communications. Ellie enjoys the work and is proud to be making such an important contribution to the war effort, but the intense pressure and the need for secrecy takes its toll on her, and her colleagues.

Sinclair develops a fascinating story in The Codebreakers, set in Queensland’s capital city, Brisbane, beginning in 1943. Having read the wonderful biography of Mrs Mac, an extraordinary woman who was in large part responsible for women being able to join the auxiliary armed forces in WWII (Radio Girl by David Duffy) last year, and then falling down a rabbit hole or two, I was aware that women played a role as signal operators and codebreakers in Australia during the war, and I’m delighted that Sinclair honours their significant but largely un-acknowledged contribution.

Merging historical fact with fiction, Sinclair explores the challenges the Australian people faced on the home front while at war, fearing an invasion or bombing from enemy forces. Everyone was expected to contribute to the war effort and as men were sent away to fight, many women stepped up and into non-traditional roles. Sinclair’s main protagonist Ellie represents one of thousands of women who played a vital role during the period, often with little recognition, then and even now.

If I’m honest I did not particularly care much for Ellie, I often found her character grating, always anxious about something - be it her job, or her personal relationships - even if for good reason, her thoughts throughout the book were often repetitive. I understood, as Sinclair’s Author Note confirms, that to keep such an extraordinary secret, particularly from loved ones despite the high stakes, was very difficult, but it was largely the well-crafted, sweeping plot that carried this story for me.

There is intrigue when one of Ellie’s colleagues is suspected to be a traitor, and romance when Ellie meets a handsome airman who courts her with gentlemanly ardour. Friendships are formed and broken. There is grief when young men fail to return to their sweethearts, joy when the war finally ends. Of course the main strength of the novel is what it reveals of our own history - the ‘Garage Girls’ and the remarkable women like them, a glimpse of our clandestine war activities, the revelation of a secret base in the outback, and later, the changes war wrought on society which allowed Ellie and other women to imagine a different future for themselves, other than what had always been expected of them.

An absorbing, well researched novel told with heart, warmth, and respect for the legacy of all who defended our country, The Codebreakers is a wonderful story I’d recommend. ( )