Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Patricia and Jean Owtram were only teenagers when the Second World War started, they lived at Newland Hall, five miles from Lancaster and the sisters had a typical English upper class childhood. Educated at home by a governess, they had a pony, the family went fishing in Scotland and as teenagers they attended boarding school. The family took in two Jewish Austrian refugees, Edith and Lilly and Patricia and Jean quickly became fluent in German and with a slight Austrian accent.

When the war broke out in 1939, their father Gary Owtram was a major in the 137th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, and his unit was sent to Singapore and he was taken prisoner by the Japanese. Patricia joined the Wrens, she signed the secret services act, and was sent to various remote locations along the British coastline. Patricia listened to German radio messages, quickly wrote them down and had no idea they were forwarded on to Bletchley Park and where the German Enigma code was cracked.

Jean was two years younger than Patricia and once Jean turned eighteen she joined the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry. Jean's first posting was in Cairo and then Italy, where she helped the Partisan efforts against the Germans, and yet she was too young to celebrate the D-Day landing with an alcoholic beverage.

Two sisters who couldn’t discuss what they did during the war, finally in the 1960’s they did and were able to honor their father’s wartime service in a fitting way. A true story about the vital work of young women during the Second World War, the responsibilities they took on as teenagers, and how they helped England achieve victory.

I received a copy of Codebreaking Sisters from NetGalley and Mirror Books in exchange for an honest review. This book was less than two hundred pages, I enjoyed every single one and I don't normally read biographies. Patricia and Jean Owtram’s experiences and maturity was truly inspirational, don’t forget their father was a prisoner of war at the time and they didn’t know his fate. Five stars from me, I highly recommend reading this amazing true story and it’s full of interesting facts and information about the Second World War.

This was a brilliant read and is being featured on my blog for my quick star reviews feature, which I have created on my blog so I can catch up with all the books I have read and therefore review.
See www.chellsandbooks.wordpress.com.

What an interesting way to create a book. Weaving the story narrative with actual letters, written at the time, by Jean and Patricia Owtram, our real life heroines...although very unassuming they are too. Sisters bought up in rural England who did their country proud in WW2 working in various code breaking roles.
Beautifully written ( how the art of letter writing in less and less these technological days) and extremely loving letters to their mother or each other , tell how in different parts of the world, they worked in top secret operations, bringing the Nazi war machine under the microscope. All this time they didn't know how/if their dear father was surviving in a prisoner of war camp after being captured by the Japanese, as part of the Singapore invasion.
Patricia intercepts German shipping communicatiosn and is part of the extended Bletchley team cracking the enigma code. Jeans service takes her abroad to Cairo and Italy where she aided the partisan movement.
Although they probably didn't realise at the time, they were very brave and self sacrificing during these war years of service. They were basically everyday girls who leant German through the kindliness of their family taking in Austrian refugees of the first world war.
Thank you so much Jean and Patricia for sharing your story. It felt as if you were you were in the room with me , telling all about your times with Wrns and Fany.
Thanks to netgalley for this copy to review. .#CodebreakingSistersOurSecretWar #Netgalley

An interesting snapshot of time and a great read. A wonderful historical account of that time through the lives of two sisters.

A brilliant and evocative book which encapsulates the mystery behind the codebreakers and those who worked within the Official Secrets Act. It works well with the two sisters writing independently as it tells both sides of their different stories although they are somewhat intertwined with the type of work they were doing. It also shows how people came together from all backgrounds and found themselves in the same positions. A true statement is that war is ultimately not defined by status or standing in the community. It doesn't differentiate.

My mother was a child during WW2 and always said she had wished she was older so she could have joined up and 'done her bit' like her older siblings. I was fortunate enough to take down her memories and now as we move on in years, those memories of people who were part of this war are now few and far between. We therefore need to appreciate those who have been fortunate enough to put pen to paper and record them for future generations, so that they can remember and learn from history.

The ‘codebreaking sisters’ have a very readable style of writing, & make it easy to relate to their account. It is interesting to have different perspectives from siblings – only 2 years apart in age, but they were on either side of the ‘magical’ age of 18 (i.e. when allowed to enlist.) Biographies are far more personal when written by the people who lived them, rather than by others writing about them. Insight into the effect on various members of the family – from several generations - of having their father serving overseas, adds another layer of interest with each person trying to shield the others, to spare them worry. A glimpse into the attitudes of teenage girls toward war itself – a mixture of innocence & bravado - and then later the added perspective of a prisoner-of-war, adding a completely different aspect of wartime experience. (I will certainly be looking out for their father’s book.) All in all this is a really worthwhile read & I would definitely recommend it - & thankyou very much to the authors for sharing their story!

An interesting and informative read about the work 2 sisters carried out in World War 2. It feels very personal and honest.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Great story of two sisters and the journeys that they each took during the second World War. Truly inspiring tale of the important role that women played too.

Codebreaking Sisters: Our Secret War is the story of young sisters Patricia and Jean Owtram and their roles in World War 2.
Coming from what would have once been described as an upper middle class home in rural Lancashire the sisters learn to speak German with the help of 2 Austrian Jewish refugees who work in the family kitchen . This proves fateful and determines their choices when they determine to help the war effort.
Patricia, the eldest,joins the Wrens and finds herself working in various "listening posts" eavesdropping on German Naval shipping radio communications. The younger Jean has to wait until she leaves school before enrolling with the multi-role organisation,ostensibly volunteer medical corps but as she discovers who also played an Intelligence role in both World Wars.
A large part of the book is the the girl's correspondence with each other and with various members of their family and is a fascinating insight into the class system of the day, their strong family ties and life for those playing vital roles in the war in the background with constant partying the order of the day. The letters also underline how young many of those participating in the war were, Jean has to permission from her mother before she is allowed to travel overseas, this in an important Intelligence role! At the age of just 18 she is travelling to Africa and Europe to do her work and seemingly having a great time along the way with parties ,sightseeing and enjoying different cultures along the way.

Because of the secrecy attached to both their roles it was only decades later that Patricia and Jean realised the importance of the work they had done as eager young women and the book is testament to the thousands of backroom girls who are rarely acknowledged when we celebrate those who played their part in defeating Hitler.
As the girls' story is told a potted history of the war runs alongside and this,and the easy to read free-flowing style of the narrative makes it an ideal read for younger people to get a basic overview of the war as well as to appreciate that people their age played a very big part in the war effort.

An entertaining book that is far from being "just a war book" as it's as much about the girls' family, how they were brought up,educated and the role and benefits to those deemed middle and upwards of the class system in the Britain of those times, some of the letters mention ,"our kind of people" .

Thanks to Patricia and Jean Owtram, Mirror Books and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review..

Patricia & Jean Owtram, sisters born two years apart, have the course of their lives changed completely by the Second World War. After their father becomes a Prisoner of War of the Japanese, Patricia joins the WRNS (Wrens) where she is involved in intercepting messages from the German shipping radio, whilst Jean works overseas in FANY as a Code & Cipher officer.

What lives these two sisters have led - it was enthralling to read about their jobs in WWII. Both sisters have their own chapters and we can see how their careers developed separately but that they kept their strong family bond. The book is written in such a way that it is like having a cozy chat over a cup of tea, with excerpts from their letters to each other and their family members. If I have one criticism it is that sometimes the letters could have been edited down a little in places. Recommended if you want to learn what life was like for young women in the services (WRNS and FANY).

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, Mirror Books, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

"This is the astonishing story of persistence, comradeship and fighting spirit showed by everyday people in bringing the Nazis down."

This book is written by two sisters, Patricia and Jean, who are only teenagers when the outbreak of WW2 happens. Both girls are very eager to do their part for the war effort, whist also worrying abut their father, who is also fighting on the front lines and their family at home in Lancashire.

I really enjoyed this book! Anyone that knows me, knows how much I enjoy learning about anything related to WW2 and the 1940's, I got stuck into it straight away, finding it hard to put down. I loved that they incorporated parts of the letters that they sent to each other and members of their family. This gave the book such a personal touch and helped to show how they were real people.

There is so much more than just their secret work during the war, you are really taken of the journey of these two girls growing and becoming women. they are a true inspiration and I cannot recommend this book enough.

This is a book that I loved and could not put it down.

With all the talk about removing monuments, etc going on at the moment I feel monuments should be erected for wonderful workers like these 2 ladies and books like this should be studied by children as part of their school curriculum.

There are so many stories in the book, along with extracts from their diaries and letters to family. The book is very well written and you get so engrossed in reading that you can imagine that both ladies are in the room with you sharing a coffee as they tell their stories.

If you like history and investigating World War 2 then this is a book you definitely need to check out.

2 amazing Lancashire ladies with so many exciting and interesting stories to tell

With Codebreaking Sisters there is more than their secret work during the war. This is also stories about upper class living in the period, families, love, girls maturing to women and the wonderful letters that were written by Pat and Jean that shows the art of writing I feel is now sadly missing with our frantic lives.
I would highly recommend this book to young women as an inspiration to believe in yourself and follow your heart. I just loved this book.
This is an independent review thanks to NetGalley / Mirror Books

Fully enjoyed reading the Owtram sister's story. I loved that the chapters were split between both Jean and Patricia's points of views of their stories.
Definitely made me (an early 20s female) realise just how far society has come with allowing women "bring home the bacon". It's because of women like the Owtram sisters that womens independence and worth was proven useful in society.
Absolutely loved the read and will pass the book round all of my friends! It's a MUST READ.

Very interesting.

This book is written by two sisters, originally from Lancashire. They write one or two chapters each, and swap over. Some of their letters to each other, as well as to their mum are slotted in as well as normal narrative.

The Second World War broke out when they were kids. So, they were just teenagers when they started doing their bit for the war effort. The two young sisters are away doing their bit for King and country in WW2, not knowing whether their father is alive or dead. He's missing; they know he could die at any moment, or indeed, already be dead.

I wasn't sure I was going to like it at first as there seemed endless 'darlings' and 'mummy darlings' in their letters-it seemed excessive and a kindle search told me darling and darlingest was used 74 times in the book! But I soon got over that as it became very interesting and informative. You get a combination of History and Travel in this memoir, and I enjoyed reading it.

A very interesting account of their experiences.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this fascinating book

world war two
2 sisters about to embrace life suddenly have their lives turned around with the advent of war

both enlist and sign the official secrets act and experience life in their service to king and country...though each of them not knowing what the other was doing and a father a prisoner of war.

it was a fascinating read and to realise that they paved the way for women to become more independent and to realise their own worth,

well worth a read

Codebreaking Sisters: Our Secret War is an intriguing and engaging read that gives you nothing but admiration for what these inspiring and courageous woman did in the war.

I am a particular fan of memoirs of ordinary people and this was a great example of two ordinary girls who played their part, alongside millions of others, in the war effort. What makes these sisters slightly unusual is that they were both recruited to work in the "codebreaking" area.
It was a thoroughly enjoyable read - the tone of the story was friendly & chatty, as if they were sitting having tea with you & reminiscing! The diary entries etc made it all the more real.

Stories like this need to be committed to paper asap - they will soon be no longer with us & this fascinating insight into their life would have been lost forever.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book free via NetGalley - all opinions are my own

This book is based on a true account by two sister Patricia and Jean Owtram. They are believed to be the only living sisters to have signed the official secrets act.

in the 1920's the family take in 2 Austrian jewish refugees and the sister become fluent in German. When the war breaks out in 1939 Patricaia joins the Wrens and supplies blotchily park with critical information. and Jean ends up in the secret life of coding .
This amazing story of the sister's life is one of determination and courage and above all the fighting spirit people of that time showed in terrible times
The book is well written and it felt as though the sisters were actually talking to me and telling me their story.

Many thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review #netgalley #mirrorbooks