Ena is one of the original Bell Girls, American women deployed overseas as telephone operators to help transmit communications between the Allied forces. It's a leap from her previous, comfortable life, but after an event, she comes back home completely changed. She'd rather hope to keep everything under covers and move on as if nothing happened, but after a mysterious and threatening phone call, she finds it near impossible.

Monica Hesse's mystery was nicely written and engaging, full of historical details with plenty of flashbacks spaced throughout the book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for allowing me to read The Brightwood Code. This is a heartbreaking story of a woman haunted by events in her past. I enjoyed learning about the Hello Girls of WW1. Such brave women! This is an edge of your seat whodunnit for fans of historical fiction.

TW: rape, war, suicide
A telephone operator just home from the war in France (WW1) begins receiving strange calls…

I was interested by this story from the first chapter. I think there was good character development and the mystery and red herrings were well done. Also very much enjoyed how we kept finding out bits and pieces through out of what the backstory was.

What threw me off was how it didn’t entirely feel the actions of the characters matched the actions of the times. It felt more modern.

Overall an engaging and pleasant read. I will check out more from this author.

QUOTE: “You expect that as time passes grief will get smaller, but grief doesn’t get smaller. It’s just that life gets bigger.”

Such a charming and unexpected historical set during WWI., haunting in scope and long-lasting in its resonance. Deeply moving and highly & sincerely recommended for all ages.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for the chance to read this wonderful book via eARC, in exchange for my honest review.

In this interesting World War I historical fiction novel, readers explore the life of Hello Girls, women telephone operators near the front lines in Europe ensuring that military communication lines stay up. Edda, recently returned home, now works as an American Bell telephone operator and is haunted by a single mistake she made in France that got a regiment killed. When she receives a strange phone call mentioning “Brightwood” on her shift back in Washington D.C., Edda is forced to confront her time in France and track down the phone caller and the families of the dead soldiers. With the help from neighbor Theo, who has his own scars from the war, Edda must figure out which secrets followed her to Washington D.C. A fascinating insight into World War I and the Hello Girls, this historical fiction mystery is complex and emotional. Edda does have some traumas (content warning for sexual assault) that impact the larger narrative, so readers should be advised to proceed with caution. Edda and Theo’s relationship is particularly interesting to follow as it develops over the course of the novel, and they are both realistically flawed, which adds to the emotional storylines. With powerful characters and a fascinating historical plot, fans of historical fiction are sure to enjoy this book.

I loved this book. It kept me guessing from beginning to end. Monica Hesse writes such deep and moving young characters. I always can count on her for a great read.

A slightly different vibe for a Monica Hesse novel, but stunning nevertheless. I appreciated the glimpse into a little known part of World War 1 history and the role of the Hello Girls.

This was an interesting read. I had never heard of the "Hello Girls" of WW1 until I read this book. It was a very interesting look at the trials of war for both men and the women who worked along side them. Not an easy read but interesting none the less. Please note the content warning on the copyright page before reading this title as it can be triggering for some. I have read books by this author before I thought they were good this one was no different. I liked the flash back aspect used in the story to tell us what happened while our main character was in France. It opened up the story for us a little at a time which helped to propel the story and mystery.

This was an excellent YA Historical Novel about Edda , who was a switchboard operator during WWI until something happened to cut short her time overseas. WWI is not a time in history that I have read about very often. There are not as many books written about this period. I liked learning more about this time. Edda is a complicated character who goes through a lot of emotions throughout this book. There is more to this story than you realize so it is a YA book, not middle-grade. I received a copy of this book via NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Monica Hesse is making a career out of illuminating little-known details of history. In this novel, she teaches us about the Hello Girls from WWI. A group of young women are sent to France during the war to be telephone switchboard operators, learning new code words every night so they can put callers in touch with each other during crucial moments. The Hello Girls were required to also be fluent in French so that they can easily translate calls as necessary. And this during a time when most men didn't think women were smart enough to vote let alone be critical linchpins in the war machine. Edda comes home early from her stint in France and takes a job with Bell Telephone as a switchboard operator. Her past comes back to haunt her when a mystery caller announces himself with the code word Brightwood. Edda confides in her neighbor Theo who helps her resolve the mystery. This is a really enjoyable read.

PAGE TURNER. I have not wanted to not put down a book to this degree in many years. I was invested from the beginning.
The character building and connection you feel with them is personal.
Hesse makes you feel you are part of the story without long descriptive writing that gets tedious. Hesse leaves you with just enough information to keep you wanting to stay up all night to finish reading at the end of every chapter.

monica hesse’s dedication to bringing to light parts of history that have been overlooked is one of the reasons why she has been one of my favorite authors for several years now.

the other is that her books can simply be described as emotional gut punches that live in your brain forever.

so not only did the brightwood code teach me about the female ww1 operators AND make me cry multiple times, it also gave me one of my favorite character dynamics ever. edda and theo!! they have my heart!!

hesse is a genius at writing an unreliable narrator, and edda’s characterization was developed at the perfect pace. i stayed up all night reading this one.

i recommend this one for fans of:

- and they were roommates!
- women making history!

Eda is an American Bell Telephone Operator, but right before this she was on the front lines of WW1 as a hello girl. Her time on the front lines was cut short because she froze once and she believes it got a bunch of soldiers killed. When some one calls her line and says the old code Brightwood now that she is in the states she thinks someone else knows of her mistake and their consequences. So, Eda with the help of her friend Theo vow to get to the bottom of it all. But were either of them ready for the stories each has to tell?
This was a great historical fiction book where again women are at the forefront of war, another ware where everyone thought there were no girls. This was an exciting book full of suspense that is so thick it will surprise you each time you poke through. Eda and Theo’s characters are wonderful together. This is such a good book for people of all ages.

A historical fiction read about the Hello Girls from World War I with a pesky and quirky mystery to solve…until the time for it to be solved arrives and you realize the answer is both chilling and heartbreaking. Edda and Theo are easy characters to love. I didn’t want to put this one down, but I was infuriated when the whole truth came out.

*Trigger Warning for rape*

"I'm no longer wondering what endings can be made. I am wondering whether endings exist at all, or whether life is merely a series of pauses, breaths we take in before we move on, things we lose and things we carry. Life that gets bigger. Life that grows big enough to carry it all."

Monica Hesse knows how to write a good YA Historical Fiction book. This one is no different. Following one of the Hello Girls in World War I, this book deals with the challenges of coming home after trauma, both physical and emotional.

Edda is a flawed girl confronted with the end of the world as she knew it in the face of the Great War. When she comes home from France, she must learn to live with the decisions she made and the consequences she experienced. This is a challenging read and features not only war violence but interpersonal violence as well. Hesse deals with all of these complicated issues deftly and satisfyingly without giving any easy answers, while also telling the fascinating story of the women who took on these incredibly important wartime duties often without proper recognition.

Readers should take care of themselves, but if they can read this one, they definitely should.

The Brightwood Code follows Edda St. James, a former Hello Girl who operated telephone switchboards during World War I. After returning home, Edda is trying to adapt to civilian life, working as a Bell Telephone switchboard operator. When she receives a mysterious call mentioning the word "Brightwood," Edda is flung back into her past war work, and sets out to solve a mystery.

This was a gripping YA historical fiction novel. Hesse's writing really pulled me into the setting, with plenty of historical details and interesting characters. The mystery kept me intrigued throughout. I often thought of Elizabeth Wein's Code Name Verity while reading.

The Brightwood Code kept me hooked from beginning to end. At first, I did not like the style of writing, but then I realized it was to reflect Edda's mindset as she struggled with PTSD. I enjoyed piecing together the clues of Edda's time in France and how it relates to her being back in the US. The exploration of PTSD was accurately portrayed as Edda learned that we never receive the endings that we deserve and/or expect. Thank you NetGalley for an ARC, I really loved learning about the Hello Girls in World War I.

Another winner from Monica Hesse, who is becoming one of my "go to" authors for historical fiction when I recommend books to students. I've loved all of hers and this WWI thriller does not disappoint. Lots of intrigue and suspense kept me glued to this book for a whole rainy Sunday.. I appreciate the melding of WWI with suffragette history to really include lots of interesting little-known historical info along with a great story. I was especially fascinated with the focus of guilt and how that impacts someone who returns from war.

Edda was one of the girls who went to France to work the telephone system during WWI. She is consumed by guilt because she fears that a group of men died because she was not fast enough. When she came back home an anonymous caller keeps reminding her of the code for the operation that ended badly. With the help of Theo, her boarding house friend, they try to track down that caller. For a better picture of the girls in France workin the telephone lines, try Switchboard Soldiers. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc, and no pressure for a positive review.

This book is about a Hello Girl in France during World War I, who makes a devastating mistake that leaves her wallowing in guilt and shame. Once back home, she gets a job at Bell Telephone as an operator and receives a connection from someone who is begging her to tell the truth before it’s too late. As she races the clock to figure out who is reaching out to her, we learn of what happened in France and why she tried to leave it all behind.

When I began this story, I must admit, I was very frustrated. The main character, Edda, is obviously distraught over whatever happened in France. She gets a call from someone while at work who wants her to tell the truth before it’s too late, and the MC proceeds to spiral out of control with terror that what she did will be…I don’t actually know. Revealed? Sent to the press? Told to her co-workers and parents? It’s never really clear what she’s worried about. We learn of what happened when she reveals the info to her neighbor, Theo. At this point she even states that she has told him the “whole story.” But the reveal, her big mistake, was not anything that would require her reaction to the call she got. To me, it didn’t match up.

HOWEVER, as the story progresses, I feel like everything falls into place. At almost the half way point, it becomes apparent that what we’re being told wasn’t the whole story and her reaction makes more sense.

After that, the story picks up pace. I didn’t want to put the book down. It felt like something new was revealed every few chapters. At times, some of the connections seemed like ridiculous coincidences, like the author pushed it too far, but for the most part it was a very gripping read in the second half.

This is a young adult novel, so the writing is quick and easy to read, but because of some of the topics that are explored here, I would say this is more appropriate for older “young adults.”

The MC was developed quite well but she was about the only character who was. And, although I was irritated by her at the beginning, I empathized and even liked her at the end. Theo, however, needed to be developed more and I really wish we could
have learned a little more about Mae.

I really enjoyed learning about the Hello Girls. It wasn’t something I had ever heard of before. It was also refreshing to read about World War I instead of WWII.

Overall, the last half turned the book around for me and I will definitely be seeking out further books by this author.
***Thank you NetGalley, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, and Monica Hesse for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review***