Lady Codebreaker by K.D. Alden
Historical fiction. Stem.
Grace Smith doesn’t want the expected husband, children and dreary housewife role. She knows she has no way to escape that life so flees Indiana, tries job hunting in Chicago and ends up hired to find codes written in Shakespeare’s works. That soon leads to her learning cryptanalysis with coworker Robert. Soon the two are helping the government decode notes and coded letters during prohibition, and through the war. High stress and long hours of deep concentration.
Grace is on a path of expertise against foreign governments while juggling family responsibilities. It’s a unique position of importance reporting all the way up to the white house and war rooms.

Grace is determined and smart. She spends her whole life fighting against men trying to put her into a lessor position. She’s not one to just smile and demure. I admired her fortitude and her dedication to the cause and often felt grateful to live in more equitable times. She breaks code after code, she teaches others how to learn the process while conforming to dress and social codes.
I’ve read a few books recently about amazing women whose stories are all but lost to history and I’m just in awe of them as I live an easy life. This book is a wonderful addition to the genre of historical female heroes.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley. I’ve also purchased a copy to donate to my local library.

Lady Codebreaker is historical fiction based on a real person, cryptanalyst Elizabeth Smith Friedman. The story spans World War I, prohibition and World War II. The author depicts the disrespect and misogyny some women faced in the workplace, especially in fields considered only for men.

In the novel Grace shows not only her skill in code breaking but the long hours, family sacrifice and persistence the work entails. She faces a lot of criticism as a mother who works outside the home. The book also touches on the stigma of mental health and how it was handled during this time as her husband Robert, and army code breaker, deals with ongoing depression.

This was a fairly quick read as Grace and her team race to decrypt transmissions and piece information together to help the war effort, catch a spy or stop a bootlegger. I enjoyed learning more about this part of history. Thank you to the publisher for my e-copy of this book.

This is a well written book about the code breakers from both world wars, many of them women. Initially I did not even think about people doing this but it makes sense that instructions, etc were sent with code. The book is based on the life of a true codebreaker, Elizabeth Smith Friedman. Elizabeth and her husband were trained to be some of the first codebreakers and later taught others to do the same work. They can be credited with deciphering codes and obtaining advance knowledge of attacks that may have saved many lives. This book has lots of details about how codebreaking worked and some of how they broke the codes. If you like historical fiction about WW I and WWII you will probably like this book.

This was a fascinating book. It’s historical fiction based on facts. There was a genuine lady codebreaker, which Grace Feldman is based on. I’ve read books of some of the heroic groundbreaking women of WWII but Grace Feldman was long before that. This book spans 1917-1958. The incredible courage it must have taken in 1917 to defy her parents and head out on her own. Code breaking was not her initial goal. It wasn’t anyone’s really because it was a such a new field. The character, Grace Feldman is a pioneer. This book is not only about her work but is also a love story.
I highly recommend this book to any lover of historical fiction. I’m going to go look up the real life Lady Codebreaker and see what I can find out about her.
I received this as a free ARC and am voluntarily leaving this review

I throughly enjoyed this book and it has me wanting to do research to learn more about what the lady codebreakers did throughout history!

ARC READ THROUGH NETGALLEY. I loved this book. Codebreaking and women involved are automatic reads for me, but this book was just something else. I loved Grace and I loved Robert and I was immediately pulled into their story and couldn’t stop thinking about it. I thought that the story was well told and mostly easy to follow. There were a couple of jumps in time where I was like wait what, but otherwise the plot all made sense, which is impressive considering how much time it spans. I also liked all the talk about mental health that was in the book. I learned some things and the book also gives me some things I want to research.

When a book keeps me eagerly flipping pages until the wee hours of the night then sends me scurrying down internet rabbit holes to uncover all the information I can find about the real woman upon whom it's based, that's a book I'll be encouraging all my friends to read.

Spanning four decades (1917 - 1958), Lady Codebreaker is a seamless blend of fact and fiction based upon the life of Elizebeth Smith Friedman, widely recognized as American's first female cryptanalyst and instrumental in key events within 20th century American history. Opening the book in 1958 with a startling scene that hooked me immediately, the book then goes back to 1917 where it all began for main character Grace (and real life Elizebeth) and takes readers on a fascinating, sometimes dangerous, frequently suspenseful, ride through two world wars, Prohibition, inter-agency intrigue, and the evolution of a unique marriage (for the era) as well as an extraordinary career. One of my favorite parts of the book was watching how Grace and Robert evolved over the course of four decades, both in their personal relationship as well as their individual careers. This is not only a story of intrigue and suspense. It is also a complex, deeply emotional love story told in such a way that I felt as if I was right there with them through every peak and valley, wholly invested in their love, their health, their happiness, and their success.

Alden brought both the characters and settings to life on the pages of this book, immersing me into the smoke-filled decoding rooms, tense family altercations, sparkling dinner parties, danger-filled Coast Guard raids, hospital psychiatric wards, and much more while shining her spotlight on a variety of topics including mental illness, inter-faith marriage, power hunger, and the inequality between women and men of the time. Key among those topics is the hurdles Grace, and other women in her field, were constantly forced to overcome simply because they were women; how they were patronized, dismissed, yet continued to give their all in support of their country when they knew they would not be the ones credited for their work. Alden took her time with each of them, giving the women - and some men also - distinct personalities, layers, and texture, making me care about them. The villains (both fictional and real) are also vividly portrayed, eliciting emotions in Grace (and me) that ranged from distaste to fear to outright revulsion. There may also have been cheering when justice prevailed, especially when due to Grace's efforts.

If you enjoy compelling historical fiction that incorporates a fascinating blend of actual events and people with those of the author's imagination, that immerses you in our nation's history, and puts a human face on events you may have learned in class as well as those you discover in this book, give Lady Codebreaker a try. I couldn't put it down.

Note: Once you finish reading the book, do look up the real Elizebeth Smith Friedman and William F. Friedman upon whom Grace and Robert are based. What they accomplished in support and defense of the citizens of the United States was amazing.

ARC received from publisher via NetGalley
Fair and unbiased review

Very entertaining read! The characters are interesting with unique perspectives. A must read for historical fiction fans!

A huge thanks to Forever for a copy of Lady Codebreaker by KD Alden which comes out tomorrow!

Lady Codebreaker is a historical novel based on the true story of the woman who used her codebreaking skills to bring down Prohibition gangsters and WWII Nazis, and who ultimately helped found the present-day NSA. The main character Grace is based on the fascinating Elizebeth Friedman who I find absolutely fascinating!

So I enjoyed this story and how the author brought to light a lot of the amazing things that Elizebeth did with a fictional twist. I liked that she changed her name so I could believe this was a historical fiction vs a biographical fiction.
I am fascinated by cryptology and have read so many historical fiction and non-fiction about so many amazing women who were pioneers in this field!

Thank you so much to @Netgalley and @readforeverpub for the chance to read Lady Codebreaker by K.D. Alden. This book was absolutely amazing. While a work of historical fiction, the story is based on Grace Smith, the woman from a small town in Indiana who developed and used her codebreaking skills to bring down Prohibition gangsters, WWI spies and WWII Nazis. Her work and the work of her husband helped found the present-day CIA.

Give yourself a minute to start and settle into this story and you will be so thankful. Once I was in, I could not stop reading and admiring Grace. Alden weaves many decades of stories together seamlessly, jumping between the past and 1958. I really didn’t know much about the codebreakers so the research Alden put into this was fascinating. I also was totally absorbed by the story of Grace’s life–her marriage, her children, her balance of life and work in a time when a working woman was frowned upon. I’m so glad to know her story–it deserves to be told. Alden also beautifully handles the mental health themes that really aren’t told about that time period. I know I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time. 5 golden stars.

Lady Codebreaker by K.D. Alden rich in detail, beautifully written and hugely absorbing for those who enjoy good historical fiction.
The writing and pacing were excellent. The sense of time and place was spot on. The character development was superb. I was completely invested in the life of Grace.
Lady Codebreaker is one of the best books I’ve recently read, and if you love historical fiction and great stories, I highly recommend it!

Thank You NetGalley and Forever for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Title: Lady Codebreaker
Author: K. D. Alden
Length: 432 pages
Format: ebook arc
Pub Date: March 12, 2024
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating Out of 5: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Spice Level: closed door
Summary:
In this riveting historical novel, Grace Smith defies societal norms by becoming a skilled codebreaker. From battling Prohibition gangsters to thwarting WWII Nazis, she plays a pivotal role in founding the CIA. Grace's journey unfolds with wit and grit as she navigates espionage, motherhood, and impossible choices in a world consumed by war. A gripping tale of one woman's defiance and courage against powerful adversaries.

Thoughts:
When a historical fiction novel prompts you to learn more about the actual events that happened in the book, you know it’s a good one! I had never heard of our Lady Codebreaker and her husband before reading this book. Their story is both amazing and heartbreaking. This is a story of war. Yes, WWI, WWII, and prohibition, but also war against societal norms, war against mental health struggles, and war against family. Grace was such an admirable FMC. She fought so hard. But this was also a love story. Grace and Robert’s love for each other and for their country. I think the author told this story in such a wonderful way because I went through such a roller coaster of emotions while reading this. And she finished off the story on such a high note. I was wondering how it was going to end because it was looking pretty grim there, but she wrapped it up really nicely!

Read if you love:
Kate Quinn novels
Historical fiction
Friends to lovers
A bad*ss FMC

Special thanks to the @readforeverpub and @netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review!

This is a great historical novel that holds your attention from the first page until the last. The story is based on real women who were codebreakers during the war. I love how the author wove fact with fiction to make a great read that you hate to see end.
I received a complimentary copy from Forever (Grand Central Publishing) via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

A delightful read about the strength and power of women. I loved that Grace truly became fearless and her team of codebreaking women who worked together and supported each other was awesome. Grace & Robert’s relationship was also truly endearing. They went through some very intense things, and continued to love and support each other. Thank you Net Galley & Forever Publishing for this ARC.

Another amazing historical fiction novel! This was well researched and the characters were enjoyable. I love reading about all of the women who helped in wars and would recommend this one. Thank you for the advanced copy!

A wonderful historical novel, although I disagree with the line on the cover. The book starts when Grace gets a job at Riverbank, an odd assemblage of people and animals out in Illinois. Her eccentric boss has hired her to code-break Shakespeare to help one of his current employees, who insists Sir Francis Bacon wrote all of those works.
Grace doesn't agree, but she ends up getting an extraordinary education in codebreaking, as well as meeting the man who will become her husband, and both set the path for the rest of her life.
Subsequent sections of the book have Grace and Robert working together and then separately during World War I, Prohibition, and World War II. Majority of the book is about Grace and her team's contributions to the wars, and Grace's personal work during Prohibition, stopping smugglers and bringing criminals to justice. While the cover calls out Capone, her work focused on others in the network, and there was very little specifically about him, so I found this misleading.
Overall this was a great story, where Grace deals first with her unsupportive family and then with rampant sexism throughout her career, a horrible mother-in-law, balancing work and being a wife and then mother, and her husband's illness. It was really exciting to watch Grace and her team of ladies and all their successes, and Grace's attitude, which I found to be "just get it done and apologize later." She fought her way into rooms she wasn't supposed to go to and courageously delivered emergency messages to make sure she was getting those in charge the info they needed.

Grace Smith is in some ways only a shadow of Elizebeth Friedman on whose life this novel is based but this is a book that highlights the life and work of a little known hero. Grace, who has an uneasy start becomes a cryptologist who is critical during WWII and beyond. Her husband Bobby, also a brilliant man, struggles with his mental health but together they are indomitable. This is well researched and written historical fiction. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good one for STEM students as well.

This was a terrific story, based on a real-life woman who did not let societal norms determine her life's mission. I absolutely enjoyed this book. Grace was way ahead of her time, forging her skills in codebreaking and breaking rules for the good of the country. I wasn't familiar with the real woman's story, but found this book intriguing and wanting to learn more.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

Unfortunately this book was a DNF for me. I was hoping for something like Lessons in Chemistry, but felt like I was reading something a lot more serious and factual. It wasn't exactly a bad thing, it just wasn't what I was expecting when I picked up the story. I love codebreaking storylines, this one just didn't live up to the expectations I had.

I’m honestly struggling to write a review for this one, and it’s not because I disliked it. Not even a little bit. In fact, I absolutely devoured it. I opened it, apparently went through some sort of time traveling portal, was living a troublesome yet fascinating, interesting and chaotic life alongside Grace through the early/mid-1900’s, when suddenly the portal spit me back out into the harsh reality of present day. I didn’t even clock my last 100 pages! That’s how deep in the trenches I was. I received this book as an ARC read, and usually I keep notes for myself throughout my ARC reads so that I can remember how I was feeling when certain events happen, or confusing plot points/conversations etc. Not needed with this one. I simply couldn’t put it down, couldn’t read it fast enough, and needed no reminders. So well written, every conversation truly makes you feel like you’re there, listening in. I truly don’t know what else to say, I just absolutely loved it from beginning to end. I will be buying the physical, will be rereading multiple times, and will be making my way through the rest of Alden’s work ASAP. I believe I not only found one of my new favorite books, but also one of my new favorite writers.