I am a fan of WWII historical fiction and the Code Breaker Girl did not disappoint. The novel provided insight into the area of codebreaking while delving into relationships, heartbreak and survival.

The Codebreaker Girl is a novel set in World War II. In this novel, we are introduced to our main character, Beata, who is directly involved in codebreaking. Despite the fictional nature of the book, there are elements of historical fact focused on efforts by mathematicians and cryptologists involved in methodology and developing equipment for cracking the Enigma ciphers used by the Nazi’s in WWII. The first part of the book really focuses on the codebreaking efforts and provided me insight into the heroic, life-sacrificing efforts by these historical figures to influence the outcome of WWII.

Part way through the book, the focus shifts away from codebreaking when Beata is arrested and ends up in a concentration camp. This portion focuses on her day-to-day experiences along with the horrors of this environment. Beyond the basic desire to survive, Beata has added motivation because she wants to once again be re-connected with Harry, a British codebreaker/agent she has fallen in love with. Beata is an amazing character who takes risks and makes personal sacrifices to help others.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

#NetGalley #TheCodeBreakerGirl #GosiaNealon

I was really intrigued to read a World War Two book that focused on the enigma machines and an origin that I was unaware of. The book started out strong by looking at how it was Poland that was able to crack the German code but then it turned into a romance novel a bit like others I’ve read. This isn’t a bad book by any means, although I wasn’t the biggest fan of the style of writing, I was just disappointed that it didn’t focus on the code breaking like the blurb indicated.

A very intense story about code breaking.
It’s 1930 in Poland.
The story is based on the true story of brave Polish mathematicians who worked on the Enigma code.
The romance aspect was lovely.
The information about the code breakers was well researched.
Perfect for fans of historical fiction.

Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Beata is working with the Polish Cipher Bureau to intercept messages and break the codes sent by the Germans during WW2. She meets Harry, a English agent.

Their story follows them as they flee to Paris, then separating for safety promising each other to meet in England. Beata is captured trying to cross the border and is sent to a prisoner camp.

This story is raw and emotional a definitely a book to add to your reading list.

This is one of those books that once you start you won't be able to put it down.
Excellent storyline and all I can say is - Read it!

THE CODEREAKER GIRL by GOSIA NEALON is a historialy true WW11 novel which honours the Polish mathematicians and cryptologists who cracked the German Enigma cyphers. The fictional part of the story tells us of Beata, an orphaned Polish translater at the cypher bureau in Warsaw and her flight into France with the Polish cryptologists, and English spy, Harry’s attempt to get her to Bletchley Park in England through Spain…….
This is all I am going to tell you for fear of spoiling things for you.
The author has obviously done a great deal of research into the history of the time and paints a picture of the atrocities performed by the Nazis and the horrors of war. Against this backdrop we see courage, loyalty, friendship, unconditional love and sweet romance…..
The book is exciting and inspirational.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bookouture. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

The Code Breaker Girl, by Gosia Neaton, is the story of a Polish orphan girl, Beats, who worked with the men who helped break the enigma code. They flee Poland, working in France until the Germans invade that country. Beats ends up in a concentration camp but survives. While this is an interesting story, it is poorly written and I cannot recommend it. I was able to read an ARC on #Net Gallry.

I loved The Secret Resistance series by Gosia Nealon so I was excited to discover that she had a new book. This story focuses on the achievements of the brilliant Polish mathematicians who broke the German Enigma code in 1932...yes, 1932! I consider myself well-educated and well-read but I had no idea of their accomplishments. Without them, Bletchley Park and Alan Turing wouldn't even be in the history books and history itself would be changed.

The author has her fictional characters smoothly interacting with historical figures in factual situations such as the Polish Cipher Bureau members escaping from Warsaw when the Germans invaded. The story is intense as they are chased from Romania to different locations in France, with the Nazis tightening their grip on Europe. There is a slow-burn romance that is continually interrupted by the war, including years in a concentration camp. But throughout it all, the humanity of Ms. Nealon's characters, especially the women, made my heart soar even after it had been shattered. "I think about how much harder we women have had it than you men. Through the centuries, women had had no say, or often no choices." I read this is on sitting and suggest you clear your schedule because you won't want to put it down once you begin. Kudos to Gosia Nealon on her latest powerful book.

***One more thing...I always read the author's notes at the end of a book. As a retired literature teacher, it's ingrained. The author thanked her children's teachers, by name, for their work and influence on her children. It brought me to tears, again and I have even greater respect for her.

My thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read the digital ARC. All opinions and the review are entirely my own.

Beata is the protagonist and she is a translator at the Polish Cipher Bureau. Codes have been translated by men, but she is now part of this elite group. She is determined to make a difference to save her country.
She meets Harry of British Intelligence and things progress, but they have to be careful, because relationships are discouraged. They are determined to help out in any way they can. But as the Nazis come calling they both must flee the city. Of course, their work takes them to different areas but are soon brought together at Bletchley Park, which is the home of British codebreakers. Beata has something the Nazis want, and she is fighting for her life.

“Tomorrow is not guaranteed. It’s so important to catch every moment.”

Gosia Nealon’s upcoming historical fiction book is inspired by the true story of the brave Polish mathematicians who first cracked the Enigma code.

Poland knew that after gaining independence after WW1, keeping it would mean staying ahead of their enemies. One way they did this was to intercept and decode encrypted messages. When the Germans invented the Enigma, the Poles decided to approach codebreaking mathematically rather than linguistically. It changed everything.

Nealon has shown how mathematics helped to win the war and honored the genius mathematicians and cryptologists who deserve a place in history books.

Beata Koszyczek, 26, the protagonist of Nealon’s book, is an orphan who took her own life in her hands and learned several languages. She could have easily wallowed in self-pity that fate had dealt her the worst possible hand when her mother abandoned her, but she saw the value of (a linguistic) education in gaining her independence. There’s a subtle message here for all of us.


I loved the opportunity to learn new things:
✏️the stroke of luck that enabled ‘bombes’ to be commissioned which led to the rapid decryption process.
✏️The secret cryptology center at Pyry in the Kabaty woods near wArsaw
✏️The legend of Syrenka, the Warsaw mermaid
✏️September 25th Black Monday
✏️Zygalski perforated sheets
✏️Letter ‘P’ that Poles were forced to wear
✏️Turing and the ‘Bombe’
✏️Norwegian campaign
✏️Tripartite Pact
✏️Funkabwehr

I gasped when I read about Nazis closing down the Polish libraries in Warsaw and opening up reading rooms solely for occupying Germans!

💜 I appreciated the message about not taking things for granted, about appreciating the beauty of simple things, about the price we pay to stay alive, and the provisions God makes in sending good people our way so that we are never alone.

I went down a rabbit hole and Googled the plaque at Bletchley Park which commemorates the efforts of the Polish Cypher Bureau and claims that if it weren’t for their achievements, the war would have continued longer than it did. I also looked up the monument in front of Poznań Castle which honors the cryptologists mentioned in the book (Marian Rejewski, Jerry Różycki, and Henryk Zygalski).

I needed this book about Harry and Beata to remind me to be careful when judging someone’s potential, to affirm my belief in the importance of a STEM education and appreciate the value of memories and connection in giving us purpose.

If you enjoyed The Girl from Bletchley Park, The Physicists Daughter, Lady Codebreaker, The Mozart Code, The Codebreakers Secret, The Bletchley Girls or The Rose Code, you’ll like this one. If you are looking for something different, something not highlighted in historical fiction before, you’ll like this one about Poland’s overlooked Enigma codebreakers.

When I see a new book by Gosia Nealon, it moves to the top of my TBR pile. As always, she doesn't disappoint with this latest offering. She has a way of making her characters real and tangible. She not only takes you along on their journey but makes you FEEL a part of it. In THE CODE BREAKER GIRL, you are immersed in the life of Beata as she does her part to help the Resistance. There is a man, romance, heartbreak, celebration, tears, and laughter. Nealon covers the gamut of human emotion. I cannot recommend her books enough.

Thank you to Bookouture, NetGalley, and the author for an advanced reading copy.

First off a big thank you to Bookouture for inviting me to read this ,because it's definitely a book that is right up my alley because 1 it's WW 2 historical fiction and 2 it's based on true events that took place and 3rd I love reading anything that deals with the jobs of the Codebreakers as well as their parts they played in WW2 .
As for the author Gosia Nealon ,she's a new to me author and this is the first by her I've read ,but I do have one other that I can't wait to read ,especially after reading this I can tell that she's going to be a author that I want to keep reading , the way she pulls you into her story, the feelings she brings out not only in you but her characters as well, and the way she brings to life the the struggles and fears of her characters, the day to day life of them and let's not forget how she describes what it was like in the Concentration camps as well as the horrors that happened there . The codebreaking girl is a must read especially if you love reading historical based stories.

“The Codebreaker Girl” is a WWII historical fiction novel by Gosia Nealon. The beginning of this book is about Poland’s codebreaking efforts. I found that section of the book rather interesting - along with the mentions of historical people in the field. The main female character, Beata, is a translator at the Polish codebreaking facility. She meets Harry, a British codebreaker (later agent) and they develop feelings for each other. Through some twists and turns, Beata is put into a concentration camp and basically is trying to survive that horror. The first part of this book I found really interesting regarding the codebreaking and working with other countries to try to thwart the Germans. After Beata decides to leave Europe is when this book became, sadly, less interesting. Concentration camps were horrors and trying to live/survive was a struggle and Ms. Nealon does a great job describing (tastefully) that experience, but I didn’t feel like I learned anything new. Additionally as the book progressed, this seemed more like a romance novel with the war serving as a background. I think this book was had a great premise, but I wish more had been done in this book on the code breaking - or even translating aspect. I’d recommend this book to those who haven’t read much about codebreaking - but caution that it’s more about the mechanics involved not the actual codebreaking work. 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 because the first part did hold my interest.

The beginning of the novel was promising as it described the situation, setting and deciphering the Enigma code. However, the novel turned mostly into a romance which I did not particularly find interesting. Harry particularly, writing in a journal to his dead mother could not move me. I thought the storyline would be more about the mathematicians who worked on the code and their flight away from occupied Poland. I definitely expected more than a romance!
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I am leaving voluntarily an honest review.

The book is set in WWII and the efforts to break the Enigma Code. The story follows a woman and her journey and hardships during the war. It is a compelling story. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Thank you net galley for the advance reqde copy of this novel. I enjoyed reading about the polish cryptograhers so much! The writing style seemed stilted and almost child like in some ways. The courage and hope that prisoners in the camps gave to each other was a beautiful detail captured in this novel.