The Woman All Spies Fear
Code Breaker Elizebeth Smith Friedman and Her Hidden Life
Random House Children's Books · Print & ebook · October 26, 2021
An inspiring true story, perfect for fans of Hidden Figures, about an American woman who pioneered codebreaking in WWI and WWII but was only recently recognized for her extraordinary contributions.
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- Who it’s for
- A vivid biography of a pioneering codebreaker, where puzzle-solving meets the history of women at work.
- Themes
- Women in STEM, Wartime codebreaking, Gender barriers in the workforce
- Genres
- Women's Lives, Wars & Military History for Teens, Science & Tech Biographies
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For younger readers: Max in the Land of Lies, Uprising
For older readers: Most Dangerous
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Start with this bookAbout this book
An inspiring true story, perfect for fans of Hidden Figures, about an American woman who pioneered codebreaking in WWI and WWII but was only recently recognized for her extraordinary contributions. A YALSA EXCELLENCE IN NONFICTION FINALIST • A KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR Elizebeth Smith Friedman had a rare talent for spotting patterns and solving puzzles. These skills led her to become one of the top cryptanalysts in America during both World War I and World War II.
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She originally came to code breaking through her love for Shakespeare when she was hired by an eccentric millionaire to prove that Shakespeare's plays had secret messages in them. Within a year, she had learned so much about code breaking that she was a star in the making. She went on to play a major role decoding messages during WWI and WWII and also for the Coast Guard's war against smugglers. Elizebeth and her husband, William, became the top code-breaking team in the US, and she did it all at a time when most women weren't welcome in the workforce. Amy Butler Greenfield is an award-winning historian and novelist who aims to shed light on this female pioneer of the STEM community.
Patterns and Secrets
A vivid biography of a pioneering codebreaker, where puzzle-solving meets the history of women at work.
Come here for
- The pleasure of seeing patterns become a remarkable career
- A woman’s contributions to codebreaking across two world wars
Expect
- A true story spanning Shakespeare, cryptanalysis, and the Coast Guard
- A portrait of achievement in a workforce that often shut women out
Where it sits
| Science & Tech Biographies | 57% |
|---|---|
| Women's Lives | 43% |
| Wars & Military History for Teens | 37% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Science & Tech Biographies
- Women's Lives
- Communicating Better for Teens
- Authors
- Amy Butler Greenfield
- Publisher
- Random House Children's Books
- Published
- October 26, 2021
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Theme
- Women in STEM · Wartime codebreaking · Gender barriers in the workforce
- Reading lane
- Science & Tech Biographies