Code Girls
By Liza Mundy
(Hachette Books)
In our fractious era of political polarization, it’s hard to imagine a time when the country was able to pull together to fight a common enemy.
But it did happen during World War II and Liza Mundy, a former Washington Post reporter, .
Recruited not only because there weren’t enough men for the job, but also because women were considered better suited to take on the tedious tasks required for code breaking, the women couldn’t even tell their closest family members what they were doing. Instead the women said they were doing low-level secretarial work.
In the beginning, the armed forces recruited teachers and recent college graduates who had math and language skills, but as time went on more and more women were drawn to the fight. Ultimately, 70 percent of the Army’s code breakers were women, while 80 percent of the Navy’s were.
The book not only shines a light on a hidden chapter of American history, it also tells the kind of story of courage and determination that makes you want to work harder and be better.
