The Enigma Girls: How Ten Teenagers Broke Ciphers, Kept Secrets, and Helped Win World War II

“You are to report to Station X at Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire, in four days’ time. . . That is all you need to know.” This was the terse telegram that hundreds of young women throughout the British Isles received in the spring of 1941, as World War II raged. As they arrived at Station X, a sprawling mansion in a state of disrepair surrounded by Spartan-looking huts with little chimneys coughing out thick smoke, these young people had no idea what kind of work they were stepping into. Who had recommended them? Why had they been chosen? Most would never learn all the answers to these questions.  

Bletchley Park was a well-kept secret during World War II, operating under the code name Station X. The critical work of code-cracking Nazi missives that went on behind its closed doors could determine a victory or loss against Hitler’s army. Amidst the brilliant cryptographers, flamboyant debutantes, and absent-minded professors working there, it was teenaged girls who kept Station X running. Some could do advanced math, while others spoke a second language. They ran the unwieldy bomb machines, made sense of wireless sound waves, and sorted decoded messages. They were expected to excel in their fields and most importantly: know how to keep a secret. 

The Enigma Girls explores the period between 1939 and 1945, introducing ten Enigma teens, as well as a host of other individuals and the various jobs at Bletchley Park. The author does an impressive job showing the importance of the work as well as the silliness of the girls; after all, they were teenagers. While the girls played a significant role in the war effort, their unique personalities do not stand out. However, readers will be amazed by the Enigma Girls’ abilities as well as their dedication to their jobs. Because of the work that went on at Bletchley Park, lives were saved, and Hitler was defeated. 

The book is broken into short chapters with catchy titles, and historical pictures appear every one to two pages. Since most of the girls were involved in code breaking, there are several sections titled “Top Secret” that explain how to break codes or decipher a message. Additionally, several pictures depict the complex computers used in code breaking. Although the book presents information in smaller sections, many readers may still struggle to retain all the information.  

As part of the True Stories in Focus Series, The Enigma Girls is specifically written for a middle school and high school audience, utilizing rigorous research to provide accurate and compelling content for young readers. The True Stories in Focus Series emphasizes sharing true stories and focusing on real individuals and their authentic experiences. These books aim to help young people understand the world, develop critical thinking skills, and connect historical events to the present. 

Anyone interested in World War II or code breaking will find The Enigma Girls to be a fascinating book, packed with information on how teenage girls contributed to the war effort. The different treatment between the girls and the men at Bletchley Park adds another layer of depth to the book. Readers with limited knowledge of World War II may be overwhelmed by the numerous details included in The Enigma Girls. However, the book would be immensely helpful for anyone researching World War II. Readers can learn more about code breaking by reading Top Secret: A Handbook of Codes, Ciphers, and Secret Writing by Paul B. Janeczko and The Usborne Book of Secret Codes by Eileen O’Brien & Diana Riddell. Readers interested in World War II who want a fictional account should read Resistance by Jennifer A. Nielsen and Lifeboat 5 by Susan Hood. 

Sexual Content  

• None

Violence  

• Germany’s attacks on foreign lands are mentioned. However, most of the attacks are not described beyond listing the number of casualties. The book does include many historical pictures of the aftermath of an attack. For example, one illustration shows a Polish factory burning after “a lightning-quick Nazi air raid.” 
• Germany attacked Poland. The battle is not described. However, after Britain declared war on Germany, British citizens were given gas masks to protect themselves. One illustration shows “a nursery school class practicing using them.” 
• To work for the British army, Elizabeth Blandy and the other Enigma Girls had to sign the Official Secrets Act. A commander told Elizabeth, “It clearly states that if you disclose the slightest information about this place or your work. . . you will be committing treason. . . If you did, you would be liable to the most extreme penalties of the law. . . I’m not sure whether, at this moment, that’s hanging or shooting by firing squad.”
• On Black Saturday, the Nazis attacked Britain. “Suddenly, the sky grew dark as 348 German planes began dropping high explosive bombs and incendiary devices on the city. Flames billowed. Buildings collapsed. Terrified citizens streamed toward air raid shelters. . . In just a few hours, 430 people were killed and 1,600 injured.” 
• The British Navy attacked an Italian Fleet in the Mediterranean. Mavis wrote, “Our sailors did grand work in the battle. They sent [five ships] to the bottom of the ocean. . . and our Navy lost not a man, not a ship, and not even a square inch of paint.” An illustration shows “a scene of nighttime action as British warships bombard Italian battleships at the Cape of Matapan.” 
• The German ship Bismarck and the British ship HMS Hood, the flagship of the Royal Navy, battled. “For four thundering minutes the two vessels pounded at each other. Shells screamed overhead. Water exploded. Then one of Bismarck’s shells ripped through Hood’s deck, piercing its ammunition storage and causing a huge explosion. Hood broke in half and sank beneath the waves. All but two of its crew members sank with it.” 
• As Bismarck fled, the British launched an attack. “The battleship could do little to save itself. Within hours it sank, taking twenty-three hundred men to the ocean’s bottom.” A picture shows a British warship saving some of the German sailors from the ocean. 
• One of the Enigma Girls, Gwen, was horrified when she was given a Nazi’s cipher book. “The book’s cover had a huge bloodstain on it. She discovered the inside pages did, too, once she got up the courage to open it. When she drew away her hand, it was sticky with blood.” 
• The D-Day attack is described over three pages. On Omaha Beach, “US troops faced heavy resistance. Eventually, after a tough and bloody fight, they, too, successfully stormed the beach.” There are five illustrations of the troops who fought on D-Day. 
• A chapter discusses the dropping of an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima and later Nagasaki. The casualties are listed, and one illustration shows the destruction in Hiroshima.  

Drugs and Alcohol  

• When an admiral was arriving at Bletchley Park, a couple of girls rushed to a pub to buy some wine. Later, the admiral gives a toast. 

Language  

• “Good God” and “good heavens” are used as exclamations. 

Supernatural 

• None 

Spiritual Content  

• None