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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 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 bombe machines, made sense of wireless sound waves, and sorted the decoded messages. They were expected to excel in their fields and most know how to keep a secret.
Candace Fleming is the award-winning and highly acclaimed author of Crash from Outer Space, The Curse of the Mummy, and many other nonfiction books for young listeners. With her canny and compelling narrative voice she makes history come alive. Thick with tension and suspense, this is an extraordinary and relatively unknown story of World War II that will fascinate listeners who will be thrilled to see young people playing such an important role in the wartime effort.
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 bombe machines, made sense of wireless sound waves, and sorted the decoded messages. They were expected to excel in their fields and most know how to keep a secret.
Candace Fleming is the award-winning and highly acclaimed author of Crash from Outer Space, The Curse of the Mummy, and many other nonfiction books for young listeners. With her canny and compelling narrative voice she makes history come alive. Thick with tension and suspense, this is an extraordinary and relatively unknown story of World War II that will fascinate listeners who will be thrilled to see young people playing such an important role in the wartime effort.
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First published March 5, 2024
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About the author
Candace Fleming
66 books632 followersI have always been a storyteller. Even before I could write my name, I could tell a good tale. And I told them all the time. As a preschooler, I told my neighbors all about my three-legged cat named Spot. In kindergarten, I told my classmates about the ghost that lived in my attic. And in first grade I told my teacher, Miss Harbart, all about my family's trip to Paris, France.
I told such a good story that people always thought I was telling the truth. But I wasn't. I didn't have a three-legged cat or a ghost in my attic, and I'd certainly never been to Paris, France. I simply enjoyed telling a good story... and seeing my listener's reaction.
Sure, some people might have said I was a seven-year old fibber. But not my parents. Instead of calling my stories "fibs" they called them "imaginative." They encouraged me to put my stories down on paper. I did. And amazingly, once I began writing, I couldn't stop. I filled notebook after notebook with stories, poems, plays. I still have many of those notebooks. They're precious to me because they are a record of my writing life from elementary school on.
In second grade, I discovered a passion for language. I can still remember the day my teacher, Miss Johnson, held up a horn-shaped basket filled with papier-mache pumpkins and asked the class to repeat the word "cornucopia." I said it again and again, tasted the word on my lips. I tested it on my ears. That afternoon, I skipped all the way home from school chanting, "Cornucopia! Cornucopia!" From then on, I really began listening to words—to the sounds they made, and the way they were used, and how they made me feel. I longed to put them together in ways that were beautiful, and yet told a story.
As I grew, I continued to write stories. But I never really thought of becoming an author. Instead, I went to college where I discovered yet another passion—history. I didn't realize it then, but studying history is really just an extension of my love of stories. After all, some of the best stories are true ones — tales of heroism and villainy made more incredible by the fact they really happened.
After graduation, I got married and had children. I read to them a lot, and that's when I discovered the joy and music of children's books. I simply couldn't get enough of them. With my two sons in tow, I made endless trips to the library. I read stacks of books. I found myself begging, "Just one more, pleeeeease!" while my boys begged for lights-out and sleep. Then it struck me. Why not write children's books? It seemed the perfect way to combine all the things I loved: stories, musical language, history, and reading. I couldn't wait to get started.
But writing children's books is harder than it looks. For three years I wrote story after story. I sent them to publisher after publisher. And I received rejection letter after rejection letter. Still, I didn't give up. I kept trying until finally one of my stories was pulled from the slush pile and turned into a book. My career as a children's author had begun.
I told such a good story that people always thought I was telling the truth. But I wasn't. I didn't have a three-legged cat or a ghost in my attic, and I'd certainly never been to Paris, France. I simply enjoyed telling a good story... and seeing my listener's reaction.
Sure, some people might have said I was a seven-year old fibber. But not my parents. Instead of calling my stories "fibs" they called them "imaginative." They encouraged me to put my stories down on paper. I did. And amazingly, once I began writing, I couldn't stop. I filled notebook after notebook with stories, poems, plays. I still have many of those notebooks. They're precious to me because they are a record of my writing life from elementary school on.
In second grade, I discovered a passion for language. I can still remember the day my teacher, Miss Johnson, held up a horn-shaped basket filled with papier-mache pumpkins and asked the class to repeat the word "cornucopia." I said it again and again, tasted the word on my lips. I tested it on my ears. That afternoon, I skipped all the way home from school chanting, "Cornucopia! Cornucopia!" From then on, I really began listening to words—to the sounds they made, and the way they were used, and how they made me feel. I longed to put them together in ways that were beautiful, and yet told a story.
As I grew, I continued to write stories. But I never really thought of becoming an author. Instead, I went to college where I discovered yet another passion—history. I didn't realize it then, but studying history is really just an extension of my love of stories. After all, some of the best stories are true ones — tales of heroism and villainy made more incredible by the fact they really happened.
After graduation, I got married and had children. I read to them a lot, and that's when I discovered the joy and music of children's books. I simply couldn't get enough of them. With my two sons in tow, I made endless trips to the library. I read stacks of books. I found myself begging, "Just one more, pleeeeease!" while my boys begged for lights-out and sleep. Then it struck me. Why not write children's books? It seemed the perfect way to combine all the things I loved: stories, musical language, history, and reading. I couldn't wait to get started.
But writing children's books is harder than it looks. For three years I wrote story after story. I sent them to publisher after publisher. And I received rejection letter after rejection letter. Still, I didn't give up. I kept trying until finally one of my stories was pulled from the slush pile and turned into a book. My career as a children's author had begun.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 564 reviews
April 22, 2024
What a wonderful book! Candace Fleming has given us the story of 10 teenage girls who worked at Bletchley Park during WW2 and were instrumental in breaking the Nazi Enigma Code. So many young ladies (and men) volunteered for the war effort and were selected to work at Bletchley Park due to a specific ability they had. Some were math geniuses, others understood German, and so forth. Few even knew where Bletchley was located, and once they agreed to work there they had to sign the government Secrets Act and were bound to total secrecy as to where they were going and what they would be doing - and nobody knew what they would be doing until they arrived. One young lady was part of Section Y, and was a listening post overlooking the British Channel so that she could try and intercept coded messages being relayed by the Nazi's, It was an 8-step process in order to break the code. Conditions were difficult and secrecy was paramount. The stories of these girls and the wonders of code breaking should be required reading for one and all, Despite being 70, I learned a lot of new information and history in this book. It is an easy read (finished it in under two days), and hits the main highlights without getting bogged down in academic style writing. Includes many photos which help us better understand the story, and there are sections where she tells us about how to decode messages and allows us to try our hand at decoding. I gather this is a YA book, but that designation is irrelevant because the stories of these women are of universal interest and admiration. I really cannot say enough about this book. Do yourself a favor, read this book, give it to your kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews or neighbor kids. they will benefit from it and learn how these young ladies may have shortened WW2 by at least 2 years due to their efforts!!
April 20, 2024
Candace Fleming is excellent at pulling relevant threads and the most captivating anecdotes from history, to beguile young readers.
52 Book Club24: #6 - Women in STEM
52 Book Club24: #6 - Women in STEM
March 30, 2024
Although targeted to preteen/teen readers, I thought this was a brilliant account of Bletchley Park.
I've read several accounts of the goings on at Bletchley and the secret service of Britain during WWII, but in many way this surpasses them.
Fleming dug deep, explains in detail what these young women were doing, including examples and diagrams, add to that the plethora of pictures of the complex, this is a comprehensive and entertaining look at history.
I've read several accounts of the goings on at Bletchley and the secret service of Britain during WWII, but in many way this surpasses them.
Fleming dug deep, explains in detail what these young women were doing, including examples and diagrams, add to that the plethora of pictures of the complex, this is a comprehensive and entertaining look at history.
September 21, 2024
Very well written book for middle readers about how Bletchy House in England was home to ten teenagers during World War 2 . These teen girls became code breakers and interpreted ciphers to assist the royal armed forces of Britain in their strategic plans to overcome Germany.
The majority of the workers at the compound were women. At one point 1400 workers were there, 1000 of them were women from ages 17 to 40, The majority of the women were 17 to 25. All of them signed a secrecy oath promising to not tell anyone what their work was.
The majority of the workers at the compound were women. At one point 1400 workers were there, 1000 of them were women from ages 17 to 40, The majority of the women were 17 to 25. All of them signed a secrecy oath promising to not tell anyone what their work was.
February 17, 2024
The Enigma Girls by Candace Fleming, covers WWII from the perspective of 10 girls/teens who were enlisted into the British Navy to crack war time encrypted messages of the Nazis and Japanese. The author does a wonderful job using journals and documents that survived to paint of picture of the characters. I also liked that the how’s of decrypting messages was described. A great historical STEM book. Perfect for YA and older who want to learn about WWII from a specific perspective or are interested in cryptography.
Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I can’t wait to get the hardcover I preordered!
Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I can’t wait to get the hardcover I preordered!
October 4, 2024
I dug this! Really informative and compelling mini-biographies that contextualize some of the big picture history of WWII. Also the sections that try to teach you how to code and cipher will undoubtedly be of interest to some readers! Not me though my eyes glazed over every time! I do not have what it takes to be a Bletchley girl!! Fortunately I do not need to.
May 31, 2025
This was so interesting! Really enjoyed it.
January 13, 2024
In the spring of 1941, hundreds of young women from across the British Isles were instructed to report to Bletchley Park. Amidst brilliant cryptographers and absent-minded professors, it was the teenaged girls who ran the unwieldy bombe machines, made sense of wireless sound waves, and sorted the decoded messages, playing a crucial role in the wartime effort. Courageous young women played a vital role in turning the tides of World War II for the Allies at Bletchley Park and these are their stories.
Ciphers and codes have always been fascinating to me, mostly because even when the solution is spelled out I find it difficult to read! The fact that young women were thrown into the task of solving ciphers and codes caught my attention. Given the description of the conditions they worked in and the grueling task in front of them, I was astonished that more of them didn’t have a mental breakdown from the stress!
The author details different young women who performed different tasks at Bletchley Park and what it took to accomplish the task. Interspersed throughout are examples of the kinds of ciphers and codes and some of the methods used to solve them. Also included are a few of the pictures that survived the record purging that happened after the war.
I would recommend this to readers interested in ciphers and the work that went on in Bletchley Park. I received an advance copy through NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own.
Ciphers and codes have always been fascinating to me, mostly because even when the solution is spelled out I find it difficult to read! The fact that young women were thrown into the task of solving ciphers and codes caught my attention. Given the description of the conditions they worked in and the grueling task in front of them, I was astonished that more of them didn’t have a mental breakdown from the stress!
The author details different young women who performed different tasks at Bletchley Park and what it took to accomplish the task. Interspersed throughout are examples of the kinds of ciphers and codes and some of the methods used to solve them. Also included are a few of the pictures that survived the record purging that happened after the war.
I would recommend this to readers interested in ciphers and the work that went on in Bletchley Park. I received an advance copy through NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own.
July 23, 2024
As I get older, my interest in history grows, and this WW2 book about cracking codes aimed at middle school readers captivated me from page one. Candace Fleming uses impeccable research, hundreds of photographs, and ten girls’ stories to bring the experience of Station X at Bletchley Park, London to life. Over the years I’ve learned about the Blitzkrieg, D-Day, and the many battles of WW2, but until The Imitation Game, I didn’t know about the intricacies of code-breaking, and until this book, I didn’t realize that young women were recruited to do much of the work. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning the story behind the Allies’ victory in WW2.
August 6, 2024
5 stars
I love this formatting so much and I need more of it. History but through the eyes of real women but it's short and to the point. amazing.
I love this formatting so much and I need more of it. History but through the eyes of real women but it's short and to the point. amazing.
July 21, 2025
Very interesting! About the many facets of Bletchly Park, through the eyes of young women who worked there. I learned a lot! A quick read. Many useful and interesting pictures, and notes and references in the back.
September 27, 2025
This book astounded me! I had no idea that thousands of young females under the age of 21 worked day after day monitoring enemy communications in Britain during WWII. Neither did I realize that they had to keep everything secret from their parents, each other, and as it turned out even 30 years after the war was over! It's full of facts and photos of Bletchley Park and the various decoding machines as well as some of the people who carried on the important work there. Fascinating read!
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August 23, 2025My first introduction to Bletchley Park was reading "The Rose Code" by Kate Quinn. This is the perfect nonfiction compliment to that book. I had no idea so many females were at work there and the daily grind they did! It really was fascinating to see all the different code-breaking work that occurred there because it wasn't just one type, one machine.
Fleming has certainly done her research as the sources in the back show evidence to!
Fleming has certainly done her research as the sources in the back show evidence to!
May 30, 2025
Fascinating short story of the young women who contributed to breaking ciphers and assisting in WWII.
Set in Bletchley Park, this is a much shorter read than The Rose Code by Kate Quinn, although still very interesting and targeted more towards the YA demographic.
Set in Bletchley Park, this is a much shorter read than The Rose Code by Kate Quinn, although still very interesting and targeted more towards the YA demographic.
October 20, 2025
The Enigma Girls is an excellent non-fiction book for young readers about female British code-breakers during WWII. When the war broke out, many young women wanted to contribute to the war effort and were recruited to work at Bletchley Park, working on top-secret intelligence as they worked to break codes sent by the German military. How they broke codes was fascinating- they used state-of-the-art technology at the time, plus amazing intellectual skills to decode messages that could help save the Allied troops. Ten women were featured to represent a microcosm of the thousands of women who played such an important part in winning the war, although they had to hide the nature of their work from all their loved ones. Decades went by before the truth was revealed and they could share with the world what they had worked on. The book also included dozens of historical photographs and an extensive bibliography and index. I believe this book could be inspirational to young readers, as they read about how teens in the 1940s helped contribute to victory, and might imagine ways they can make a difference in the world today.
January 11, 2024
I love that Fleming takes advantage of a few moments to draw us in and give us the opportunity to look at a coded message and consider and then re-consider how hard it was, and how much pressure was on those who were breaking the codes. I have admiration for a group I never knew much about until Fleming put the spotlight on them. It was a thrilling read.
September 13, 2024
A terrific nonfiction book about teenage girls that decoded during WWII. Fleming always has a clear message and these unsung heroes who helped shorten the war is powerful and moving. Another winner by a fantastic writer. The audience is young readers but adults will enjoy it as well.
June 3, 2024
What a story!
December 3, 2024
I purchased this for my elementary school library. It’s a great book for young people. It explains the work of code breaking and gives opportunity for the reader to practice it as well, while giving great detail of the women doing the work and the events of the war.
December 17, 2024
A part of history I truly had no idea about! I loved the accessible text and numerous photographs interspersed within the text. I will be definitely booktalking this one extensively, hopefully pulling in the WWII buffs and historical fiction fans alike.
Source: school library hardcover
Source: school library hardcover
June 16, 2025
Such a fast, informative, and interesting read!
October 10, 2024
Marvelous. A perfect middle grade look at the women who made Bletchley Park worth its salt.
Recommend to all.
Recommend to all.
September 4, 2024
Solid YA nonfiction about people you’ve likely never heard of. It wasn’t as compelling as The Impossible Escape, but it was well written and researched, and written in an engaging way.
September 22, 2024
"You are to report to Station X at Bletchley Park..." Hundreds of young British women were sent to this top secret location to complete the critical work of braking various Nazi codes - specifically "Enigma." It is know well known that Alan Turning created a machine to help in the process - a machine which became what is now known as a computer. But Fleming follows the lives of 10 teenagers whose work was also instrumental in ending the war.
People who worked at Station X kept their secret for 30 years before the information was released about what they did. WHOA! And, since their work was siloed and they could not talk to each other about what they were doing, it took 30 years to really completely understand the totality of their work, which ended the war at least 2 years early and save thousands of lives.
People who worked at Station X kept their secret for 30 years before the information was released about what they did. WHOA! And, since their work was siloed and they could not talk to each other about what they were doing, it took 30 years to really completely understand the totality of their work, which ended the war at least 2 years early and save thousands of lives.
December 19, 2024
The author takes a candid look into the lives of 10 "teenage" girls who ended up at the secret Station X at Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire - a mansion taken over by the British "secret services" of the government during WW II.
Upon arrival each teenager was required to sign the Official Secrets Act - IF at any time one revealed what one was working on, one could be charged with Treason.
The Allies were working on breaking the Nazi codes to bring WW II to a close much sooner, with the Germans losing the war.
It was due to the major effort of these young women that the Allies were highly successful in obtaining a positive outcome.
Upon arrival each teenager was required to sign the Official Secrets Act - IF at any time one revealed what one was working on, one could be charged with Treason.
The Allies were working on breaking the Nazi codes to bring WW II to a close much sooner, with the Germans losing the war.
It was due to the major effort of these young women that the Allies were highly successful in obtaining a positive outcome.
June 27, 2024
Very interesting, and speaks so much again to women's influence and the lack of recognition in history.
June 23, 2024
A few typos/errors with names but overall an incredibly moving account of WWII and the enigma girls’ roles — I got goosebumps and teared up a few times at the end! / 4.5 stars
February 11, 2025
This book is fantastic - I loved it! Enigma Girls gives an excellent overview of British intelligence during WWII. Definitely appropriate and engaging for middle school through adult, perhaps younger depending on sensitivity of reader to non-graphic war content / topics.
It follows specific young women who worked in various parts of the process and helps you feel the physical, mental, emotional, and psychological strains of their work. The author shows the fascinating intelligence operations via big picture + the components.
Bletchley Park was primarily comprised of (very) young women who were smart, worked hard, and dedicated their lives to not just a cause or their country, but also to the real people within. Yes, they wanted the Allies to win, but the book also shows the complexities of emotions during war… To know your work directly led to a major victory for your people, but to also realize the enemy casualties were German husbands, sons, and fathers. That is war; they fought incessantly for good, but there were reminders that both sides were full of real humans.
The audiobook was excellent. However, there are a few parts where the author talks through how to break codes and gives readers a chance to attempt. These would be better in a physical book.
_
Content Notes:
It’s a WWII book, so there are lots of references to battles, casualties, etc. Not graphic.
A few girls get married, but these stories are brief. There’s no real romance. Brief mentions of people kissing on VE Day.
I don’t remember any profanity.
It follows specific young women who worked in various parts of the process and helps you feel the physical, mental, emotional, and psychological strains of their work. The author shows the fascinating intelligence operations via big picture + the components.
Bletchley Park was primarily comprised of (very) young women who were smart, worked hard, and dedicated their lives to not just a cause or their country, but also to the real people within. Yes, they wanted the Allies to win, but the book also shows the complexities of emotions during war… To know your work directly led to a major victory for your people, but to also realize the enemy casualties were German husbands, sons, and fathers. That is war; they fought incessantly for good, but there were reminders that both sides were full of real humans.
The audiobook was excellent. However, there are a few parts where the author talks through how to break codes and gives readers a chance to attempt. These would be better in a physical book.
_
Content Notes:
It’s a WWII book, so there are lots of references to battles, casualties, etc. Not graphic.
A few girls get married, but these stories are brief. There’s no real romance. Brief mentions of people kissing on VE Day.
I don’t remember any profanity.
June 4, 2025
4.5 stars
This was one of those books that I had on my radar for a while before I actually took the time to pick it up. I’m glad I finally took the time for it, though; it ended up being a much more gripping, intriguing read than I anticipated!
Bletchley Park and what happened there is a subject I’ve come across occasionally, but I never felt like I had a very good grasp on it until this book. Through the perspective of these ten women, I feel like I’ve got a much better picture of what that place looked like, and the sacrifices that were made on the home front to win the war.
This isn’t an over-dramatized tale of bravery and stardom; this is the story of ordinary girls pulled into extraordinary circumstances because their nation was at war. It’s the story of girls who worked themselves to the bone—and beyond—in service for their country…and after it was all over, weren’t even allowed to talk about what they did until they were middle-aged or older.
I found this book absolutely fascinating, and came away with a deep respect for the men and women who put everything into trying to do their work to the best of their abilities—and, ultimately, gave the British government the intelligence they needed to be able to effectively fight the Nazis. I enjoyed this book and wouldn’t mind putting it on my bookshelf one day, if I get the chance!
This was one of those books that I had on my radar for a while before I actually took the time to pick it up. I’m glad I finally took the time for it, though; it ended up being a much more gripping, intriguing read than I anticipated!
Bletchley Park and what happened there is a subject I’ve come across occasionally, but I never felt like I had a very good grasp on it until this book. Through the perspective of these ten women, I feel like I’ve got a much better picture of what that place looked like, and the sacrifices that were made on the home front to win the war.
This isn’t an over-dramatized tale of bravery and stardom; this is the story of ordinary girls pulled into extraordinary circumstances because their nation was at war. It’s the story of girls who worked themselves to the bone—and beyond—in service for their country…and after it was all over, weren’t even allowed to talk about what they did until they were middle-aged or older.
I found this book absolutely fascinating, and came away with a deep respect for the men and women who put everything into trying to do their work to the best of their abilities—and, ultimately, gave the British government the intelligence they needed to be able to effectively fight the Nazis. I enjoyed this book and wouldn’t mind putting it on my bookshelf one day, if I get the chance!
October 1, 2024
Candace Fleming is an expert in children's nonfiction and always leaves me so impressed, and aptly educated. I've read some and seen movies about the Enigma machines and those who worked around them to try to defeat the Nazi during WWII. But this book is written about teens, for teens, in a way that specially highlights the efforts of the young women who worked at Bletchley Manor, among the secret codes & ciphers of the war efforts. They were brave, worked hard, kept secrets (sometimes for their entire lives) and made a difference in helping Allied forces to win the war. This is narrative nonfiction that keeps moving, isn't boring, and includes so many wonderful historical photos, definitions, and clarifications. Just the sort even we adults need sometimes. While it was occasionally a little tricky to remember and keep these ten young girls apart, Fleming does a wonderful job of showing their variety of experiences and the way they lived through a remarkable time in world history.
I especially love the primary sources and photos used throughout the text. I've heard about WWII rationing my entire life, but to see the stamps and understand the sparse quantities (1 egg per person per week!) was another thing all together. Just so well done.
Read as a nomination in the nonfiction book award category as a panelist for Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards (Cybils Awards).
I especially love the primary sources and photos used throughout the text. I've heard about WWII rationing my entire life, but to see the stamps and understand the sparse quantities (1 egg per person per week!) was another thing all together. Just so well done.
Read as a nomination in the nonfiction book award category as a panelist for Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards (Cybils Awards).
Displaying 1 - 30 of 564 reviews