The Enigma Game

April 6, 2020
Set in 1940, between the events of The Pearl Thief and Code Name Verity, Wein’s latest immersive dive into a slice of WWII-era history splits the narration among three figures—Flt. Lt. Jamie Beaufort-Stuart; Ellen McEwen, a Traveller volunteering as a military driver; and Louisa Adair, the biracial daughter of a Jamaican father and a British mother, both recently killed by German explosives. Suddenly an orphan at 15, Louisa intersects with the others when she is hired by phone to escort an elderly German opera singer to a relative’s inn, located in the Scottish countryside near the air force base where Jamie and Ellen are stationed. Intrigue is added when the civilians arrive at the same moment as a German pilot who secretly deposits a code-breaking machine at the inn—the only Enigma machine in Allied hands. Louisa, who dearly wishes she could help the war effort as a pilot, now has the means to contribute, but she needs assistance. Wein again seamlessly weaves extensive research into a thriller populated by fully dimensional characters. Late in the novel, Jamie’s sister, Julie, makes a cameo as a newly minted intelligence officer, a poignant reminder to readers of Code Name Verity that the war will get much worse before it ends. Ages 12–up. Agent: Ginger Clark, Curtis Brown.

March 1, 2020

Gr 7 Up-In the same vein as Wein's Code Name Verity, this World War II novel is an exhilarating and atmospheric read. Set in 1940 in a small Scottish village on the North Sea that is home to a Royal Air Force base, the narrative features alternating voices, daring action in the air, and high-stakes intrigue on the ground as a variety of young people work to undermine and bring down the daunting German war machine. Fifteen-year-old Jamaican British Louisa Adair has lost both of her parents in the shelling, and must find a way to support herself while doing her bit to defeat the Nazis. Despite her losses and dislocation, Louisa keeps her flute by her side and her mother's love of music in her heart. She lands a job in Windyedge caring for an elderly retired opera singer whose niece runs a pub near the air base. Louisa and the fascinating old woman, who is German by birth and living under a pseudonym, turn out to be kindred spirits, and eventually co-conspirators. Another teen, Ellen McEwen, hails from a family of Travellers and hides her background as she works as a volunteer driver at the base and takes on increasing responsibilities. Jamie Beaufort-Stuart, of Code Name Verity fame, appears as a 19-year-old flight leader for the 648 Squadron, flying slow and clunky Bristol Blenheim aircrafts, and is driven to desperation to keep his pilots safe and stand up to the mighty Messerschmitts. The young people's lives and stories converge when a German pilot lands in Windyedge and leaves behind a mysterious box-an Enigma machine-and, more importantly, a key to how it works to translate German code. A lengthy "Author's Declaration of Accountability" outlines Wein's research and representation, and provides further reading and numerous interesting links. VERDICT Just the ticket for lovers of historical thrillers and Wein's many fans.-Luann Toth, formerly at School Library Journal

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from March 1, 2020
Wein returns with another emotional flight through World War II, this time in Scotland. Three young people's lives intersect in a remote Scottish village, their bond cemented by the unexpected receipt of the first Enigma machine to reach Allied hands. Characters who appear here from earlier volumes include: volunteer Ellen McEwen, respected by others who don't know she's a Traveller; flight leader Jamie Beaufort-Stuart, alive but with a flight log of dead friends; and 15-year-old biracial Jamaican English orphan Louisa Adair, employed (by phone, without disclosing her skin color) to care for an elderly but fierce German woman. All of them are bound by a sense of helplessness and a desire to make a difference; Wein shines at exploring the tension between the horrors of war and its unexpected pleasures, many thanks to friendships that could only exist during a time of upheaval. In many ways a small story about big things--fitting in a novel thematically focused on the ways individuals matter--this is historical fiction at its finest, casting a light on history (with some minor liberties, noted in the extensive backmatter) as well as raising questions still relevant today, particularly around class and race, nationality and belonging; unexpected connections across those gulfs lead to moments of love and heartbreak for readers and characters alike. Another soaring success. (author's note, resources) (Historical fiction. 12-18)

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March 1, 2020
Grades 7-11 Fifteen-year-old Jamaican-born Londoner Louisa wants desperately to contribute to the 1940 British cause, and she'd be a flyer if she could. Instead, after the war-related deaths of both her parents, she is caretaker for an aging opera singer in a small Scottish town next to an air base. When a German enigma machine comes into her possession, she finally gets her chance to pitch in with the war effort, as long as she can elude the attention of the German?and British?authorities. Wein returns to the world of Code Name Verity (2012) through a minor character whose youthful perspective offers a somewhat sweet and nostalgic look at WWII. Characters are quirky and mostly lovable, and Wein deftly balances that sweetness with some harsh realities of wartime, including young flyers who don't return, betrayals, bombs, and the tension of hosting prisoners of war. Link this to Verity, as well as Rose Under Fire (2013) and The Pearl Thief (2017). For readers seeking female characters of color in this time period, try Sherri L. Smith's Flygirl (2009).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)