“What’s lateral thinking?
Thinking about things from different angles. Sideways, upside down, inside out…if I was to ask what direction a clock’s hands go, what would you say?
Clockwise?
Not if you’re inside the clock.”
By way of introduction, Sharee is a big puzzle gal. She’ll sprawl a 500-piecer on the dining room table and have it finished over a weekend. Crossword puzzles are more of Michelle’s speed. Give her the small little boxes and a couple of clues, and she’ll be set for a few minutes (thank you, NYT, for your daily mini-crosswords)!
Whether you puzzle over pieces or not, you’ll love Kate Quinn’s latest novel, The Rose Code. The story follows three girls that couldn’t be more different: Mayfair debutant Osla Kendall, Shoreditch sass Mab Churt and Brainiac Beth Finch. Brought together by cracking German and Italian codes at Bletchey Park during the war, the girls become fast friends with one stipulation: no one is allowed to share what they do for work or what they uncover.
Fast forward to 1947, and the girls are mortal enemies—one writing gossip for London’s The Tattler, one a housewife in York and one in a sanitorium. A cry for help and untold secrets from the war will either bring the girls back together or drive them further apart—can the girls crack this code? Suspense, secrets, and sass keep this WWII novel moving pretty quickly. Sharee says this book is a 4.75 out of 5 stars – practically perfect in every way!
P.S. For the Kate Middleton fans out there (aka everyone), did you know that her grandma, Valerie Middleton, was a codebreaker at Bletchley? Her story inspired Princess Kate to revitalize the headquarters for visitors in 2014. You bet Grandma Middleton gets a nod in Quinn’s book!