Bletchley Park
British bombe machine
Enigma machine
Kate Quinn
Reading Group Guide
Did you come to The Rose Code with any preconceptions about the Bletchley Park codebreakers? Or were their achievements and history completely new to you?
Very little physical danger threatens Bletchley Park throughout the war, but the strain of secrecy imposes a different kind of pressure on its workers. Discuss the impact of lying to friends and loved ones about work, keeping quiet when being taunted about the lack of wartime contribution, and being unable to seek outside help for the stresses of codebreaking. How do you think you would function under such pressure? Do you think you could keep such a secret, not just during the war but for the rest of your life?
Fun-loving Osla struggles continually to do something important with her life and skills, but is dismissed over and over again as just a silly girl. How have such stereotypes changed for modern women? How have they remained the same?
Self-made Mab sees a gentlemanly husband as her ticket out of East End poverty—not just for herself, but for Lucy. How do her goals shift over time, and why?
Shy Beth flowers from a bullied spinster to a star cryptanalyst. How did your opinion of her change throughout the book?
Books and literary discussions provide a welcome distraction for Mab, Osla, Beth, and the rest of the Mad Hatters throughout the war. How do book clubs and a love for reading remain important in troubled times?
Osla’s romance with Prince Philip is doomed to failure, given his ultimate fate as consort to the future Queen Elizabeth II. Did you root for them anyway? What about the other couples—Mab and Francis, Beth and Harry?
Dilly Knox, Alan Turing, Margaret Rock, Valerie Glassborow—Bletchley Park was stocked with many eccentric and interesting real-life figures from history. Which was your favorite and why?
Beth makes the decision not to warn Mab and Osla about the coming air raid on Coventry. Was she right to uphold her oath, or should she have found a way to warn her friends? Could you have forgiven her if you experienced what Mab and Osla did?
The traitor argues that giving information to the Russians was an act of patriotism, not treachery, because the Russians were Britain’s allies during World War II, the prime minister wasn’t sharing enough information with them, and passing intelligence saved Allied lives and ultimately helped defeat Hitler. Do you agree or disagree?
In the final confrontation, the Mad Hatters are able to unmask the traitor and turn them over to MI-5 for justice. Were you satisfied with their fate, or did you hope for something different?
The codebreaking process had many stages, from cryptanalysis (Beth’s job), to machine decoding (Mab’s job), to translation (Osla’s job), not to mention registraton, filing, and analysis. Do you think you could have been a codebreaker? What job do you think you would have been given, if recruited to Bletchley Park?
Further Reading & Entertainment
NONFICTION
* * *
The Road to Station X by Sarah Baring
Dilly: The Man Who Broke Enigmas by Mavis Batey
Secret Days by Asa Briggs
Debs at War by Anne de Courcy
The Bletchley Girls by Tessa Dunlop
My Secret Life in Hut Six by Mair and Gethin Russell-Jones
Bletchley Park People by Marion Hill
Codebreakers: The Inside Story of Bletchley Park by F. H. Hinsley and Alan Stripp
Dear Codebreaker by Kerry Howard
The Secret Lives of Codebreakers by Sinclair McKay
1939: The Last Season of Peace by Angela Lambert
Stalin’s Englishman by Andrew Lownie
We Kept the Secret by Gwendoline Page
Enigma by Hugh Sebag-Montefiore
The Debs of Bletchley Park by Michael Smith
The Secrets of Station X by Michael Smith
Cracking the Luftwaffe Codes by Gwen Watkins
The Hut Six Story by Gordon Welchman
Enigma Variations by Irene Young
FICTION
* * *
In Farleigh Field by Rhys Bowen
Princess Elizabeth’s Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal
Enigma by Robert Harris
The Amber Shadows by Lucy Ribchester
ON-SCREEN
* * *
The Bletchley Circle
The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco
Enigma
The Imitation Game
Praise
PRAISE FOR THE ROSE CODE
“The hidden history of Bletchley Park has been waiting for a master storyteller like Kate Quinn to bring it to life. The Rose Code effortlessly evokes the frantic, nervy, exuberant world of the Enigma codebreakers through the eyes of three extraordinary women who work in tireless secrecy to defeat the Nazis. Quinn’s meticulous research and impeccable characterization shine through this gripping and beautifully executed novel.”
—Beatriz Williams, New York Times bestselling author of Her Last Flight
“A knockout of a story, written by the reigning queen of historical fiction. Quinn’s trio of heroines practically leap off the page in this stunning novel, which melds spy-hunting with love stories that will stir your soul. A book for the ages.”
—Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Lions of Fifth Avenue
“The Rose Code is everything you love about an unputdownable novel and more. In her signature fashion, Kate Quinn expertly and vividly breaks wide open the secret world of Bletchley Park’s remarkable codebreakers. An unforgettable war story to be sure, but also a tale of friendship, fortitude, and forgiveness. Utterly satisfying.”
—Susan Meissner, bestselling author of The Nature of Fragile Things
“The Rose Code is a firecracker of a novel! By illuminating the top-secret work done by codebreakers at England’s Bletchley Park, Kate Quinn has created a fresh take on World War II and created three unforgettable heroines who use their intelligence, grit, and tenacity to help save the world from the Nazis. Clear out your calendar, because once you start reading this one, you won’t put it down.”
—Elise Hooper, author of Fast Girls
“Kate Quinn does it again! This rollicking tale of espionage and female solidarity is a tour de force that will make you laugh and cry at the same time. The Rose Code is pure genius and Quinn’s best . . . so far.”
—Stephanie Dray, New York Times bestselling author of The Women of Chateau Lafayette
PRAISE FOR THE HUNTRESS
New York Times and USA Today Bestseller
“A complexly structured saga . . . intrigue worthy of a Hitchcock movie. . . . To paraphrase one of the characters, Ms. Quinn’s book is ‘dynamite in print.’”
—Wall Street Journal
“An utter triumph!”
—Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Orphan’s Tale
“A powerful novel about unusual women facing sometimes insurmountable odds with grace, grit, love and tenacity.”
—Kristin Hannah, Washington Post
“An impressive historical novel sure to harness WWII-fiction fans’ attention.”
—Booklist (starred review)
“A masterpiece of historical fiction.”
—Jennifer Robson, bestselling author of The Gown
PRAISE FOR THE ALICE NETWORK
New York Times and USA Today Bestseller
—Historical Novel Society (Editors’ Choice)
“Kate Quinn announces herself as one of the best artists of the genre. . . . Fans of historical fiction, spy fiction and thrilling drama will love every moment.”
—BookPage
“Both funny and heartbreaking, this epic journey of two courageous women is an unforgettable tale of little-known wartime glory and sacrifice. Quinn knocks it out of the park with this spectacular book!”
—Stephanie Dray, New York T
imes bestselling author of America’s First Daughter
“This fast-paced story offers courageous heroines, villains you love to hate, and dramatic life-or-death stakes. A compelling blend of historical fiction, mystery, and women’s fiction, Quinn’s complex story and engaging characters have something to offer just about everyone.”
—Library Journal (starred review)
Also by Kate Quinn
The Alice Network
The Huntress
THE EMPRESS OF ROME SERIES
Lady of the Eternal City
The Three Fates (novella)
Empress of the Seven Hills
Daughters of Rome
Mistress of Rome
THE BORGIA CHRONICLES
The Lion and the Rose
The Serpent and the Pearl
COLLABORATIVE WORKS
A Day of Fire: A Novel of Pompeii
A Year of Ravens: A Novel of Boudica’s Rebellion
A Song of War: A Novel of Troy
Ribbons of Scarlet: A Novel of the French Revolution’s Women
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. References to real people, events, establishments, organizations, or locales are intended only to provide a sense of authenticity, and are used fictitiously. All other characters, and all incidents and dialogue, are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real.
P.S.™ is a trademark of HarperCollins Publishers.
THE ROSE CODE. Copyright © 2021 by Kate Quinn. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
Cover design by Elsie Lyons
Cover photographs © Lee Avison/Arcangel (woman); © EQRoy/Shutterstock (background); © Michal Chmurski/Shutterstock (texture); © Krasovski Dmitri/Shutterstock (texture); © javarman/Shutterstock (texture)
Unless otherwise noted, photos in the author’s note are in the public domain.
FIRST EDITION
Digital Edition March 2021 ISBN: 978-0-06-294348-4
Version 01162021
Print ISBN: 978-0-06-294347-7
ISBN 978-0-06-305941-2 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-0-06-306044-9 (international edition)
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