Module 9- Code Name Verity

Summary
Code Name Verity is a tale of friendship, heartbreak, and strength set in World War II.  The two main characters, Maggie and Queenie, become friends while working as part of the British War Effort.  Queenie narrates the first part of the story, having been captured by Nazis in France.  She makes a deal with her captors and spills information about the British War Effort in the form of a written story.  The second part of the story is narrated by Maggie, who makes certain details in Queenie's story clearer.  Through Maggie's telling, we also discover truths that Queenie has not shared, as well as the ultimate fate of the two friends.

Wein, E. (2012). Code name Verity. New York: Hyperion.

My impressions
What a wonderful book!  As hard as it was to read, Code Name Verity was thought-provoking, heartbreaking, and always interesting.  I saw this book as more of historical fiction than mystery.  There were mysterious elements, but they had more of a thriller feel than a traditional mystery.  But whatever category the book fits in, it is one of those unforgettable, haunting books that stays with you long after you finish reading it.

Reviews
CODE NAME VERITY. (2012). Kirkus Reviews, 84.
Breaking away from Arthurian legends (The Winter Prince, 1993, etc.), Wein delivers a heartbreaking tale of friendship during World War II. In a cell in Nazi-occupied France, a young woman writes. Like Scheherezade, to whom she is compared by the SS officer in charge of her case, she dribbles out information--"everything I can remember about the British War Effort"--in exchange for time and a reprieve from torture. But her story is more than a listing of wireless codes or aircraft types. Instead, she describes her friendship with Maddie, the pilot who flew them to France, as well as the real details of the British War Effort: the breaking down of class barriers, the opportunities, the fears and victories not only of war, but of daily life. She also describes, almost casually, her unbearable current situation and the SS officer who holds her life in his hands and his beleaguered female associate, who translates the narrative each day. Through the layers of story, characters (including the Nazis) spring to life. And as the epigraph makes clear, there is more to this tale than is immediately apparent. The twists will lead readers to finish the last page and turn back to the beginning to see how the pieces slot perfectly, unexpectedly into place.

A carefully researched, precisely written tour de force; unforgettable and wrenching.

 

Code Name Verity. (2012). Publishers Weekly, 259(16), 66.

Wein (The Empty Kingdom) serves up a riveting and often brutal tale of WWII action and espionage with a powerful friendship at its core. Captured Scottish spy Queenie has agreed to tell her tale--and reveal any confidential information she knows--in exchange for relief from being tortured by Nazis. Her story, which alternates between her early friendship with a pilot named Maddie and her recent sufferings in prison, works both a story of cross-class friendship (from an upper-crust family, Queenie realizes that she would likely never have met Maddie under other circumstances) and as a harrowing spy story (Queenie's captor, von Loewe, is humanized without losing his menace). Queenie's deliberately rambling and unreliable narration keeps the story engaging, and there are enough action sequences and well-delivered twists (including a gut-wrenching climax and late revelations that will have readers returning to reread the first half of the book) to please readers of all stripes. Wein balances the horrors of war against genuine heroics, delivering a well-researched and expertly crafted adventure. Ages 14-up.

 

Suggestion for library use

As complicated as this book was, I think that it would be good to have a discussion about its plot, characters, and sequence of events.  I am still confused about some of the details, and discussing it would be beneficial to me!  Students may have similar experiences and benefit from a discussion.  I also see this book as stirring up some strong emotions in readers, warranting a good discussion.