An inspiring true story, perfect for fans of Hidden Figures, about an American woman who pioneered codebreaking in WWI and WWII but was only recently recognized for her extraordinary contributions.
Elizebeth Smith Friedman had a rare talent for spotting patterns and solving puzzles. These skills led her to become one of the top cryptanalysts in America during both World War I and World War II.
She originally came to code breaking through her love for Shakespeare when she was hired by an eccentric millionaire to prove that Shakespeare’s plays had secret messages in them. Within a year, she had learned so much about code breaking that she was a star in the making. She went on to play a major role decoding messages during WWI and WWII and also for the Coast Guard’s war against smugglers.
Elizebeth and her husband, William, became the top code-breaking team in the US, and she did it all at a time when most women weren’t welcome in the workforce.
Book description from publisher.
Other Resources
- TeachingBooks.net book page
- Author Website
- Discussion Questions (from author)
- Book Excerpt (from author)
- For readers: Enter the secret message from the book
- PBS Video The American Experience: How a Female Codebreaker Defeated Nazi Spies | The Codebreaker (with teaching tips for educators)