Spying on Spies

February 1, 2024
Grades 5-8 Elizebeth Friedman was successful at breaking some of the most complicated codes used by enemy powers during both world wars. She's practically unknown today, due to a combination of misogyny and the top-secret nature of her work. When contemporary media outlets released dismissive articles about the little lady tackling such important jobs, they put Friedmanin actual danger. Friedman (she was the youngest of 10, and her mother purposely misspelled her name) was raised to be a dutiful wife and mother, but she always wanted to be intellectually challenged. She overcame numerous obstacles and rose to the top of her profession, married another cryptologist, and had a family, all while posing as a typical stay-at-home mom. This unique biography fills in ample background information to underline the crucial importance and daunting time constraints of her work, while also explaining how codes and ciphers work. Graphic-novel inserts introduce every chapter, and the generous back matter includes famous historical codes and their keys along with challenging puzzles. This intriguing offering covers fresh information and spans curricular areas.

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February 1, 2024
The absorbing story of one of America's most talented and least appreciated cryptographers and code breakers. Fresh out of college, Friedman was hired by an eccentric millionaire who was eager to prove that Shakespeare's plays were written by someone else. While poring over them in search of secret messages, she taught herself skills that allowed her to break codes and ciphers for the military during both world wars--and, at some personal risk, to help the Justice Department fight organized crime in between. Much of her work is still classified, and she died in 1980, but Moss layers a nuanced account over the relatively thin bed of documentation, including relevant background about contemporary events. Illustrated tableaux highlight significant incidents and explain various codes. The book offers a sensitive picture of Friedman's married life with a husband who was likewise a brilliant cryptographer working on secret projects that couldn't be talked about, even at home, and tallies one thrilling feat of counterespionage after another, culminating in the breakup of an extensive Nazi spy ring in South America. (Friedman and her small team solved multiple Enigma machine codes, just like the thousands of workers at Bletchley Park.) Unsurprisingly, she also faced obstacles ranging from FBI interference to dangerously revealing (and sexist) news profiles. Readers will be suitably impressed and riveted. A bracing celebration of one gifted woman's insufficiently heralded achievements in war and peace. (author's note, guide to codes and ciphers, glossary, timeline, endnotes, bibliography, index) (Biography. 10-13)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 1, 2024
Elizebeth Smith Friedman (1892-1980) and her husband, William Friedman, "are now recognized together as the two most influential code-breakers in American history." Elizebeth, however, remains largely underappreciated, so Moss shares a fine-spun account of her career and its many impressive contributions (some of which are still classified by the U.S. government). Moss follows the trajectory of this fascinating, singular woman's life (with details about William's work as it parallels Elizebeth's, but without shifting the focus from her) as she solves supposedly unbreakable codes containing enemy plans during both world wars. In between wars, Elizebeth's job at the Treasury Department requires her to risk her safety testifying at high-profile organized-crime trials, gaining unwelcome notoriety in the press. She faces sexism throughout her career, often not receiving proper pay or credit. But Moss emphasizes that Elizebeth -- who proudly leads her own code-breaking team -- doesn't let any of these challenges deter her from doing the work she loves. As in Moss's The Woman Who Split the Atom (rev. 7/22), chapters begin with brief comics by the author that provide visual context for the historical scenes. Hand this to fans of Fleming's recent The Enigma Girls (rev. 5/24). Archival photographs, a helpful "What Are Codes? What Are Ciphers?" section, a glossary, a timeline, notes, a bibliography, and an (unseen) index are appended. Cynthia K. Ritter

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

October 11, 2024

Gr 5 Up-British codebreaker Alan Turing has deservedly received much posthumous praise for his groundbreaking work during World War II; this book focuses on all-but-forgotten history-maker Elizebeth Smith Friedman, his female, American counterpart doing the same work, yet without the technology and a fraction of the staff. Moss introduces readers to Friedman, who, armed with an exceedingly clever mind and a strong sense of justice, helped bust alcohol and arms-selling rings during Prohibition by deciphering their secret messages. With the United States embroiled in WWII, Friedman's skills were called upon again to decipher messages sent by the Axis powers and those sympathetic to their cause. Her story is told through text and short, paneled illustrations at the beginning of each chapter. Although the mix of formats is clever, the illustrated segments rarely add to the visual appeal or the storytelling. Photographs of Friedman and other important players in her story, woefully saved for the back matter, provide a richer view into her life. The remainder of the back matter contains useful supplemental material, including a time line, glossary, and an author's note on types of codes and ciphers. VERDICT For all collections, this is a worthwhile biography about a WWII hero for history buffs and puzzle masters alike.-Alexandra Quay

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2024
Elizebeth Smith Friedman (1892�? 1980) and her husband, William Friedman, "are now recognized together as the two most influential code-breakers in American history." Elizebeth, however, remains largely underappreciated, so Moss shares a fine-spun account of her career and its many impressive contributions (some of which are still classified by the U.S. government). Moss follows the trajectory of this fascinating, singular woman's life (with details about William's work as it parallels Elizebeth's, but without shifting the focus from her) as she solves supposedly unbreakable codes containing enemy plans during both world wars. In between wars, Elizebeth's job at the Treasury Department requires her to risk her safety testifying at high-profile organized-crime trials, gaining unwelcome notoriety in the press. She faces sexism throughout her career, often not receiving proper pay or credit. But Moss emphasizes that Elizebeth -- who proudly leads her own code-breaking team -- doesn't let any of these challenges deter her from doing the work she loves. As in Moss's The Woman Who Split the Atom (rev. 7/22), chapters begin with brief comics by the author that provide visual context for the historical scenes. Hand this to fans of Fleming's recent The Enigma Girls (rev. 5/24). Archival photographs, a helpful "What Are Codes? What Are Ciphers?" section, a glossary, a timeline, notes, a bibliography, and an (unseen) index are appended.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)