The Woman All Spies Fear by Amy Butler Greenfield

The little-known story of code breaker Elizebeth Smith Friedman gets full and masterful treatment.

The Woman All Spies Fear: Code Breaker Elizebeth Smith Friedman and Her Hidden Life by Amy Butler Greenfield. Random House Studio, 2021, 262 pages + bibliography, notes, and index.

Reading Level: Teen, ages 12-15

Recommended for: ages 11-up

Elizebeth Smith hated her last name—what could be more bland or common?. But her first name, with the unusual spelling bestowed by her mother, suited her better. Elizebeth longed for a grand destiny, whatever her name. The invitation from an eccentric millionaire to live at his estate and work on a grand project of finding hidden messages in Shakespeare looked like a promising start. There, destiny took a turn she didn’t expect in the person of William Friedman, a brilliant young cryptologist who became her lifelong partner in love. And in the thrilling, most consequential game of code breaking.

Their timing couldn’t have been better, for shortly after their wedding the United States entered World War I. The Army immediately called on William’s skills, while Elizebeth was left behind to struggle with secret Shakespeare messages (which she now doubted). But after the war, she came into her own as a code breaker for the Coast Guard in its never-ending battle against rum-runners defying Prohibition. The public was fascinated by this petite genius who regularly foiled the plans of gangsters as far away as China, and Elizebeth became something of a celebrity. But her greatest challenges lay ahead, once the Japanese dropped bombs on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

The details of her amazing life, especially the war years, have been classified until recently, but the story reveals little-known chapters of history as well as some fascinating personalities. Besides a true-life espionage tale, it’s a love story about two people whose marriage stood the test of sickness, hardship, depression, and inhuman stress. Elizebeth and William sacrificed greatly for their country, often with little reward, but they were American heroes. Their story is told here with verve and accuracy that doesn’t slight the facts: a fast read, meticulously researched. Numerous inserts explaining various types of codes and cyphers, with their solutions, add depth and interest for analytical readers.

Overall Rating: 4.5 (out of 5)

• Worldview/moral value: 4
• Artistic/literary value: 5

Read more about our ratings here.                 

Also at Redeemed Reader

• Reviews: Code Name Verity and its sequel, Rose under Fire, are outstanding fictional examples of WWII espionage.
• Resource: See Betsy’s list of 10 True Stories for Teens.

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