CODE BREAKER, SPY HUNTER

From Shakespeare to secrets and spies.

When Elizebeth Smith Friedman graduated college in 1915 with a degree in English literature, she had no idea that the future held secret government work in store—she was initially hired by a wealthy eccentric to find messages in Shakespeare’s plays to reveal his “true” identity. Eventually, her talent with language and analysis led to her selection, with her husband, to set up the first code-breaking unit in the U.S. Over her career she unraveled thousands of secret messages, working for the military through two world wars, preventing countless deaths, catching smugglers and spies, and training others to do all of the above. Her work was classified Top Secret Ultra. Concise description with interesting details combines with evocative illustrations that frequently incorporate Friedman’s own words to portray the life of this extraordinary White woman. With the exception of a single quote worked into the illustrations—“Many times I’ve been asked as to how my direction, that is the direction and superior status of a woman as instructor, teacher, mentor…how these men accepted my authority”—no mention is made of how unusual her position was as a woman of the time and, indeed, how her authority was accepted. Still, youngsters will be fascinated by this engaging biographical selection of an original thinker, which includes elements of STEM and history and provides a picture of a dedicated, resilient woman. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10.5-by-17-inch double-page spreads viewed at 67% of actual size.)

An incomplete but appealing and informative depiction of cryptographer Elizebeth Friedman.