Book #106 |
Book: The Women of Arlington Hall | Author: Jane Healey | |
| Source: Free First Reads download Format: Kindle |
Pages: 329 | Duration: 11/06/25 – 11/06/25 (1 day) | |
| Rating: ★★★★★ | Genres: historical fiction, romance, World War II | ||
| 📕10-word summary: A female codebreaker gets herself in the thick of things. 🖌6-word review: Fast-paced, somewhat-educational, with intelligent female protagonist. |
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| 💭A favorite quote: “The choices a person makes in life are shaped and influenced by a complicated calculus of time and circumstances and chance.” | |||
| 🎓Some new-to-me words: bandbox, bodhran, lothario, peplum, star-crossed | |||
| Description:* 1947: Adventurous Radcliffe graduate Catherine “Cat” Killeen cancels her wedding and upends a future that no longer suits her. At the behest of her professor and hungry for a challenge, Cat arrives in Virginia to work on a confidential military project. A student in cryptoanalysis, Cat is already ahead of the game—to assist in rooting out Soviet spies who have infiltrated the US. Joining the “government girls” of Arlington Hall, Cat gains the respect of her superiors and the friendship of her peers. Then, on a night out in DC, Cat runs into Jonathan Dardis, her arrogant and privileged Harvard rival and newly minted agent for the FBI. What Cat and Jonathan share is a competitive drive and an attraction that’s becoming just as spirited. They’re also united in the same critical goal for America. Together, they’re diving deep into the shadows of espionage.*From goodreads.com’s synopsis. | |||
| Thoughts: This was a free download from the choice of July 2025 Amazon First Reads, and I was afraid this book was going to be nonfiction and similar to Hidden Figures, so I was pleased to find that it was not like that at all. (Not that that wasn’t a compelling story!) In this historical fiction story, I liked Catherine (Cat), the smart (Radcliffe graduate), the fact that she called off her wedding on her wedding day, made smart, likeable co-worker friends, and quickly became recognized as a significant, respected contributor to her codebreaking department and its mission. I also appreciated the Author’s Notes included at the end of the book, which explained that: “This is a work of fiction, but it is inspired by and incorporates true events and real people. Codebreaking and the early days of the Cold War are both complex and layered subjects, and to write a novel inspired by that era means honoring the historical facts.” | |||
See the rest of the books I’ve read in 2025 and previous years: 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019.
