About the story
Britain. 1940. When her parents are killed in the war – her father at sea and her mother in the Blitz – fifteen year-old Louisa Adair is employed to care for an elderly German woman. Louisa was born in Jamaica and often faces racism and hostility from people in Britain. The lady she cares for, who goes by the name of Jane Warner, is a rare exception. Together they travel to Scotland to stay with Jane’s niece.
This brings Lousia into contact with Ellen McEwan – a voluntary driver at the local airfield who is trying to hide her traveller heritage – and pilot Jamie Beaufort-Stuart. They are bound together when they come into possession of the first Enigma machine to reach Allied hands.
Jamie, Ellen and Louisa must work together to solve a puzzle that could change the direction of the war, but powerful and dangerous people are on the hunt for the machine.
What I love about the book so far
- It ties in with Elizabeth Wein’s other novels set during WW2 but the stories can be read out of chronological order. Several characters from the other books make appearances, most notably Ellen McEwan who was also a major character in The Pearl Thief.
- In the earlier book, Ellen was fiercly proud of her traveller heritage. In The Enigma Game she is grappling with two identities – one she was born into and one she can assume to blend in and have an easier time. This is one of the themes that binds the main characters. Louisa is of dual heritage. Ellen is from a traveller family. Jamie was born into privillege. All are young adults on the cusp of discovering their own identity and all face instant assumptions when people meet them for the first time. There are German characters who meet the same reaction too. The story shows prejudice for what it is and questions its roots.
- At one second the main characters are responsible young adults with important roles in the war. At another moment they are teenagers – children – and we are reminded of their vulnerabilities. This broke my heart because it is undoubtedly a realistic picture of what happened to young people during WW2. In many ways their youth was lost. Speaking to people of that generation now – people like my grandma who is coming up to 90 – they have rigid ideas about duty and playing one’s part. The Enigma Game takes a look at how and why this mentality was formed.
- The references to music give the book a flavour. It’s own feel among Wein’s three WW2 novels. One of the most touching scenes I’ve read involves a young German pilot. He forces his way to a piano and begins to play. Initially, it appears just to be for entertainment. Then he explains that the music he is playing is forbidden under Nazi control. This made me think more deeply about music. Music is communication.
- The writing is superb. The story doesn’t race along but the hooks come in just the right place. Be prepared for some long nights reading – this one is impossible to put down.
The Enigma Game by Elizabeth Wein is available now from Bloomsbury Publishing PLC. RRP £7.99. (Received for review. Thanks to Faye Rogers PR for organising this promotional blog tour)
