One of the greatest challenges of those who ran Room 40 was finding ways to preserve their secrecy and yet still give their leaders the information they needed to make the war go in their favor. Their decisions were constantly based on whether sharing certain information would reveal their hand to the Germans. And so, though they knew about nearly all attacks and raids before they happened, they couldn’t always do anything about it. They had to first have a cover story for how they could have found it out . . . which is why Admiral Hall frequently used the identities of German agents he’d arrested to send misinformation to Germany.
One of my big challenges in writing this—aside from a heroine who thinks in numbers when I most assuredly do not—was trying to find specifics for an organization that went to such pains to be shrouded in secrecy. Most original documents were destroyed, including Admiral Hall’s autobiography, when the government deemed it too sensitive to be released to the public. Even after the Second World War, German officials still had no idea that there were codebreakers in the 1910s who were reading their every communication. It wasn’t until recently, when documents began to be declassified, that historians have begun putting the pieces back together to get a view of the amazing work that Room 40 did during the Great War.
Of course, my method of interpreting history is through the eyes of fictional characters, who allow me to focus on a few facts. Margot and Drake were so much fun to get to know . . . and to lead on a journey to the heart. I hope you enjoyed their story as much as I did! And if you haven’t read it yet, you can see how Margot ended up in England in A Song Unheard, which is Lukas and Willa’s love story.
I’d also like to take a moment to thank the people who come alongside me during the writing process and remind me that, yes, I can do this. Thank you, Stephanie, for reading my early chapters and pointing out that my characters should actually like each other (duh). And to my husband, David, for brainstorming Das Gespenst with me and insisting that his ideas were better than mine (which they were!). Thanks to Sascha, my foreign-exchange-student brother, for not only telling me which German word for “the ghost” I should use, but also how to pronounce and hyphenate it. My kids deserve some major kudos for bearing with me through a crazy writing season, and I’m pretty sure I would have wept in frustration more than once if not for my awesome virtual assistant, Rachel Dixon, who keeps the rest of my professional world running smoothly so I can concentrate on writing.
Next, huge thanks to my expert readers who went through the manuscript for me to check for accuracy on certain subjects: Rhonda, who answered all my questions about Catholic traditions and could discuss Margot’s actions and reactions with me; Elizabeth, who, as always, read an early version to make sure no Americanisms slip into my English characters; Wendy, for checking my French; and Justin, for checking my Spanish.
And, of course, the amazing team at Bethany House! You guys always leave me in awe of your talent and skill at your jobs!
I hope you’ll travel with me into the final year of the war through the rest of THE CODEBREAKERS! Our next story will follow the troubled Phillip Camden into some new adventures and give readers a glimpse of some well-loved characters as well.
Discussion Questions
Margot has a unique way of seeing the world through numbers. What did you think of how she viewed and interpreted everything around her? How she interacted with people? Do you have a way of seeing the world through a unique lens that differs from those closest to you?
Drake always knows the right questions to ask. Were there any that struck you as being insightful? Odd? Do you ever have a hard time asking the right questions either to open conversation or lead you to the answers you seek?
Margot had dreams and goals that went against cultural norms and were sure to create challenges for her in the future. What did you think of her aspirations and her hesitations toward love and romance? Were her concerns justified? What did you think of Drake’s response?
What did you think of our “ghost” characters, Das Gespenst and Yūrei? Though Das Gespenst was the villain, did you understand him and his decisions? Did you anticipate the twist about Jaeger?
One of Margot’s greatest struggles in the book is what to do when God goes silent. Have you ever been in a place of grief or pain when you couldn’t sense the Lord? What did you do and how did you move beyond that?
Margot and Drake have a unique bond in that God asked her to pray for him anonymously. Have you ever been asked to pray for either a stranger or someone you don’t know well? Did you discover why at a later time?
Before reading this book, were you aware of the goings-on of Room 40 during World War I? What do you think of the world of cryptography, the decisions they had to make, and the secrecy that was so important to them? Would you have flourished or floundered there?
Many of the secondary characters—Abuelo, Dot, Camden, Red—have “issues.” Did you find these compelling or off-putting? Did any one of these characters interest you more than another? Of all characters, main and secondary, who was your favorite and why? Your least favorite?
There are two ways to think about the question of “Why did this happen?” when tragedy enters our lives: “Why did God let it happen?” versus “What will God do with it?” What did you think of Margot’s epiphany about these two interpretations? Have you ever struggled with shifting your focus between the two?
Looking ahead, what do you expect to see and what do you want to see in the next book, which features Phillip Camden? Historically, we know that the war ends a year after The Number of Love. What do you think life will look like then for Margot and Drake and their friends and family?
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award–nominated author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, designing book covers, editing, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books . . . to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. You can learn more about her and her stories at www.roseannamwhite.com.
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Table of Contents
Cover
Books by Roseanna M. White
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Epigraphs
Contents
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Epilogue
A Note from the Author
Discussion Questions
About the Author
Back Ads
Back Cover
List of Pages
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