Ms. Dickinson's Purple & Gold Pick of the Week: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

On October 11, 1943, a British spy plane carrying two young women is hit by enemy antiaircraft fire while crossing the English Channel.  The determined pilot fights the failing aircraft for control, allowing her passenger to parachute out safely before crashing down in a French field.  The parachuting passenger is a Special Operative with the code name Verity--and the pilot is her best friend Maddie.  Together, they are a sensation team.  But mere days after leaving Maddie and her unknown fate behind, Verity is captured by the Gestapo.  Entering into a spy's worst nightmare, she's faced with a choice: spill her many secrets or face a slow and painful death. 

Reviewing Elizabeth Wein's brilliant new novel is a delicate task, involving some of the same careful way with words and talent for subterfuge necessary for survival as a Special Operative.  The task is so tricky because this thrilling novel is full of so many surprising twists and turns that even the shortest plot summary is in danger of including spoilers.  However, I can reveal that Code Name Verity is one of the most intense and fascinating novels I've read this year.  While it's packed with interesting historical details about everything from planes to ballpoint pens, the story never drags with an overabundance of description.  In fact, even though Verity's narrative jumps back and forth between her horrific present  situation and her retelling of the events that brought her and Maddie to France, the story practically never drags.  Verity's narration, occasionally jumbled or confusing as suits a confession written under threat of torture, is highly compelling and the tension only grows as the novel's multiple plots unfold.  However, while the complex and well-crafted plot and excellent writing are huge factors in this novel's success, it is the extraordinarily realistic and emotionally resonant portrayal of the friendship between Verity and Maddie that truly makes this novel stand out.  As Verity writes, "It's like being in love, discovering your best friend." 

Come over the library to grab of our copy of Elizabeth Wein's thrilling novel of friendship and survival under fire, Code Name Verity!