"Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein - Historical Fiction Book Club - Past Titles

About the Author: Elizabeth Wein

Elizabeth Wein is an American-born writer known for her historical fiction novels, especially those set during World War II. She is acclaimed for her works that blend history, adventure, and strong character development, often featuring young women in pivotal roles. Here is an overview of her life and career:

Early Life and Education

Born: Elizabeth Wein was born on October 2, 1964, in New York City. Her father was an English professor, and her mother was an artist. She spent much of her childhood traveling and living in various places, including England and Jamaica.
1970s-1980s: After the death of her father, her family settled in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Wein developed a love for flying and history during her youth, which would later become significant themes in her writing.
Education: She attended Yale University, where she earned a degree in folklore. Her interest in Arthurian legends and historical storytelling began to flourish during her studies.

Writing Career

1993: Wein published her first novel, The Winter Prince, which was based on the Arthurian legend, particularly focusing on Mordred and his half-brother Medraut. This novel began her "Lion Hunters" series, which includes several books that blend Arthurian elements with historical settings.
2012: She gained widespread recognition with the publication of Code Name Verity, a young adult historical novel set during World War II. The story follows two young women, a British spy and a pilot, who are caught in Nazi-occupied France. The novel was a critical and commercial success, receiving numerous awards and nominations, including a Michael L. Printz Honor in 2013. It is praised for its meticulous historical detail, compelling narrative, and portrayal of female friendship.
2013: Wein published Rose Under Fire, a companion novel to Code Name Verity. It follows an American pilot who is captured and sent to the Ravensbrück concentration camp. The novel explores the horrors of the Holocaust and the resilience of women prisoners.
Subsequent Works: Wein continued to write historical fiction with novels such as Black Dove, White Raven (2015), which is set in Ethiopia during the 1930s, and The Pearl Thief (2017), a prequel to Code Name Verity.

Themes and Style

Elizabeth Wein's novels often feature young female protagonists who confront extraordinary challenges. Her works are known for historical accuracy, attention to detail, and the exploration of themes such as friendship, courage, and the moral complexities of war.

Personal Life

Current Residence: Wein resides in Scotland with her family. She is also a qualified pilot, a passion that influences her writing about aviation and pilots in historical settings.
Interests: Beyond writing, Wein is involved in activities related to flying and historical research. Her interest in history, particularly World War II, is reflected in the depth of research that informs her novels.

Recognition and Impact

Elizabeth Wein has made significant contributions to young adult historical fiction, particularly with her novels set during World War II. Her works are celebrated for bringing historical events to life through compelling storytelling and complex characters, inspiring readers to learn more about history.

Nazi-Occupied France

Synopsis

October 11th, 1943--A British spy plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France. Its pilot and passenger are best friends. One of the girls has a chance at survival. The other has lost the game before it's barely begun. When "Verity" is arrested by the Gestapo, she's sure she doesn't stand a chance. As a secret agent captured in enemy territory, she's living a spy's worst nightmare. Her Nazi interrogators give her a simple choice: reveal her mission or face a grisly execution. As she intricately weaves her confession, Verity uncovers her past, how she became friends with the pilot Maddie, and why she left Maddie in the wrecked fuselage of their plane. On each new scrap of paper, Verity battles for her life, confronting her views on courage, failure and her desperate hope to make it home. But will trading her secrets be enough to save her from the enemy? A universally acclaimed Michael L. Printz Award Honor book, Code Name Verity is a visceral read of danger, resolve, and survival that shows just how far true friends will go to save each other.

Historical Timeline

On October 11, 1943, France was under German occupation during World War II. Here is a timeline of events around this date in France, reflecting the broader context of the war and the Resistance movement:

Background Leading Up to October 1943

1940: France fell to Nazi Germany in June 1940. The country was divided into the occupied northern zone and the Vichy regime in the unoccupied southern zone, which collaborated with the Germans.
1942: The Germans occupied the southern zone of France as well, leading to full occupation. This increased pressure on the French Resistance, who began more organized efforts against the occupiers.

October 11, 1943 - Specific Context

By this date, the war in Europe had reached a critical phase. The Allied invasion of Italy was underway, and the Resistance in France was gaining momentum, coordinating more acts of sabotage and intelligence-sharing with the Allies.
The French Resistance: Various Resistance groups across France, such as the Francs-Tireurs et Partisans (FTP) and the Maquis, were involved in guerrilla warfare, sabotage operations, and aiding downed Allied airmen. In October 1943, the Resistance was intensifying its efforts in anticipation of an eventual Allied invasion of France.

Events Around Mid-October 1943

Gestapo and German Repression: The Gestapo and the Milice (Vichy French paramilitary group) continued crackdowns on Resistance networks. October 1943 saw arrests, deportations, and executions of Resistance members across France. The danger to Resistance fighters was growing, with many leaders captured or killed.
Preparations for D-Day: The French Resistance ramped up its efforts to disrupt German logistics in anticipation of the Allied invasion (which would come in June 1944). These efforts included attacking railways, communication lines, and military installations.
Jean Moulin's Legacy: Jean Moulin, a major figure in the French Resistance who was captured and killed by the Gestapo earlier in 1943, had worked to unify the various Resistance factions. His efforts led to the establishment of the Conseil National de la Résistance (CNR), which continued to operate and guide Resistance efforts despite his death.

Broader Context in October 1943

The Italian Campaign: The Allies had invaded southern Italy in September 1943. This campaign drew some German resources away from France, but German forces in France remained substantial, anticipating further Allied actions.
Deportations and the Holocaust: The deportation of Jews from France to concentration camps continued. In 1943, the Nazis and the Vichy regime escalated their efforts to round up Jews, particularly in cities like Paris and Lyon.

While there were no major, widely documented events specific to October 11, 1943, the day falls within a critical period of escalating Resistance activity and German repression, setting the stage for the liberation of France in 1944.

Code Name Pauline by Pearl Witherington Cornioley; Kathryn J. Atwood (Editor)
Call Number: BIO Cornioley
There was a full moon on the evening of September 22, 1943, when Pearl Witherington, age 29, parachuted into France to aid the French Resistance as a special agent for the British Special Operations Executive (SOE). Out of the 400 agents sent to France during the German occupation, 39 were women. Pearl, whom the SOE called "cool and resourceful and extremely determined" and "the best shot, male or female, we have yet had," became one of the most celebrated female World War II resistance fighters. In Code Name Paulin e Pearl describes in a series of plainspoken reminiscences her difficult childhood and harrowing escape from France in 1940; her recruitment and training as a special agent; the logistics and dangers of posing as a cosmetics saleswoman to make her way around the country as an undercover courier; and both failed and successful attempts at sabotaging the Nazis. She tells how, when the leader of her network was caught by the Gestapo, she became "Pauline" and rose to command a 3,500-strong band of French Resistance fighters. With an annotated list of key figures, an appendix of original unedited interview extracts--including Pearl's husband Henri's story--and never-before-published photographs from Pearl's personal collection, Code Name Pauline will captivate World War II buffs of any age and, just as Pearl wished, inspire young people.
Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
Call Number: YA FIC Anderson
When their owner dies at the start of the Revolution, Isabel and her younger sister are sold to Loyalists in New York, where Isabel is offered the chance to spy for the Patriots.

*audiobook & e-book on Libby
The War Outside by Monica Hesse
Call Number: YA FIC Hesse
It's 1944, and World War II is raging across Europe and the Pacific. The war seemed far away from Margot in Iowa and Haruko in Colorado--until they were uprooted to dusty Texas, all because of the places their parents once called home: Germany and Japan. Margot and Haruko meet at the high school in Crystal City, a "family internment camp" for those accused of colluding with the enemy. The teens discover that they are polar opposites in so many ways, except for one that seems to override all the others: the camp is changing them, day by day and piece by piece. Haruko finds herself consumed by fear for her soldier brother and distrust of her father, who she knows is keeping something from her. And Margot is doing everything she can to keep her family whole as her mother's health deteriorates and her rational, patriotic father becomes a man who distrusts America and fraternizes with Nazis. With everything around them falling apart, Haruko and Margot find solace in their growing, secret friendship. But in a prison the government has deemed full of spies, can they trust anyone--even each other?
Among the Red Stars by Gwen C. Katz
Call Number: YA FIC Katz
A suspenseful historical YA debut inspired by the true story of an all-female bomber unit in Russia during World War II. World War II has erupted in Valka's homeland of Russia, and Valka is determined to help the effort. She's a pilot--and a good one--so she eagerly joins an all-female bomber regiment. Flying has always meant freedom and exhilaration for Valka, but dropping bombs on German targets is something else entirely. The raids are dangerous, but as Valka watches her fellow pilots putting everything on the line in the face of treachery, she learns the true meaning of bravery. As the war intensifies, though, and those around her fall, Valka must decide how much she is willing to risk to defend the skies she once called home.

Historical Fiction Book Club - Past Titles: "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein