Challenge Corner discussion

A German soldier risks his life to drop off the sought-after Enigma Machine to British Intelligence, hiding it in a pub in a small town in northeast Scotland, and unwittingly bringing together four very different people who decide to keep it to themselves. Louisa Adair, a young teen girl hired to look after the pub owner's elderly, German-born aunt, Jane Warner, finds it but doesn't report it. Flight-Lieutenant Jamie Beaufort-Stuart intercepts a signal but can't figure it out. Ellen McEwen, volunteer at the local airfield, acts as the go-between and messenger, after Louisa involves Jane in translating. The planes under Jamie's command seem charmed, as Jamie knows where exactly to go, while other squadrons suffer, and the four are loathe to give up the machine, even after Elisabeth Lind from British Intelligence arrives, even after the Germans start bombing the tiny town . . .

A little late, but I'll be starting today

Yes! I missed you, Jamie!

Part 2 (view spoiler)[ 100% sure that the typewriter key they found was left for the machine...but why didn't the German pilot just leave it for the intelligence officer? (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

I haven't been able to start yet.

Part 3 (view spoiler)[ Realizing now that this is set before Code Name Verity - however, I'm glad Julie is back! (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

Finished (view spoiler)[ Heartbroken that Jamie lost all of his crewmates, but I know that he will fly again. I'm glad that Louisa is no longer going to let her fears hold her back, and hope that Ellen is able to do the same. (hide spoiler)]

Liked it but wished it was shorter.

Part 1: (view spoiler)[This is a bit difficult to follow through because the POVs change so frequenty and in quick succession but I am slowly getting the hang of it. I couldn't understand what the book was meant to be about for the first few pages but then things got clearer as I went ahead. I am really liking all the characters and their life is coming to be linked through the pub and I am curious to see what becomes of it (hide spoiler)]

Part 2: (view spoiler)[I do not understand why the german soldier did not leave instructions for Louisa to turn over the machine to the intelligence officer if that was his mission, I get that he had to leave so as to not arouse suspiscion but why not trust intelligence? Louisa is a smart girl, she figured out the whole mechanism so quickly and has been such a great help to the squadron. I was feeling so happy for them when they flew for pleasure on the Christmas day but ofcourse things had to derail. I just hope no one among the squadron spills the beans to the commander (hide spoiler)]

Part 3: (view spoiler)[I am getting very tired honestly, this is not necessarily a bad book just too long for my liking. Plus it is slow paced as hell. I am liking Louisa's parts and how she is getting even smarter by the second. The mystery of why Felix left the enigma machine with Louisa made so much sense once the code word was revealed. Jamie's sister is here! and hiding! I kinda want to know her story too. Louisa being on the mission with Jamie sounded kinda ominous, I hope they make it back safely (hide spoiler)]

Part 4: (view spoiler)[I am sad that all of Jamie's crew didn't back it back from the Valentine's day mission, it forces the readers to face the reality of the war that there was no happy ending for anyone. Louisa grew a lot during these few months and I loved reading about her journey but that doesn't change the fact that it was a tedious book to go through and there were several times I just wanted to put it down honestly. (hide spoiler)]

Hopefully will finally start it this weekend.

Starting this next.

Hopefully I will finish today. It’s taking me longer than expected.

26% (view spoiler)[I was not expecting this to be so fast paced! Hopefully he didn't mean to Germany. (hide spoiler)]

50% (view spoiler)[I feel like this book went downhill a lot. Hopefully it picks back up but I don't love the characters. (hide spoiler)]

77% (view spoiler)[I wasn't expecting Jamie's sister to show up. And that was cool that she was able to detect the code like that when the plane was asking for help. (hide spoiler)]

Finished (view spoiler)[I really liked the ending! But it was sad about how Jamie lost his fingers and toes like that. And how the one girl realized that there were so many possibilities, so it's not something she could have prevented. (hide spoiler)]