We’re delighted to be sharing Elena’s thoughts about The Girl From Bletchley Park by Kathleen McGurl.
Jera’s Jamboree receives payments for affiliate advertising. This is at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. As a Cratejoy affiliate I earn if you click on a link and shop from my link. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.

- ASIN : B09F92Q8KP
- Publisher : HQ Digital (3 Nov. 2021)
- Language : English
- File size : 2750 KB
Will love lead her to a devastating choice?
1942. Three years into the war, Pam turns down her hard-won place at Oxford University to become a codebreaker at Bletchley Park. There, she meets two young men, both keen to impress her, and Pam finds herself falling hard for one of them. But as the country’s future becomes more uncertain by the day, a tragic turn of events casts doubt on her choice – and Pam’s loyalty is pushed to its limits…
Present day. Julia is struggling to juggle her career, two children and a husband increasingly jealous of her success. Her brother presents her with the perfect distraction: forgotten photos of their grandmother as a young woman at Bletchley Park. Why did her grandmother never speak of her time there? The search for answers leads Julia to an incredible tale of betrayal and bravery – one that inspires some huge decisions of her own…
Gripping historical fiction perfect for fans of The Girl from Berlin, The Rose Code and When We Were Brave.
The Girl from Bletchley Park Review
The Girl from Bletchley Park is a dual timeline book based both in the present day and during WW2.
It commences in the present day with Julia and her family. She is a very successful working mother with her own business, however her marriage is falling apart with her husband jealous of her being the main breadwinner and her family letting her do absolutely everything around the house.
One day her brother shows her an intriguing photograph of their grandmother outside Bletchley Park with some friends, which he found at the house he inherited.
Their grandmother never spoke about what she did during the war and this piques her interest as they try to uncover the mystery of their grandmother’s early life.
In 1942 Pamela has finished school and has been offered a place at Oxford to read mathematics. However her brilliance has been noted by the government and she has been asked to go and work at Bletchley Park as a codebreaker, signing the Official Secrets Act and joining a group of smart and talented people in the war effort. When she arrives there she makes friends and grabs the interest of two young men. Which one of them will she ultimately fall in love with?
The Girl from Bletchley Park is captivating, with both timelines holding my interest.
The plot is intriguing with the two timelines weaving between one another beautifully.
I was willing Julia to leave her husband as he was clearly resentful of her success and I disliked him immensely.
The chapters told from Pamela’s point of view were my favourites though, as I find the subject of WW2 and the significance of Bletchley Park in the Allied victory utterly fascinating.
Kathleen McGurl goes into stunning detail about the work of the code breakers and has thoroughly researched the role and the time.
Pamela, like her granddaughter Julia is a strong, intelligent and successful woman in her own right and both fail to conform to expected stereotypes which I loved.
It’s a fantastic read!
Track your Book Stats up to 2030 and Beyond
With its easy-to-use layout and user-friendly design, this Google Sheet Template will help you organize and keep track of your reading.
This spreadsheet holds all the information you’ll need in one place for paperbacks, hardbacks, eBooks and audiobooks. As well as the usual stats of Title, Author, Date Published and reading progress, this book review template has data and ratings for the following:
- series title and number
- characters
- atmosphere
- writing
- plot
- pacing
- world building
- enjoyment
- grading / star rating
Download your copy today and keep a record to transform your love of books into an organized and enriching experience.
Kathleen McGurl lives near the coast in Christchurch, England. She writes dual timeline novels in which a historical mystery is uncovered and resolved in the present day. She is married to an Irishman and has two adult sons. She enjoys travelling, especially in her motorhome around Europe.
| Facebook https://www.facebook.com/KathleenMcGurl | Twitter @KathMcGurl | Website https://kathleenmcgurl.com/ |
Kathleen McGurl’s Books
The Lost Sister
The Girl from Bletchley Park
The Storm Girl