Elizebeth Smith’s introduction to codes and ciphers came while working for wealthy eccentric George Fabyan on a project involving a Shakespeare folio. Her future husband, William Friedman, also worked for Fabyan, who liked gathering the best and brightest around him. In fact, he was reluctant to let either Elizebeth or William leave his employment. But their growing expertise in codes and ciphers caught the attention of the military, and eventually they broke free. Elizebeth was hired by the U.S. Coast Guard to help their efforts against rum smugglers. Elizebeth’s mastery of her work was rooted in a gift for recognizing patterns—an essential element of deciphering and decoding. She was humble but confident, and angry when others, like the FBI, took credit for her achievements. During World War II, the couple worked for separate branches of the military, each doing top secret work that they couldn’t discuss with the other. With love and support for one another, they navigated work, raising two children, and William’s bouts of depression. In fact, it was Elizebeth’s determination to write a book about William after his death that helped ensure her own amazing life and career weren’t lost to history. Periodic “Code Breaks”—short pieces between some chapters providing more information about codes and ciphers (starting with the difference between them!)—add additional intrigue to this page-turning biography. (Age 12 and older)

An inspiring true story, perfect for fans of Hidden Figures, about an American woman who pioneered codebreaking in WWI and WWII but was only recently recognized for her extraordinary contributions.

A YALSA EXCELLENCE IN NONFICTION FINALIST • A KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

Elizebeth Smith Friedman had a rare talent for spotting patterns and solving puzzles. These skills led her to become one of the top cryptanalysts in America during both World War I and World War II.
 
She originally came to code breaking through her love for Shakespeare when she was hired by an eccentric millionaire to prove that Shakespeare's plays had secret messages in them. Within a year, she had learned so much about code breaking that she was a star in the making. She went on to play a major role decoding messages during WWI and WWII and also for the Coast Guard's war against smugglers.
 
Elizebeth and her husband, William, became the top code-breaking team in the US, and she did it all at a time when most women weren't welcome in the workforce.

Amy Butler Greenfield is an award-winning historian and novelist who aims to shed light on this female pioneer of the STEM community.