This story is about coming of age in the time of war. She doesn't begin by telling her name. She begins with the sentiment, the confession that she is a coward. She has been captured by the Nazis and is telling it all. We find out more about her character as the story goes on. She was brave. In a time, where there were roles for women and rules everywhere. She was always doing the unthinkable. She was fixing engines, and flying planes. She used to be graceful and a woman that all the women radio operators envied. However, the woman we are presented with is a woman who is broken. She has been tortured. She has given up eleven codes. Eleven! All of the other captive detest her. They spit at her. They cannot fathom how she would give up eleven codes. She has received her clothes and is no longer being tortured all in exchange for pen and ink. They want the whole story.
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The story she supplies them with is entirely subjective. She starts it from the beginning. She recalls her friendship with Maddie, an incredible woman pilot who disregarded many orders in a time of war to guide planes into fields. It's a confession but it's written like a novel. The guard who translates is really offput by this woman who was nicknamed Queenie by women operators. It tells of how she met Maddie. Maddie finds an enemy plane sending a distress signal. She needs someone who speaks German to follow her script to guide him down. Queenie does the job and compliments her on her very good script. However, Maddie is amazed more by the level of Queenie's deceipt. She knows Queenie is going to torture the poor boy. She can't help but feel sorry for him. In a somber moment among the two, Queenie admits that she felt sorry for him too.
Queenie is graphically tortured, made to watch other's being tortured but she never gives up her name except to a maid when she is to be led to the guillotine. Her assessment of her cowardice is wholly exaggerated. She was courageous enough to tell her story, all of it instead of just what they wanted. She didn't tell them her name was Lady Julia. She was brave. Most of all, she doesn't give up Maddie, who survived the plane crash along with her yet wasn't arrested.
The second part of the story is Maddie's . Maddie takes on the name and the papers of Katharina. She takes up an elaborate plan to free her friend. Keys get stolen from Nazis and she manages to grab five prisoners. However, when one of them begins to badmouth Julia and saying how she exchanges sexual favors for food and drink. She loses it. Her co-conspirator, who helped them escape ends up drugging her to get her to not assault the prisoners. Maddie doesn't find out Julia is dead til the end.
Best part of story, including ending:
I liked the plot. It is a tale of friendship and a tale of war. The way the story begins is most shocking and intriguing.
Best scene in story:
My favorite scene is when the guards are trying to trick her by giving her clothes back from the outside in because they want her to undress every time they give back an item of clothing.
Opinion about the main character:
I dislike how much Lady Julia insults herself.
