The Woman All Spies Fear
Code Breaker Elizebeth Smith Friedman and Her Hidden Life
In the summer of 1916, a young English major set out to solve a mystery about Shakespeare. It involved a rare book, a strange millionaire, and the secret world of codes and ciphers. Within a year, she transformed herself into one of America’s top code breakers — and that was only the beginning of her brilliant career.
During World War I, Elizebeth Smith Friedman cracked thousands of messages and trained Army officers in cryptology. In the 1920s, she foiled the plans of mobsters and confronted them in court. By the late 1930s, she was one of the most famous code breakers in the world. In World War II, she hunted Nazi spies.
A woman of many secrets, she was later pushed into the shadows. To discover her full story, you must delve deep, the way a code breaker would, searching for the truth that lies just out of sight.
In this biography, acclaimed historian Amy Butler Greenfield tells the riveting tale of this overlooked American heroine — a real-life adventure, mystery, and love story.
Praise for The Woman All Spies Fear:
Finalist in the 2022 YALSA's Award for Excellence in Nonfiction.
“Thorough research and accessible, enthusiastic writing create a page-turning read as thrilling as a spy novel ... Inspiring, informative, and entertaining.”Kirkus (Starred Review)
“Friedman’s story reads like a gripping novel, with true blue romance, a Machiavellian employer, glass ceilings and uncredited labor, a brilliant husband battling mental illness, and a series of career assignments cracking communications of wartime spies and Prohibition-era bootleggers and gangsters, which often put her life in danger. Greenfield delivers the tale with enthusiasm and narrative flair, including lots of photos of her photogenic subject and fascinating 'Code Break' insets in cryptography.”Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (Starred Review)
“Amy Butler Greenfield’s warm, vivid storytelling deciphers a lifetime of secrets, to make plain Elizebeth Smith Friedman’s incredible tale of brains, talent, adventure, and determination – a real-life thriller mixing intrigue with an astonishing amount of love.” Elizabeth Wein, NYT bestselling author of Code Name Verity and A Thousand Sisters
“Amy Butler Greenfield brings Elizebeth Smith Friedman to life in this delightful (and well-researched) biography of the legendary cryptologist. Greenfield’s prose sparkles and her clear explanations of the complex business of codes and ciphers make Friedman’s work accessible to all.” Betsy Rohaly Smoot, author of Parker Hitt: The Father of American Cryptology
“Through impeccable research, Amy Butler Greenfield shines a light on the hidden life of a crime-busting, code-breaking, fascinating woman every teen reader should know. An extraordinary YA nonfiction debut.” Candace Fleming, author of LA Times Book Prize winner The Family Romanov
Dear Reader,
It sounds like a novel, but the story is true:
A young woman takes a job with a mysterious millionaire and becomes a top code breaker. She solves mysteries, fights gangsters, and helps win two world wars. Yet her success is hushed up, and she is pushed into the shadows.
How did Elizebeth Smith Friedman achieve so much? And why did her star go dark? These were the questions that drove me as I searched for the truth about her life. At times, it felt almost as if I were having to become a code breaker myself, piecing together the cryptic messages that Elizebeth had left behind.
Her life was so gripping that I kept going even when the trail grew faint. I dug into archives, trawled through century-old newspapers, sifted through declassified documents, pored over fading photographs, and re-read old letters and diaries. I even studied how to break codes and ciphers. I wanted to understand her story from the inside, as she had lived it.
What did I discover? A vow of silence. Wartime betrayals. Battles with prejudice. A poignant love story. The adventures of a forgotten feminist.
Almost a century ago, Elizebeth Smith Friedman inspired young women to break down barriers and pursue their dreams. I hope this book helps her do that once again.
Happy reading! Lopxmfehf jt qpxfs.
Best wishes,
Amy Butler Greenfield
