Book Review: ‘The Paper Birds’ by Jeanette Lynes

Canadian Codebreakers

On the surface The Paper Birds by Jeanette Lynes is a novel set during World War ll. However, like two of her previous works, The Apothecary’s Garden and The Small Things That End the World, it also uses the historical context to give us a picture of the struggles women face trying to survive on their own.

“The Paper Birds” of Lynes’ title refers to a group of women who worked as code breakers for the Canadian intelligence services during the war. Our introduction into this secret world is through the eyes of Gemma Sullivan, fresh out of high school and desperate for a job as she and her aunt struggle to pay rent and eat.

When she is invited to a job interview at a small cottage, Gemma has no idea what the job is or what she will be required to do. Turns out it is something far different than the office job she expected. The interviewer across the desk, Miss Fearing, wants to know if Gemma wants to help the war effort by becoming a code breaker.

Much like the famous Bletchley Circle in England, “The Cottage” is all about deciphering intercepted enemy signals to try and anticipate their plans. For the young women, or the Paper Birds as Miss Fearing refers to them, who work there, this means trying to prevent German submarines from sinking the supply ships making the dangerous run from Canada across the Atlantic.

Women at War

The young women each bring something different to the work. Gemma is hired for her ability to make intuitive leaps – to find specific words in the code that will provide clues to the whereabouts of a submarine. Something innocuous can be incredibly significant – if you can only figure it out.

The Paper Birds is more than just a story of the war. Through the experiences of Gemma, her aunt Wren (Birdy), and their boarder Roony we learn about the realities of women trying to survive in a world that expects them to be supported by a man. In the days long before even the idea of a social safety net existed, a woman had very few options for earning a living.

Before Gemma landed her job at “The Cottage,” she and Wren were barely getting by on the money Wren was able to earn as a seamstress. While their lives became more comfortable once Gemma was working, Lynes is able to convey the constant underlying worry and fear they live with as a result of their life experiences to that point. What if Gemma loses her job? What will happen then? 

Gemma, and all the women depicted in the The Paper Birds, are fascinating and complex characters. Like all humans they sometimes do things not in their own best interests. For instance, Gemma begins fraternizing with one of the POWs in the camp near “The Cottage.” If she’s discovered she could not only lose her job but be arrested. Her heart and her common sense battle with each other on a daily basis, but she can’t stop herself from being attracted to the young man and feeling sorry for his plight.

Lynes has done a remarkable job of balancing historical fiction, a fascinating character study, and a love story in one novel. The book is obviously carefully researched, as her depictions of everything from working conditions in a slaughterhouse to a night at a dance hall capture the environment and feel of a country at war. 

However, this is primarily a story about women. For those who still don’t appreciate the difficulties faced by women even today, this will be an eyeopener. The Paper Birds is not only a wonderful story. You might just find yourself learning something in the midst of your reading enjoyment.