Code Name: Classic!

Sometimes a book comes along that is so transcendent, so destined to become a classic that it gives you the chills just writing about it. I knew nothing about "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein before I read it, and once you pick up a copy, be forewarned, you will not be able to put it down.
 Set in WW ll Great Britain and later, France, this is the story of two young women,  Maddie, a girl from Manchester who learns to be an ace motorcycle mechanic at her grandfather's repair shop and later an ace pilot flying an assortment of beautifully described aircraft for Britain's Air Transport Auxiliary, and the "Verity" of the story, a girl from an aristocratic family brought up in a castle in Scotland and as the book opens, a prisoner in the hands  of a ruthless Gestapo leader. I won't spoil the how and why of this situation with details you, as a reader, should learn for yourself!
You will come to care as deeply for these two courageous women as they come to care for each other. “It's like being in love, discovering your best friend,” one girl
quotes on the delight of their sharing some pretty amazing adventures together. Many under unimaginable war time circumstances, "we make a sensational team" she adds.

UK cover

They become so real you can't believe they AREN'T real and that you aren't reading the true account of a woman pilot and a woman who does things for the military that we won't speak of here, because loose lips sink ships... and give away the joy of unraveling the plot lines of this intricate, beautiful story. You'll feel like you're along for the ride, strapped in a plane with Maddie at the wheel, "Verity" beside her, ready to go on some secret mission, and flying through the night with only the moon to light your way. There are moments of great beauty and also heart-stopping suspense and places where you'll cry your eyes out. You'll want to run out and buy copies for your best friends because you won't want to lend it as it's the kind of book you'll want on hand when you feel the need to re-read it, again!
Cheers to Ms.Wein for giving us the gift of a truly great story!