Book Review: Breaking the Code
October 22, 2011 by Lillie
Breaking the Code: A Father’s Secret, a Daughter’s Journey, and the Question That Changed Everything
Karen Fisher-Alaniz
Sourcebooks
November 1, 2011
ISBN-13: 978-1402261121
Paperback, 336 pages, $10.19; also available in Kindle edition, $9.99
Nonfiction/Memoir
The cover of the book calls it a memoir, but it is much more than that.
It is a story about relationships—the relationship of a father and daughter, the relationships of a man at war and his far-away family, the relationship of two sailors who knew little about each other but who were tied by a bond stronger than time.
The book is also a revealing picture of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a relentless and unpredictable enemy of warriors in conflicts past and present. The disorder may show itself immediately after a traumatic event, or it may stay hidden for fifty years, as it did in the case of Karen’s father, Murray Fisher.
Although not written as history, Breaking the Code puts the reader in World War II from a perspective that most of today’s generation have never experienced.
The story reads like a novel as the author tries to unravel the mystery of her father’s past and the secrets he has kept for half a century.
Breaking the Code is a quick and easy read, but the author’s dedication to helping her father, her father’s service to his country, and her mother’s love and faith will touch readers’ hearts
I highly recommend this book to anyone who cares about family and relationships, people interested in World War II history, those wanting to know more about PTSD, and readers who enjoy mysteries.
Be sure to come back on Veterans’ Day for an interview with the author.
Disclosure: I received an electronic copy of the book from the publisher. I have not accepted any compensation for this review and made no commitment to give a favorable review. The links to Amazon.com are affiliate links.
Karen’s lovely book should be a popular book club pick.
JL,
I hope it is.
Thank you for the really nice review, Lillie! It has been a long road – a long journey. I do hope that the book opens up things for all generations, from an understanding of PTSD and war, to the relentless faith of a wife and mother. Anyway – thanks! ~Karen
You’re welcome, Karen. I’m looking forward to my interview with you on Veterans Day.
It sounds like an intriguing book, Lillie. Thank you for posting this review of it.
Dawn,
It is definitely worth reading.
Hi, since you always review books has this thought ever occurred to you? It is a bit off-topic so forgive me but I’m curious. Which is more earth-friendly buy the actual book (in paper) or the Kindle version? Granted that I’m the type of person who loves to re-read books many times (if it’s a great read, why not). Now everybody will say of course it’s Kindle, you’re not cutting trees.
Before you say Kindle too think about this. Assuming I need power to charge my Kindle to read the book, and on the average I read each of the books in my collection at least 2x a year. How much power have I burned from the grid? I’m not even sure if the grid is getting its power from renewable resource. Most likely it’s not. Thoughts?
Allison,
Kindle and most other reading devices use very little power, though power is used in making them just as power is used in the production of books. The biggest problem with print books in the current publishing model, as I describe in the post Publishing and the Environment, is that a third of all print books end up in landfills without being read or even sold. This happens because publishers and bookstores want to have plenty of inventory to make all the sales possible, but then they have to get rid of books that don’t sell. There is also a lot of energy used in transporting books from publishers to wholesalers to bookstores, as well as operating all those facilities. With e-books, there are virtually no delivery and storage. You have to consider more than just the actual power used for one specific book being read. You have to look at the production and distribution as well.
This sounds like a perfect Veterans Day or Fathers Day gift. I enjoy reading books from that time period. Thanks for the review, I’ll definitely check it out.
David,
Hope you like it!
No war has ever brought something good. Reading such testimonies is a lesson we need to learn, and to pass on in such a way that we’ll make the same mistakes.
Mia,
War is certainly something that should be avoided, and in an ideal world full of perfect people, there would be no war. However, in a fallen world filled with imperfect people, there will, unfortunately, sometimes be wars. I don’t think you can say no war has ever brought anything good. I imagine the people freed from the concentration camps believe something good came of World War II. In the United States, we believe the freedom of our country is something good that came from our Revolutionary War. If there was another way to achieve the freedom, it would be better than war, but sometimes good things do come from war even though a lot of bad things also come with war.
Interesting point of view! thank you.
I hope we can see the end of war someday, Mia.
You have a very clear review about this book. I should a copy of this, the content interest me more especially if its talking about relationships… Thank you for sharing.
Tennessee,
It’s not a relationship guide, but the story demonstrates the relationships he has with the people in his life. The devotion of his daughter and his wife are particularly striking.
Interesting and a very nice review on this book. I will grab a copy of this and I am pretty sure this will be a nice experience reading this story.
Hope you enjoy the book, Jane.
Good reference book. I’ll take a closer look. I am always looking for recommendations for good interesting book.
Sandra,
I wouldn’t describe it as a reference book, but it is good and interesting.
[...] book I recently reviewed, Breaking the Code, will also be of interest to veterans and their families, especially those who have experienced [...]