Book Review: Breaking the Code

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.

Share this!