The Brightwood Code
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo first 3 months
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $19.49
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Saydee Dickinson
-
By:
-
Monica Hesse
About this listen
In a breathless, haunting, and rich historical mystery, New York Times bestselling author Monica Hesse speaks to the depths of trauma and the power of memory.
Seven months ago, Edda was on the World War I front lines as one of two hundred “Hello Girls,” female switchboard operators employed by the US Army. She spent her nights memorizing secret connection codes to stay ahead of spying enemies, and her days connecting vital calls between platoons and bases and generals, all trying to survive—and win—a brutal war. Their lives were in Edda’s hands, and one day, in fateful seconds, everything went wrong.
Now, Edda is back in Washington, DC, working as an American Bell Telephone operator, the picture of respectability. But when her shift ends, Edda is barely hanging on, desperate to forget the circumstances that cut her time overseas short. When Edda receives a panicked phone call from someone who utters the fateful code word “Brightwood,” she has no choice but to confront her past. With precious few clues and help only from Theo, a young man bearing his own WWI scars, Edda races to uncover what secrets may have followed her across the ocean.
Timely and unforgettable, The Brightwood Code sheds light on hidden history and the brutality of being a woman in a war built by men.
©2024 Monica Hesse (P)2024 Little, Brown Young ReadersListeners also enjoyed...
-
Artifice
- By: Sharon Cameron
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 12 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Isa de Smit was raised in the vibrant, glittering world of her parents' small art gallery in Amsterdam, a hub of beauty, creativity, and expression, until the Nazi occupation wiped the color from her city's palette. The "degenerate" art of the Gallery de Smit is confiscated, the artists in hiding or deported, her best friend, Truus, fled to join the shadowy Dutch resistance. And masterpiece by masterpiece, the Nazis are buying and stealing her country's heritage. So when the unpaid taxes threaten her beloved but empty gallery, Isa decides to make the Nazis pay.
-
-
Beauty painted and repainted.
- By kanga2012 on 01-31-24
By: Sharon Cameron
-
The Bletchley Riddle
- By: Ruta Sepetys, Steve Sheinkin
- Narrated by: Louis Hill, Georgina Jane, Ruta Sepetys, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Summer, 1940. Nineteen-year-old Jakob Novis and his quirky younger sister Lizzie share a love of riddles and puzzles. And now they’re living inside of one. The quarrelsome siblings find themselves amidst one of the greatest secrets of World War II—Britain’s eccentric codebreaking factory at Bletchley Park. As Jakob joins Bletchley’s top minds to crack the Nazi's Enigma cipher, fourteen-year-old Lizzie embarks on a mission to solve the mysterious disappearance of their mother.
-
-
What a delightful story
- By sharon on 01-07-25
By: Ruta Sepetys, and others
-
The Light in Hidden Places
- By: Sharon Cameron
- Narrated by: Beata Poźniak
- Length: 16 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It is 1943, and for four years, 16-year-old Stefania has been working for the Diamant family in their grocery store in Przemsyl, Poland, singing her way into their lives and hearts. She has even made a promise to one of their sons, Izio - a betrothal they must keep secret since she is Catholic and the Diamants are Jewish.
-
-
Honored...
- By Kami on 03-23-20
By: Sharon Cameron
-
Girl in the Blue Coat
- By: Monica Hesse
- Narrated by: Natalia Payne
- Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Amsterdam, 1943. Hanneke spends her days procuring and delivering sought-after black market goods to paying customers, her nights hiding the true nature of her work from her concerned parents, and every waking moment mourning her boyfriend, who was killed on the Dutch front lines when the Germans invaded. She likes to think of her illegal work as a small act of rebellion.
-
-
A gripping Story of Love and War
- By Daryl on 08-14-16
By: Monica Hesse
-
Death at Morning House
- By: Maureen Johnson
- Narrated by: Katherine Littrell
- Length: 9 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The fire wasn’t Marlowe Wexler’s fault. Dates should be hot, but not hot enough to warrant literal firefighters. Akilah, the girl Marlowe has been in love with for years, will never go out with her again. No one dates an accidental arsonist. With her house-sitting career up in flames, it seems the universe owes Marlowe a new summer job, and that’s how she ends up at Morning House, a mansion built on an island in the 1920s and abandoned shortly thereafter. It’s easy enough, giving tours. Low risk of fire. High chance of getting bored talking about stained glass and nut cutlets and Prohibition.
-
-
Duel Timeline as only M. Johnson could do
- By Tobyizme on 01-03-25
By: Maureen Johnson
-
The Beekeeper of Aleppo
- A Novel
- By: Christy Lefteri
- Narrated by: Art Malik
- Length: 8 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nuri is a beekeeper and Afra, his wife, is an artist. Mornings, Nuri rises early to hear the call to prayer before driving to his hives in the countryside. On weekends, Afra sells her colorful landscape paintings at the open-air market. They live a simple life, rich in family and friends, in the hills of the beautiful Syrian city of Aleppo - until the unthinkable happens. When all they love is destroyed by war, Nuri knows they have no choice except to leave their home. But escaping Syria will be no easy task: Afra has lost her sight.
-
-
Just TOO AWFULLY DEPRESSING WITHOUT ending with any hope
- By Abby Mamacos on 07-28-20
By: Christy Lefteri
-
Artifice
- By: Sharon Cameron
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 12 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Isa de Smit was raised in the vibrant, glittering world of her parents' small art gallery in Amsterdam, a hub of beauty, creativity, and expression, until the Nazi occupation wiped the color from her city's palette. The "degenerate" art of the Gallery de Smit is confiscated, the artists in hiding or deported, her best friend, Truus, fled to join the shadowy Dutch resistance. And masterpiece by masterpiece, the Nazis are buying and stealing her country's heritage. So when the unpaid taxes threaten her beloved but empty gallery, Isa decides to make the Nazis pay.
-
-
Beauty painted and repainted.
- By kanga2012 on 01-31-24
By: Sharon Cameron
-
The Bletchley Riddle
- By: Ruta Sepetys, Steve Sheinkin
- Narrated by: Louis Hill, Georgina Jane, Ruta Sepetys, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Summer, 1940. Nineteen-year-old Jakob Novis and his quirky younger sister Lizzie share a love of riddles and puzzles. And now they’re living inside of one. The quarrelsome siblings find themselves amidst one of the greatest secrets of World War II—Britain’s eccentric codebreaking factory at Bletchley Park. As Jakob joins Bletchley’s top minds to crack the Nazi's Enigma cipher, fourteen-year-old Lizzie embarks on a mission to solve the mysterious disappearance of their mother.
-
-
What a delightful story
- By sharon on 01-07-25
By: Ruta Sepetys, and others
-
The Light in Hidden Places
- By: Sharon Cameron
- Narrated by: Beata Poźniak
- Length: 16 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It is 1943, and for four years, 16-year-old Stefania has been working for the Diamant family in their grocery store in Przemsyl, Poland, singing her way into their lives and hearts. She has even made a promise to one of their sons, Izio - a betrothal they must keep secret since she is Catholic and the Diamants are Jewish.
-
-
Honored...
- By Kami on 03-23-20
By: Sharon Cameron
-
Girl in the Blue Coat
- By: Monica Hesse
- Narrated by: Natalia Payne
- Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Amsterdam, 1943. Hanneke spends her days procuring and delivering sought-after black market goods to paying customers, her nights hiding the true nature of her work from her concerned parents, and every waking moment mourning her boyfriend, who was killed on the Dutch front lines when the Germans invaded. She likes to think of her illegal work as a small act of rebellion.
-
-
A gripping Story of Love and War
- By Daryl on 08-14-16
By: Monica Hesse
-
Death at Morning House
- By: Maureen Johnson
- Narrated by: Katherine Littrell
- Length: 9 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The fire wasn’t Marlowe Wexler’s fault. Dates should be hot, but not hot enough to warrant literal firefighters. Akilah, the girl Marlowe has been in love with for years, will never go out with her again. No one dates an accidental arsonist. With her house-sitting career up in flames, it seems the universe owes Marlowe a new summer job, and that’s how she ends up at Morning House, a mansion built on an island in the 1920s and abandoned shortly thereafter. It’s easy enough, giving tours. Low risk of fire. High chance of getting bored talking about stained glass and nut cutlets and Prohibition.
-
-
Duel Timeline as only M. Johnson could do
- By Tobyizme on 01-03-25
By: Maureen Johnson
-
The Beekeeper of Aleppo
- A Novel
- By: Christy Lefteri
- Narrated by: Art Malik
- Length: 8 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nuri is a beekeeper and Afra, his wife, is an artist. Mornings, Nuri rises early to hear the call to prayer before driving to his hives in the countryside. On weekends, Afra sells her colorful landscape paintings at the open-air market. They live a simple life, rich in family and friends, in the hills of the beautiful Syrian city of Aleppo - until the unthinkable happens. When all they love is destroyed by war, Nuri knows they have no choice except to leave their home. But escaping Syria will be no easy task: Afra has lost her sight.
-
-
Just TOO AWFULLY DEPRESSING WITHOUT ending with any hope
- By Abby Mamacos on 07-28-20
By: Christy Lefteri
Critic reviews
“The Brightwood Code has everything I love in a book, an overlooked history woven into a fascinating narrative, and a strong heroine forging her own path forward.”—Stacey Lee, New York Times bestselling author of Reese’s Book Club pick The Downstairs Girl
“I finished this book in one sitting, and I still can’t stop thinking about Monica Hesse’s stunning exploration of women’s trauma (and their undervalued roles!) in the First World War. The Brightwood Code is a gripping historical mystery, with powerful feminist themes and a perfectly complex resolution that feel as relevant today as ever.”—Jordyn Taylor, award-winning author of The Paper Girl of Paris, Don’t Breathe a Word, and The Revenge Game
“Readers biting their nails over Edda’s fictional journey will come up for air amazed by the real heroism of the Hello Girls. Monica Hesse has a genius for illuminating the darker corners of history with a kaleidoscope of heartbreaking characters and astonishing plot twists.”—Elizabeth Wein, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Code Name Verity and Stateless
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
Not Nothing
- By: Gayle Forman
- Narrated by: Dion Graham, Gayle Forman
- Length: 6 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Alex is twelve, and he did something very, very bad. A judge sentences him to spend his summer volunteering at a retirement home. He hasn’t seen his mom in a year, and Shady Glen’s geriatric residents seem like zombies to him. Josey is 107 and ready for his life to be over. He has evaded death many times, having survived ghettos, dragnets, and a concentration camp—all thanks to the heroism of a woman named Olka and his own ability to sew. But now he spends his days in room 206 at Shady Glen, refusing to speak and waiting (and waiting and waiting) to die. Until Alex knocks on Josey’s door…
-
-
Outstanding!
- By J. Roan on 11-25-24
By: Gayle Forman
-
Everything We Never Had
- By: Randy Ribay
- Narrated by: JB Tadena, Ramón de Ocampo, Manny Jacinto, and others
- Length: 6 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the author of the National Book Award finalist Patron Saints of Nothing comes an emotionally charged, moving novel about four generations of Filipino American boys grappling with identity, masculinity, and their fraught father-son relationships.
-
-
Stirring literary YA for the post-pandemic world
- By Amazon Customer on 09-05-24
By: Randy Ribay
-
American Fire
- Love, Arson, and Life in a Vanishing Land
- By: Monica Hesse
- Narrated by: Tanya Eby
- Length: 7 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Shocked by a five-month arson spree that left rural Virginia reeling, Washington Post reporter Monica Hesse drove down to Accomack County to cover the trial of Charlie Smith, who pled guilty to 67 counts of arson. But Charlie wasn't lighting fires alone: he had an accomplice - his girlfriend, Tonya Bundick. Through her depiction of the dangerous shift that happened in their passionate relationship, Hesse brilliantly brings to life the once-thriving coastal community and its distressed inhabitants.
-
-
Narration is horrible
- By Bryan Campbell on 08-17-17
By: Monica Hesse
-
Girl in the Blue Coat
- By: Monica Hesse
- Narrated by: Natalia Payne
- Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Amsterdam, 1943. Hanneke spends her days procuring and delivering sought-after black market goods to paying customers, her nights hiding the true nature of her work from her concerned parents, and every waking moment mourning her boyfriend, who was killed on the Dutch front lines when the Germans invaded. She likes to think of her illegal work as a small act of rebellion.
-
-
A gripping Story of Love and War
- By Daryl on 08-14-16
By: Monica Hesse
-
The War Outside
- By: Monica Hesse
- Narrated by: Allison Hiroto, Christie Moreau, Monica Hesse
- Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's 1944, and World War II is raging across Europe and the Pacific. The war seemed far away from Margot in Iowa and Haruko in Colorado—until they were uprooted to dusty Texas, all because of the places their parents once called home: Germany and Japan. Haruko and Margot meet at the high school in Crystal City, a "family internment camp" for those accused of colluding with the enemy. The teens discover that they are polar opposites in so many ways, except for one that seems to override all the others: the camp is changing them, day by day and piece by piece.
-
-
the ending made it worth it
- By ADonnon on 10-15-19
By: Monica Hesse
-
Two Sides to Every Murder
- By: Danielle Valentine
- Narrated by: Valerie Rose Lohman, Alex Finke, Hillary Huber
- Length: 8 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Most people’s births aren’t immortalized in a police report—but Olivia was born during the infamous Camp Lost Lake murders. Seventeen years later, Olivia’s life looks pretty perfect . . . until she discovers the man she calls dad is not her biological father. Now she wants answers about her bloodline, and the only place she knows to look is Camp Lost Lake. Most people don’t spend their formative years on the run with an alleged murderer—but Reagan did. In the court of public opinion, her mom was found guilty of the deaths at Camp Lost Lake, and both of them have been in hiding ever since.
-
-
Flawed but enjoyable
- By Pink Amy on 06-28-24
-
Not Nothing
- By: Gayle Forman
- Narrated by: Dion Graham, Gayle Forman
- Length: 6 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Alex is twelve, and he did something very, very bad. A judge sentences him to spend his summer volunteering at a retirement home. He hasn’t seen his mom in a year, and Shady Glen’s geriatric residents seem like zombies to him. Josey is 107 and ready for his life to be over. He has evaded death many times, having survived ghettos, dragnets, and a concentration camp—all thanks to the heroism of a woman named Olka and his own ability to sew. But now he spends his days in room 206 at Shady Glen, refusing to speak and waiting (and waiting and waiting) to die. Until Alex knocks on Josey’s door…
-
-
Outstanding!
- By J. Roan on 11-25-24
By: Gayle Forman
-
Everything We Never Had
- By: Randy Ribay
- Narrated by: JB Tadena, Ramón de Ocampo, Manny Jacinto, and others
- Length: 6 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the author of the National Book Award finalist Patron Saints of Nothing comes an emotionally charged, moving novel about four generations of Filipino American boys grappling with identity, masculinity, and their fraught father-son relationships.
-
-
Stirring literary YA for the post-pandemic world
- By Amazon Customer on 09-05-24
By: Randy Ribay
-
American Fire
- Love, Arson, and Life in a Vanishing Land
- By: Monica Hesse
- Narrated by: Tanya Eby
- Length: 7 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Shocked by a five-month arson spree that left rural Virginia reeling, Washington Post reporter Monica Hesse drove down to Accomack County to cover the trial of Charlie Smith, who pled guilty to 67 counts of arson. But Charlie wasn't lighting fires alone: he had an accomplice - his girlfriend, Tonya Bundick. Through her depiction of the dangerous shift that happened in their passionate relationship, Hesse brilliantly brings to life the once-thriving coastal community and its distressed inhabitants.
-
-
Narration is horrible
- By Bryan Campbell on 08-17-17
By: Monica Hesse
-
Girl in the Blue Coat
- By: Monica Hesse
- Narrated by: Natalia Payne
- Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Amsterdam, 1943. Hanneke spends her days procuring and delivering sought-after black market goods to paying customers, her nights hiding the true nature of her work from her concerned parents, and every waking moment mourning her boyfriend, who was killed on the Dutch front lines when the Germans invaded. She likes to think of her illegal work as a small act of rebellion.
-
-
A gripping Story of Love and War
- By Daryl on 08-14-16
By: Monica Hesse
-
The War Outside
- By: Monica Hesse
- Narrated by: Allison Hiroto, Christie Moreau, Monica Hesse
- Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's 1944, and World War II is raging across Europe and the Pacific. The war seemed far away from Margot in Iowa and Haruko in Colorado—until they were uprooted to dusty Texas, all because of the places their parents once called home: Germany and Japan. Haruko and Margot meet at the high school in Crystal City, a "family internment camp" for those accused of colluding with the enemy. The teens discover that they are polar opposites in so many ways, except for one that seems to override all the others: the camp is changing them, day by day and piece by piece.
-
-
the ending made it worth it
- By ADonnon on 10-15-19
By: Monica Hesse
-
Two Sides to Every Murder
- By: Danielle Valentine
- Narrated by: Valerie Rose Lohman, Alex Finke, Hillary Huber
- Length: 8 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Most people’s births aren’t immortalized in a police report—but Olivia was born during the infamous Camp Lost Lake murders. Seventeen years later, Olivia’s life looks pretty perfect . . . until she discovers the man she calls dad is not her biological father. Now she wants answers about her bloodline, and the only place she knows to look is Camp Lost Lake. Most people don’t spend their formative years on the run with an alleged murderer—but Reagan did. In the court of public opinion, her mom was found guilty of the deaths at Camp Lost Lake, and both of them have been in hiding ever since.
-
-
Flawed but enjoyable
- By Pink Amy on 06-28-24
What listeners say about The Brightwood Code
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Lisa Littell
- 06-18-24
Great story! Captivating and educational
I loved how the history and the mystery were so wonderfully brought together. I learned a lot and enjoyed the resolution of the mystery. Great story and excellent narration.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Avid series reader
- 09-01-24
An Unusual Topic
I think the author captured the time period very well. I enjoyed characters Edda and the male friend who borrows cigarettes even though he doesn’t smoke. I felt that I needed a lesson in how the Bell Telephone system worked so that I could understand the job that the telephone operators did. Still, this was a story that deserved telling.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Letticia Littell
- 05-25-24
Great story!
It was interesting to hear about the Hello Girls and their part in WWI. I particularly enjoyed the narrator.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!