In this fascinating biography of Bletchley Park girl Rena Stewart, Victoria Walsh explores how she went from St Andrews University to the Auxiliary Territorial Service and Bletchley Park, where she processed secret German messages before being sent to Germany to translate captured Nazi officers’ statements and Hitler’s personal will. After the war ended, Rena became a clerk at the BBC World Service and worked her way up the ladder, even listening to Russian Cold War broadcasts before becoming the first woman to be Senior Duty Editor in the World Service newsroom. Bringing her incredible life to light in this uniquely structured biography, readers will love this powerful and fascinating memoir of an incredible woman. Well-written, straightforward, and packed with detail, this book is a great read for World War II history fans, and Walsh’s prose is well-structured and clear, making the book readable for a broad audience. The details really bring the book to life, and the unique narrative structure of the biography really adds some great details and connects the reader to Rena in some fun and meaningful ways. Entertaining, inspiring, and fascinating, this is an incredible new biography of a forgotten woman whose work during World War II and for the BBC was absolutely incredible.

Wow, Rena Stewart, what a woman!! Not only did she have a career, at a time when women didn't generally have them, but she had TWO of them, and what amazing careers they were.

This book chronicles Rena Stewarts life from her early days in Scotland where she obtained her degree (also something not done as a matter of course, in that point in history), to joining the ATS and ending up in Bletchley Park.

She had a burning desire to be a journalist, however, and after WWII she set out to become exactly that.

The thought of this lady, who lived to celebrate her 100th birthday, tackling all the amazing experiences that she did, with a sense of adventure and derring-do, fills my heart with happiness for her. We should ALL live our lives in this way.

Alas, there is only one Rena Stewart. I think I would have liked her if I had met her.

The author did a good job of researching Rena's story and it would have been incredible to have met this lady in person. Of course, there would have been dates she didn't get quite right or things she misremembered, but my mother did exactly the same thing, and she was much younger than Rena!

All in all, I am very happy that I read this book and found out more about this lady.

4.5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pen & Sword.

Rena Stewart was a remarkable individual who led a life marked by dedication, skill, and trailblazing achievements.

*Early Life and Education*
Rena Robertson Stewart was born on February 17, 1923, in Lundin Links, Fife, Scotland, to Andrewina (née Williamson) and Thomas Stewart. Her father worked for a bank, and she had a sister named Isobel. Stewart studied French and German at the University of St Andrews, graduating in 1943.

*War Service*
During WWII, Stewart joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service and was posted to Bletchley Park, where she worked as a codebreaker. After the war, she was sent to Germany with the Intelligence Corps to translate statements from captured Nazi officers. Notably, she was selected for a top-secret mission to translate Adolf Hitler's will.

Rena Stewart's work at Bletchley Park involved processing secret German messages, and she likely worked in Hut 3 or the German Book Room, where vital intelligence was analysed and disseminated. Hut 3 was responsible for analysing Enigma messages, while the German Book Room focused on translating and analysing German documents.

Rena's friends and colleagues included Elma Morley Wasmoeth (24 Oct 1923-28 June 2023), Margery Forbes Tarwinska (1923-Feb 1973), and Agnes Gardner Glynn (6 Sep 1922-25 Feb 2024).

After the war, Stewart served in the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR), which was a significant military force stationed in Germany. The BAOR played a crucial role in maintaining security and stability in the region, working closely with local authorities and communities.

*News Career*
After the war, Stewart began her career at the BBC World Service as a lowly clerk. She worked at Caversham Park, a stately home that housed BBC Monitoring and BBC Radio. She worked her way up, spending ten years monitoring Russian Cold War broadcasts and then worked at BBC's Bush House. Her dedication and skills earned her promotions, and she eventually became the first woman Senior Duty Editor at the BBC World Service.

Rena Stewart passed away on November 11, 2023, at the age of 100. She travelled extensively throughout her life. She always knew what her priorities were.

I’m so glad Rena Stewart’s story was documented. It is crucial for people to realize that women have played important roles throughout history. Rena was an exceptional woman and who led an extraordinary life. I knew nothing about her until I was offered a copy of this book to review and I am so grateful for the opportunity to learn about her and the people around her.

I didn't know who Rena Stewart was but I always love learning about amazing women from antiquity to modern times. And just something about Rena's photo on the cover drew me in, so I decided to read the book.

I am so glad I did! Rena Stewart was, still is in my heart after reading this book, a vibrant, intelligent and strong woman who not only trailblazed female journalist careers at the BBC, but played a key role in translating Hitler's Will! But those accomplishments aside, it's the way she approached her life, her connections and how she achieved those feats that really stood out to me. Her strength and her warmth are inspiring!

The author did such a brilliant job bringing us not only the details of her life, but capturing her voice. In the majority of the book, Rena is telling us her story using her own words with side commentary or added notes by the author bringing us more details or adding context. The way it's done fully engages the readers and made me personally feel as if I was sitting with 100-year old Rena as she told the story.

I especially appreciated the author's attention to detail. While Rena's story is the main focus of the book, the author included more to help us really get to know the amazing woman. From photos to her relationships and friendships and even a playlist of her favourite songs, it was just so easy to get immersed in this.

All in all, I am honoured to have learned about Rena. I really wish she got a chance to read the book herself as unfortunately she passed away during the process, but I know she'd appreciate every word.

A fascinating true story of the woman who was asked to translate Hitler’s will, process secret German messages and so much more. Very well researched. This ARC was given to me in exchange for an honest review. This review is mine.

This was the story of Rena who worked at Bletchley Park in the GBR room during the war.. She was then transferred to Germany where she worked typing up drafts from prisoners interrogation. While in Germany she and two friends were asked to translate a copy of Hitler's will.
When she was demoted she worked a Caversham monitoring station monitoring news feeds and passing information to various Newsrooms across the country.
She then went on to become the first women duty editor for the BBC World Service.
I enjoyed the book but found the writing style of dialogue followed by paragraphs of explanations difficult at first

Having been previously unaware of Rena's extraordinary story, I was enjoyed learning about her experiences, particularly her vital role in the codebreaking efforts at Bletchley Park. The writing adopts an accessible and conversational tone, making it a readable story for a wide audience.

I would particularly recommend The Story of Rena Stewart to history enthusiasts interested in World War II intelligence and the untold stories of the individuals who shaped its course.