A brilliant female codebreaker. An “unbreakable” Japanese naval code. A pilot on a top-secret mission that could change the course of WWII. The Codebreaker’s Secret is a dazzling story of love and intrigue set during America’s darkest hour and we chat with Sara Ackerman all about her new release!
Hi, Sara! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I’m a Hawai’i girl through and through, born and raised. I live in the small ranching town of Waimea with my boyfriend and our sweet and bossy animals. I love to spend of my free time in nature–hiking, paddling, snorkelling, biking, surfing, stargazing, you name it. I was a high school teacher & school counselor and an acupuncturist before I started writing novels full time. Writing is my passion and I’m so happy I get to do what I love!
Your new novel, The Codebreaker’s Secret, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Evocative, Atmospheric, Romantic, Entertaining, Intriguing.
What can readers expect?
They can expect to be transported to 1943 and 1965 Hawai’i, and get to know a colorful cast of characters. They can also expect to learn things about the War in the Pacific that they probably weren’t aware of (except for those who are WWII history buffs), and they can expect a love story and a mystery that span decades. They can expect some surprises along the way. And lastly, they can expect that they may want to want to book a ticket here soon!
Where did the inspiration for The Codebreaker’s Secret come from?
The idea for this book came about while researching for Radar Girls. I always have my *radar* up for interesting wartime stories, and when I happened upon a major incident in the Pacific that I had never heard of, my heart just about stopped. But as often is the case, this important event only involved men, as it was on the battle front. As much as I tried, I couldn’t figure out how to create a story around this top secret operation. Nevertheless, I ordered a book to learn more, and in that book, when the author mentioned the codebreakers who played an instrumental role, a light bulb went off in my head. A female codebreaker! I always love that feeling when an idea comes and you just know that you’re onto something. I had researched about Station Hypo at Pearl Harbor for The Lieutenant’s Nurse, because Lt. Clark Spencer, the love interest in the story worked there as a linguist. A legendary place, if there ever were one.
The second part of the storyline arose from a desire to try my hand at a dual timeline novel. For some time now, I’ve been wanting to explore how the survivors were faring after the war, and how their often traumatic experiences shaped their lives. For the setting, I chose the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel because it sits on a stretch of coastline used by the military during the war to train and also to relax, and an idea began to form around the grand opening, which was only twenty years after the end of the war. It was feasible that at least one veteran would be there. Another reason for choosing the hotel is that it is one of my favorite places. As a young girl, when we would visit our grandparents on the Big Island, we’d always come down to the hotel for brunch and to swim and bodysurf at the gorgeous white sand beach. Later, I worked on the beach teaching stand up paddle board lessons and taking people out in the canoe to whale watch or swim with the manta rays at night.
Trying to weave together several different stories into one cohesive novel can be daunting, but when it all comes together, it is so fun and so satisfying. I love how this one turned out, and I hope readers will too.
Can you tell us a bit about the challenges you faced while writing and how you were able to overcome them?
I think the biggest challenge was the dual timeline that I just mentioned. I asked other authors how they did it, and got a bunch of different responses. In the end, I opted to write the whole 1943 storyline first, because that would then dictate what happened in 1965. What I hadn’t even considered was that with a dual timeline, you then have to essentially write a whole novel in half as many words to leave room for the other storyline. So, the pacing has to be snappier.
After that, it was tricky to figuring out how to splice the two together and where to put what chapters. You have to be careful not to give stuff away when you’re dealing with the key incidents, so that took some real puzzle solving.
Also, having to learn about codebreaking so that I could write about it accurately was hard. One of the first things I had to wrap my head around in the early days of research was the difference between a code and a cipher. And JN-25 was extremely complex, so much so that the Imperial Japanese Navy had a false sense of security, which in the end was to our advantage.
Were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I loved writing about Matteo Russi, the pilot aka flyboy. He’s the character that spans both timelines, so I felt like I really got to know him well. And to see the changes from when he was a young and cocky pilot in 1943, and then a veteran journalist 20 years later.
I have a graduate degree in psychology, so I’ve always been interested in the psychological effects of war on those involved. The things that these men went through were unthinkable, and in Russi’s particular mission, there was also a bit of moral ambiguity thrown into the mix. I enjoyed writing about how the war affected him, and how in the second timeline, he comes face to face with some of his demons. I loved his interactions with both female main characters. He was a cool cat.
What was the research process like for The Codebreaker’s Secret? Were there any interesting tidbits you found fascinating?
I usually read a few books before I start writing, and take copious notes. I have a bunch of wonderful books on Pearl Harbor that I’ve acquired while writing my last four novels, and a big one called Joe Rochefort’s War that is all about Station Hypo and Joe Rochefort and the codebreaking that took place there. Also, I ordered another book written by W.J. Holmes who worked in Station Hypo called Double Edged Secrets, which was a great insider view and detailed the events that took place there. Code Girls by Liza Mundy was also helpful, showing the many roles that women played, how they were recruited and trained and all the projects they worked on. I also spent a lot of reading articles on the internet about the inner workings of JN-25 so that I could write about cryptanalysis and Isabel’s work, and sound like I knew what I was talking about. I approached it the same way I approached the technical aspects of Radar Girls––gain a basic understanding, then start writing and fill in details as I go. Because in this field, one could research forever if they wanted to!
For the Mauna Kea timeline, I have a few books about the hotel’s history and art, and I also contacted a woman who used to work there, and she shared a bunch of old slides with me. I spoke with some old timers who used to be regulars. As I mentioned, because of all the time I’ve spent there over the years, I have a very intimate knowledge of the setting.
When did you first discover your love for writing?
Before I wrote novels, I wrote poems and compiled them into books every year for Christmas gifts. But ever since I began writing novels, I haven’t written a poem! Even before the poems, though, I used to enjoy writing stories and songs as a kid, and came up with all kinds of imaginative (weird lol) stuff. I come from a family of artists, so the creativity was always there, it just took a while to refine it.
What’s the best and the worst writing advice you have received?
The best: I have no idea where I originally heard these words, but I’ve seen them in various iterations over the years. The gist is this: when you leave off writing for the day, stop mid-scene or begin another scene so that you have a smooth entry point the following day. You won’t have to sit there staring at a blank page thinking, hmm, what the #$%& am I going to write? Instead, you sit down and begin typing or scribbling away. I believe this little tidbit has single-handedly saved me from getting writer’s block.
The worst: one of the things I struggle with is the advice I was given to not use “to be” verbs. I understand why people say this, and yet “to be” verbs are an important part of our language. We need them. So now, every time I use was or were I second guess myself. It can be frustrating.
My favorite piece of writing advice? Patience & perseverance. This is my own motto.
What’s next for you?
The novel I’m currently working on is called Her Most Perilous Flight. It’s a dual timeline narrative about a pilot’s daring flight across the Pacific in the golden age of aviation–and the woman who uncovers her buried history sixty years later and fights to keep the record straight. The story is inspired by true events of the infamous Dole Air Race–a race to be the first to fly from California to Hawai’i– where eight planes took off and only two made it. This novel releases in spring of 2024. But stay tuned for other book news!
Lastly, do you have any 2022 book recommendations for our readers?
I’ve been on historical kick lately, and I loved Angels of the Pacific by Elise Hooper, The Nurse’s Secret by Amanda Skenandore, Angels of the Resistance by Noelle Salazar (I got an early copy, it releases in November), and am currently reading and loving The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin.
