Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

It's World War II in Europe and women are playing some surprising roles. Maddie is a farm girl who becomes a pilot. Because she's a woman, she can't fly combat missions but is allowed to transport damaged aircraft in England. She eventually convinces the powers that be to let her transport people into and out of occupied France. Her best friend is Julia, an upper class spitfire who speaks French and German and is very quick on her feet. Julia becomes a spy for the British and is scheduled to be dropped off by Maddie in a small town in France to do reconnaissance for Resistance activities. On the flight over, the plane is damaged and neither woman knows what has happened to the other. Did Maddie make it safely back to England? Was Julia captured by the Gestapo? The book is split into 2 narratives. Julia tells the first half of the story from France and Maddie tells the second half from England--and fills in a lot of the blanks in Julia's story. We the readers don't get the full tale until the very end of the book--which is what makes this story work. I was truly amazed and impressed by both women's patriotism and by Julia's ingenuity under great duress.