Overnight Code tells the story of Raye Montague, an ambitious little girl from segregated Little Rock who spent a lifetime educating herself, both inside and outside of the classroom, so that she could become the person and professional she aspired to be. Where some saw roadblocks, Montague only saw hurdles that needed to be overcome. Her mindset helped her become the first person to draft a Naval ship design by computer, using a program she worked late nights to debug. She did this as a single mother during the height of the Cold War, all the while imbuing her son with the hard-won wisdom she had accumulated throughout the years. Equal parts coming-of-age tale, civil rights history, and reflection on the power of education, Overnight Code is a tale about the persistence and perseverance required to forge the life of your dreams when the odds against you seem insurmountable, and shows how one woman refused to let other people’s prejudices stand in the way of her success.

“To be young, gifted, and Black! Raye Montauge’s story is genuine, uplifting, and witty. Every page offers a life lesson about navigating diversity, commitment, and parenting. Raye Montague should be a name that is known throughout the nation.” —Pearl K. Dowe, professor, Emory University

“Overnight Code skillfully combines the personal, the political, and the scientific to tell the powerful and inspiring story of a woman who refused to be stopped by the dual challenges of racism and sexism in the largely male, largely White world of the early days of computer science.” —Pamela D. Toler, author of Women Warriors

“Overnight Code serves as a reminder that even in the toughest of environments, if you give someone a chance, they will excel beyond expectations. It is the lesson, the story, and the life of Raye Montague.” —Artemesia Stanberry, coauthor of Stealth Reconstruction

“This book, which is clearly a labor of love and admiration, will especially appeal to Black women interested in STEM fields as well as those interested in firsthand perspectives of civil rights.”—Library Journal

“After reading, and reading again, the pages of her biography, one arrives at a conundrum of a crossroad: there was both no one like her and yet so many like her. She was original in triumph and spirit, but faced some of the same hurdles that thousands before and after her have encountered. How she handled them — the grace, the tenacity — was exemplary; Raye was a definitive inspiration for all.”—Dustin Jayroe, AY Magazine

Paige Bowers is a news and features writer as well as the author of The General’s Niece. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia. David R. Montague, the son of Raye Montague, is the director of online learning and faculty mentoring at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and is a tenured full professor of criminal justice.