In a Nutshell: Outlier review alert! This started off strongly but I lost interest midway the book. Loved everything connected to magic. Was bored by almost everything set in Holland. But yes, this isn’t a typical WWII fiction, so there is some novelty to the plot.

Story Synopsis:
After being orphaned at an early age, Fenna Vos has learned how to survive on her own. Though a master inventor and magician, she is forced to play assistant to an escape artist to keep the 1940s audience happy. When an officer of the British Intelligence spots her and asks her to come to London to help out with the WWII efforts using her inventions, Fenna reluctantly joins the team, and is soon part of a dangerous mission in Holland. This mission will be the test of her loyalty in many ways.
The story comes to us in the first person perspective of Fenna.


✔ The initial half of the book was outstanding. Beginning with Fenna’s stage experiences in the US in 1943, going back to 1928 for a glimpse of her younger years, and moving back to 1943 London, where Fenna was trying to settle into her role as an inventor for the Allied troops - the content was relatively fast-paced, and kept me invested.
❌ Once the storyline reached Holland where Fenna is on a secret mission, the content became repetitive and slow. I had to force myself to concentrate and continue. My mind kept wandering.

✔ I loved all the elements of Fenna’s life that were connected to magic. Her stage life, her creative thinking, her astounding inventions, her sleight of hand, her strong admiration for Harry Houdini – all were written well. Her Dutch background is also put to good use.
❌ The second half hardly makes use of her magical skills. It is like the book forgot her capabilities as an illusionist and just wanted to focus on her skills as a spy.

✔ Fenna is a strong character and makes for a mostly compelling historical mc. Her brain is her biggest asset and the book chooses to focus on this than her physical appeal. I appreciate this angle.
❌ Her decision-making was questionable at times. Her reason for moving away from her hometown was unconvincing. I didn’t understand why she couldn’t communicate her worry to the concerned person instead of running away secretly.

✔ The first half was fast.
❌ The second half was slooooowwwwwwww and seemed to go on and on.
✔ The ending was somewhat worth the effort.

✔ There are quite a few topics in the story – magic, personal tragedies, inventions, rescue missions, romance, family issues, the WWII. I enjoyed most of these. Seeing the WWII from the pov of a woman illusionist was a fun experience.
❌ The one topic I didn’t like at all was the rescue mission in Holland. Unfortunately, this formed the biggest chunk of the book. If this part were crisper, I might have enjoyed the book more.

✔ The book incorporates plenty of real life incidents into its narrative. The author explains these very well in her author’s note. Her research is outstanding. I never knew the extent to which “magic” was involved in the WWII! I learnt a lot about history from this book, though I have been an avid reader of the historical fiction genre.

❌ The first person narration doesn’t work in favour of the book. There is a lot of inner rambling which further reduces the pacing. This is more pronounced during the mission, where Fenna is alone and hence voices her thoughts on almost everything.

✔ The plot seems to proceed in compartmentalised sections. There is the stage life of the magician, then the 1928 flashback, then the 1943 London segment, the Holland mission and finally the tying up of every end. It was almost like reading a fresh novel after each section than a continuation.
❌ While I did like the first two sections for their content, I felt that the book didn’t come together into a cohesive whole. As each section deals with a fresh location and a fresh situation, the transition took time.

❌ I don’t like romance when it comes up in non-romance genre books. It is, more often than not, irrelevant to the main plot. This story could have easily been written without the romantic track.
✔ The direction of the romance took me by surprise. This is what sets the romance in the book apart from others in this genre, a small saving grace.


All in all, maybe my high expectations also contributed to my disappointment. I expected a story more focussed on Fenna’s inventive skills, and when that angle disappeared, it took my interest along with it. I am NOT giving up on this author yet because her plotting and her research left me fairly impressed. Hoping for a better experience the next time around.

This is an outlier review, so please go through the other, more positive reviews, before you take a call on this title.

3 stars, mostly for the brilliant first half.

My thanks to author Kristina McMorris, Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Ways We Hide”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

3.5-4 stars

This was a really unique story inspired by true events in which an illusionist is recruited by British intelligence during WWII.

I really like Fenna and it was refreshing to read about a woman of this time being utilized for her talents and expertise. She is tasked with designing escape aids to impede the Germans and is hired as an inventor for the war effort. While I did enjoy this part of the story, it was Fenna’s past that I was more interested in. At a young age she was intrigued by magic tricks, and after losing her father and being sent to live in an orphanage, she used her cunning skills to escape and find her friend Arie. She had already been through so much at such a young age, I couldn’t help but admire her tenacity for survival. It was this perseverance and determination that followed her into adulthood and ultimately shined on her heroism.

Definitely recommending this book for anyone who loves a historical fiction novel filled with love, loss, and the courage to fight for those you care about.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing a copy of this book to review.*

Ways We Hide by Kristina McMorris is a breath taking, heart racing story set during the second World. War. Honestly it starts before then because the reader learns of Fenna Vos’ difficult childhood. She is cool, clever illusionist who likes to be in control of the world around her. Not one who leaves anything to chance. Of course when recruited by British Intelligence that is not always possible. So along with a huge amount of bravery and the ability to think on her feet this is her daring story.

So much happens in Fenna’s life especially during the war that is hard to process it all. Then is a book that while I wanted to read it as quickly as I could to see how Fenna fared, it was also one I wanted to read slowly so I could truly appreciate it.

The publisher through Net Galley provided a digital ARC. I have voluntarily decided to read and review, giving my personal opinions and thoughts.

I had a hard time reading this book. It seemed to go on and on and on in some parts…..much longer then necessary. I found myself drifting off more then once.
The history aspect was interesting for sure. This kept me intrigued enough to keep on reading.
Overall, I did like parts of the story. I’m not sure why the story did not grab me…..maybe it is just me.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

An enjoyable read. I like the scrappiness of the main character and her agency and persistence as she navigated her life and the war. There were parts in the middle where it felt like the novel dragged a bit. But overall, an engaging book that I enjoyed reading.

This is a touching historical fiction story that follows Fenna Vos, an illusionist recruited by the British Army to craft life saving gadgets for soldiers on the frontlines. How Fenna uses her skills and inspiration from Houdini to create hidden maps, compasses and sources of heat was fascinating. I found this take so intriguing and the backstory of Fenna's youth was equally riveting and based on true events.

This story is well written and entertaining but was a bit of a slow burn for me. The build up was slow with lots of info leading up to an intense last third of the book. I highly recommend this one to historical fiction fans looking for a new niche in WWII novels. The research behind this one is extensive and the Author's note is totally worth the read!

This premise intrigued me because I love Houdini and WWII fiction. However, I really struggled staying focused on the plotline and I wasn't sure where this story was going. It may have just been my experience, but there was never the character detail that I wanted and I felt like Fenna was on a long chase for happiness in personal life and career and the minute she had both she ran away from them again.

I always look forward to a new novel by Kristina McMorris novel, as she is always on top of her game and has something new and unique to tell her readers. The same holds true for her latest, The Ways We Hide.

I enjoy reading about female war heroines and how badass they were. Fenna definitely fits that mold. I liked getting her backstory, as it added a lot to who she was and why she did the things she did later on. I sometimes wasn't sure where things were going in this novel, but it still kept me captivated and held my attention. It was interesting how Fenna and her team were able to rig items, such as watches and decks of cards, to hide important things for the allied soldiers.

While there were large parts of the story that flowed really well and kept a good pace, it felt a bit long overall and took me a while to read, even when I spent extra time with it outside my normal Kindle reading opportunities each day. I also had a hard time visualizing how the magic tricks worked and how the items were rigged. Thankfully, Kristina posted some videos on her Facebook page explaining the latter, but this was after I was almost done reading that part of the story.

This novel is perfect for fans of Kate Quinn and Pam Jenoff. It's definitely a fascinating, engaging, and touching story that many readers are sure to love.

Unfortunately, I couldn't come up with casting for this one. I really wanted Millie Bobby Brown to play Fenna, but I feel like she is way too young. Maybe for when Fenna was a teenager? Or Hollywood can just wait another six years before making this one into a movie...

I could not pass up this book. Kristina McMorris wrote Sold on a Monday, a book that I still talk about and recommend, and I knew that I had to read more of her books. I am thrilled to say that she did not disappoint. The Ways We Hide is a phenomenal World War II book with a unique look at life during that time. Fenna has a unique talent as an escape artist and she uses that talent to help the war efforts.

The Ways We Hide is a story of love and loss, but it is even more the story of survival. The story of doing what she must just to stay alive. The story of working to thwart the efforts of the Germans but using escape tricks. The story is familiar if you are a WWII reader, like I am, but it is so unique in the details of working with British Intelligence.

Wow, what a book!!! I finished it a couple of days ago but I needed to let it settle in my mind before I started writing this review. The high tension that wove itself through this story made me have to stop and put it down several times, and I certainly couldn't read it in bed, as is my habit.

Fenna Vos is a bit of an unusual girl - a girl who is fascinated by Harry Houdini and who learns magic tricks at an early age. As she grows up, Arie is always by her side. Until she breaks his heart, that is. She has a very tough early life and I wondered what was going to happen to her, at first. The fact that she is becoming a young adult during WWII doesn't help matters.

When Fenna's talents are spotted by an unusual man, she starts her career in the UK, designing mind-boggling equipment for servicemen to enable them to save their lives, in all sorts of ways. She doesn't yet know that her very life, as well as her peace of mind are going to be put at risk.

Beautiful, heart-breaking story. I could just FEEL the terror that people of that time were experiencing, whilst trying to live their lives in Nazi occupied Holland. I think it was certainly helpful that I can read Dutch, it added to my enjoyment of the story (although you don't need to have a knowledge of the language as the author translates all relevant parts).

5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmarks.

I enjoyed this one! The beginning has me confused with the flash backs and not really catching my attention but as I kept going I I’ve it. Fenna went through a lot but she kept on going. No matter what came her way it made her want to fight harder.

Kristina McMorris has been an author n my radar for years, so when I had the chance to review her newest release, I jumped at it.

The premise is intriguing. A female escape artist and magician hired by British intelligence. I expected to see her sent on a mission and utilizing her skills. She is, but it is a rescue mission tied to her past. I wish I could say I love this book, but alas it suffered from slow pacing. There were, believe it or not, too many close calls. Rather than heighten the tension, I found the scenes repetitive.

What I did like was how McMorris used the real life Italian Hall disaster as the catalyst for the protagonist's fears and how she didn't wrap up the book in the traditional happy-ever-after fashion. There was a twist at the end that caught me by surprise and changed the entire book.

McMorris is a lovely writer. I will definitely be reading more of her.

Netgallry provided me with an advanced copy in exchange for this honest review.

A historical novel that takes place before and during WWII, The Ways We Hide can be described as a bittersweet story about a young woman growing up in the northern mid-west who wants, more than anything, to be like her hero, Harry Houdini. As a girl Fenna Vos studies and practices his tricks, performs them for friends, creates her own, and travels the world using these skills on stage and eventually for the war effort. It's a fresh approach incorporating the magic skills, and I enjoyed Fenna's bravery and independent spirit as she navigated her difficult and sometimes heartbreaking childhood to become a self-reliant, self-supporting woman who follows her heart. From the immigrant populace of Michigan's mining country to London and eventually Holland, Fenna is compelling and her life story fascinating.

The first half is a slow burn as we learn Fenna's background and what forged her into such an independent person. We meet Arie, her best friend who is her rock during her childhood tragedies. They grow up together, share secrets, share dreams--he wants to be an engineer, she a magician--and eventually part, not on the best of terms. She becomes an assistant to a traveling stage illusionist but is truly the brains behind the act. Then one night after a show a man from Britain's MI9 division makes her an offer she cannot refuse: join their inventions team and help devise escape aids hidden in everyday objects like shoelaces and scarves and board games for the Allied prisoners. It's the ultimate in illusionary magic: hide in plain sight.

The second half picks up when Arie re-enters the story and it becomes less of a coming of age narrative than a thriller. There are escapes and rescues and double-crosses and even a night jump into Nazi territory. It was a bit of a jump in credibility but the author pulls it off with...magic. Using her skills at magic tricks and illusions, her life lessons, and her fierce love for family, Fenna is able to do the impossible.

There is also romance, but that felt as if it was secondary to the narrative. While it seemed like reading two different stories, the constant was Fenna's strength, and magic. I loved reading about Fenna's inventions fitted with hidden maps and knives, reversible clothing, coded playing cards--all real life inventions from WWII (there is an interesting chapter at the end when the author explains the who and what). I loved that a young woman trapped in that era of history, destined to become a housewife and mother chose, and followed, a different path.

It's a good story, has a strong female MC, and the fascinating magic.

(Thanks goes out to Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review)

What a beautifully written historical fiction novel set in WWII from a totally different perspective than I've ever experienced. It did not disappoint and I highly recommend it!

Kristina McMorris is new to me but this will not be the last of her stories that I'll enjoy.

Thank you @bookclubgirls and NetGalley for the wonderful experience of The Ways We Hide! I was on the edge of my seat many times!

This book offers everything - heartbreak, suspense, all the emotions, a strong, intelligent female character. A remarkable story, based on true events, about a girl who had to learn about survival at a young age. We are taken through her life journey, from a magician to a young child and finally to service member. In order to keep trauma from the forefront of her mind, Fenna learns to control her surroundings until she joins the British Military Intelligence in WWII. There she discovers just how difficult it is to escape the past. I found some parts of the story a little slow and not necessary, but overall a truly wonderful story. Well written, well researched, touching on all types of human emotion and interaction.

Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

A new author to me, and I’m so happy to have found her. Way We Hide is just a mesmerizing story of wartime and how people with different talents we’re able to help the cause. I love historical fiction, and this had all of the components to grab my interest. But the use of illusion in the war effort was new and the different methods used to aide our troops and confuse the enemy was so clever.
This novel has it all, romance, intrigue, danger and humor. Kristina McMorris is a gifted storyteller and her research into the use of alternative methods to confuse the enemy and keep our soldiers safe was obviously very detailed. The various locations portrayed, as Fenna Vos moves through her journey are well described and as she had to fit in inconspicuously to the different locations and cultures was very interesting,
I really enjoyed the journey through illusion and the dedication of all that laid their lives on the line. My thanks to the author, Net Galley and Sourcebooks, for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Another amazing historical fiction book by McMorris. She weaves an intriguing story involving Feena Voss and her unique abilities which help in the war. We are introduced to Feena and her family as a child. As an adult she works as an assistant to an escape artist and life can be challenging, but she hones her skills.
One day British military intelligence calls upon Feena to design escape aids to help the British and trick the Germans. The tools she comes up with are absolutely fascinating. If you have a chance to follow the author she shares many “disguised items” used in intelligence. M19 used so many gadget, hidden compartments and maps included in board games. Genius!!

The author creates a clever and mesmerizing story based on a few actual events and weaves her fictional tale expertly. The characters of Fenna and Arie are gritty survivors and they form a close bond in a childhood disaster that links them together throughout their lives. This book is different than anything I’ve read and it has a little of everything in it.

Beautiful and sad WWII novel. This is a story that will stay with you. If you liked Sold On A Monday, then you’ll enjoy this one.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This is a compulsive read wherein the stakes are high, the intrigue is captivating, the character development is strong, and the research sheds light on and stitches together two very different and unknown true accounts -- a devastating and deadly stampede at a Christmas Eve party for striking miners in Michigan, and how board games like Monopoly helped Allied POWs in World War II escape and evade the enemy. The plot and research are woven tight, no seams showing. Main character Fenna Vos escaped tragedy as a child, and has spent her life nurturing a set of skills that are now indispensable for the war effort. But she's got to muster more than skill. She's got to muster a courage that threatens to evade her in order to complete her crucial mission. This is a book for readers who like to discover lesser known historical tidbits while reading a gripping story of love and loss and World War II.

[Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an advanced reader copy and share my opinion of this book.]