I received an ARC of this novel from Sourcebooks through Netgalley in exchange for my review. This is the second novel I have read from Kristina McMorris and it did not disappoint! Her novels are always unique and well researched and I always feel like I’m getting a sneak peak of a time in history that I knew little about . In this case I knew quite a bit about WWII but Kristina McMorris put the events of WWII through the eyes of a young lady, Fenna Vos, who aspires to be a female Harry Houdini. Fenna had no idea that her ease with magic would very soon be used as a weapon of war. I thought Fenna was a very strong character placed in a unique situation and this made for a very compelling story. I highly recommend.

I ABSOLUTELY loved this story!!! And I love this author as well!!! How fascinating to discover this extraordinary part of our history with "creative hiding places"!!! Thank you for the ARC NetGalley!!!

The Ways We Hide was a very thought provoking World War 2 historical fiction. I lost count of how many times I searched for more information. I needed to know more. U.S. Schools just didn't teach enough. University history classes didn't teach enough. Growing up; my mom didn't share enough. It is authors like Kristina McMorris that are teaching me so much. The horrors of WW2 can not be repeated.

The Ways We Hide tells the story of Fenna. The story begins with her early years, because it explains why she is the way she is. The story illustrated her talents for escape and creating illusions. After all that is the reason M19 wants her in England. Arie, her best friend and first love is the reason she does the unexpected.

The Ways We Hide gives glimpses into the challenges for an American women; moving, living and working for the British Government. Fenna was so brave to make that move. Traveling on a ship was dangerous and uncomfortable. She had two strikes against her from the beginning--woman and American. Her situation added a lot of drama to the story. I honestly don't know people like her did it.

The Way We Hide tells the story of desperation. Fenna does the unthinkable and goes behind enemy lines to prove her own beliefs. The reader learns of the struggles of the SOE and the risks they made. We owe them all so much. I learned more about the challenges of blending in a foreign country and got gaining the attentions of the Nazis.

I could go on and on but you need to read this story. The more we know the less risk we are at repeating the past. The story is filled with so many emotions and unexpected twists leaving me shocked and reading on and on. This is not a warm and fuzzy book. In fact it felt real. The horrors or war riddled the pages. It is filled with shocking surprises and lots of terrifying moments.

The Ways We Hide is a historical fiction, so I didn't expect a happy ending. I wanted it one but isn't reality. In war there is survival and death. The story is a great reminder.

This is a book that grabs you immediately. Fenna Vos is a magician (masquerading as a magician's assistant) who is recruited to assist the British War Office creating hidden devices and maps to help Allies captured and hiding behind enemy lines. As soon as you are drawn into this intriguing concept, you are taken back in time to Fenna's origin story. Warning, she hasn't had an easy time of it. The author has done considerable research and overlays many stories of the time over Fenna's story, and many of them are tragic. Magic is how Fenna copes and she becomes quite good at it, leading to her eventual recruitment by the British War Office.

Her time in England is a bit anticlimactic if you are expecting her to devise disappearing airmen tricks, but that isn't what saved so many. The genius was in the small tricks such as hiding maps in monopoly games. Once again, Kristina McMorris has done her homework. She includes many actual details of this brilliant and creative group.

The real excitement comes in the last third of the book when Fenna has to push out of her comfort level to save someone important to her. This part of the book comes complete with many of the true horrors of World War II as seen through the eyes of the Dutch.

My thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for an advance copy. My opinion is my own.

DNF
30% into this book and I gave up. I dislike magic/magicians, so this book just wasn't a good fit for me.

I will start by saying I absolutely loved Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris and was so looking forward to reading Ways We Hide. Unfortunately I abandoned the book at 60 percent in. Every once in a while there was a section I started to enjoy so I continued to keep reading. After giving it a whole hearted attempt I found I just could not get into a rhythm. The book just dragged on. I see many great reviews for this book so I am sure there is an audience for it. If you are a fan of Kristina McMorris I would recommend giving it a try. Maybe it was just my frame of mind at the time. Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Be prepared for a very long read before starting WAYS WE HIDE by Kristina McMorris because it is a very long story. While this novel has a romantic aspect, it is primarily historical fiction based on people and events from 1928 through World War II. The characters are well developed and the novel has a solid closing. The information in the Author’s Note at the end was so important I regret not reading it earlier, perhaps prior to the third section. In fact, reading the Author’s Note moved my opinion of this novel from 3 to 4 stars. The author obviously did a tremendous amount of in-depth research. The story was very different from the war story that I expected. I was amazed many so many similar events actually occurred.

I was very excited to read this book. I had no idea what it was about I just knew that I loved Sold On A Monday and would read anything by this author. And I was not disappointed. Historical fiction at it's best. Could a magician in a traveling show make a difference in the war ? A woman at that ! See how she became a spy and made a difference. And at the very heart of this story, is a love story. A story of survival. Highly recommend. Very unique story line. Beautifully written.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Let me start with I have not read a book by this author I did not enjoy. This was a new view to look at World War II and the people lives it changes. I could not put this down.

Having loved every word of Sold on a Monday, I was disappointed in The Ways we Hide. The author had a lot to work with, beginning with Fenna’s childhood trauma of a deadly party hall stampede which was then exacerbated by her beloved father’s death and her incarceration in an orphanage. The author had a wealth of material to draw on with the Depression, poverty, homelessness all of which led into Fenna’s amazing career as an illusionist/magician/escape designer.

With all of Fenna’s accomplishments and with the love and protection showered on her by Arie and his family, she never grew out of the Terrible Twos! Not only was she stuck in her two year old mindset, she couldn’t seem to let those who helped her the most enjoy their selflessness. Maybe the author was portraying the ME! – ME! – ME!!! mindset of today’s women. I’m not sure what was going on, but it wasn’t pleasant reading, that’s for sure. Most of the book seemed pointless and shallow.

I did not enjoy this and can not recommend it to anyone.

NetGalley and the publisher, Sourcebooks Landmark, provided this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

This was another good book by Kristina McMorris. I was so happy to get an ARC copy of this book after reading her book "Sold on a Monday" which I loved. This one started out strong with a wonderful main character, Fenna Vos.. She is faced with some tragedies early in life and I really enjoyed McMorris mixing fact with fiction and bringing in some parts of history that are not well known. I really enjoyed the magician storyline and her skills as an illusionist. I have read a lot of WWII books and always like a new story about the war and the lesser known heroes. This book slowed down a bit for towards the end. I can't quite put my finger on what it was and hence the 4 vs 5 stars. Still a great book worth reading! Thank you NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is such a good read! Have your hanky close. There are so many emotions this book will pace you through. Fenna and Arie are a match for the ages. Their love for each other is overwhelming for the trials placed before them. This book has it all. Romance, suspense, growing of characters, happiness, sadness it’s all there. I was given the book for free and am leaving a voluntary review.

I loved reading about MI9 and the ingenuity and resourcefulness that team had to have to smuggle things into the hands of officers and enlisted men during WW2. I’ve never heard about but it really is incredible what they came up with and I think I could have read a whole book on it. This book only dealt with a little of that in detail but I did enjoy what I read, and it’s the first to introduce it to me.

There were parts of the book that were a little slow, especially in the 1928 portion, and I sort of had to tread thru but for the most part it was interesting and well written. I also enjoyed hearing more about WW2 in the Netherlands. I’m finding more and more books start to focus their stories around that area while previously the majority of the focus has been only on the mainland of Europe.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. Opinions are mine alone.

My one of my favorite genres to read is historical fiction about WWII. Just one of the many reasons why I love this genre is that I enjoy learning something about that time period. This book did not disappoint! It was obviously well researched and the characters/settings were well written. Definitely highly recommend!

What a beautiful and touching story that has it ALL - history, friendship, magic, illusion, bravery, suspense, romance, and more. McMorris has written a most unique and fresh work of WWII historical fiction that is based on lesser-known facts that are truly fascinating.

The young, female protagonist, despite a childhood of trauma and hardship, is an exceedingly brave, courageous, intelligent, and caring heroine whose tenacity and fortitude amazed me at every turn. An excellent example of how even everyday citizens became unsung war hero during the World Wars. In her early 20's, while working as the mastermind, and on-stage assistant for a traveling illusionist/escape/magic show, she is recruited for the British Military Intelligence Agency to design aids to help Allied prisoners of war. Her instinct for survival and ability to examine and rationalize her feelings carries her through countless physical and mental battles. I celebrated her accomplishments, laughed with her, cried with her and was in awe at her ability to battle through adversity and loss.

The author seamlessly combines fiction and historical facts (no doubt due to excellent research) that makes the story relatable. The presentation of German and Dutch phrases, and military jargon, are presented in such a manner that they are easily understood, explained, or deciphered, without feeling like a school lesson or a line from a dictionary!

The author's notes at the story's conclusion were much appreciated. They related the inspiration for the story, numerous facets of her research, and how pieces of the story were related to actual facts.

This story is one of those that will be with me for a long time. I highly recommend it, even if historical fiction is not a genre that a reader typically enjoys.

Thank you NetGalley, Kristina McMorris, and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the advanced reader's copy.

Kristina McMorris has written another wonderful historical novel taken from the pages of true, yet obscure, stories of World War II. Historical truths that we should all know about.

Fenny Vos, of Dutch heritage, grew up poor amid the copper mines of Michigan. A series of traumatic experiences—the death of her father, escaping from a cruel orphanage—molds her into a young woman who depends on no one but herself and is protective of her feelings. Working as an illusionist’s assistant, she is the true designer of the magic tricks he performs which brings her to the attention of a British spymaster who offers her a position with the famous spy agency. Disillusioned with her partnership with the magician, she accepts. In England, she is instrumental in devising various secret tools which are then smuggled into Nazi occupied Europe to aid POW’s in their escape attempts. Soon, however, circumstances from her past make it necessary for her to do more than work behind the scenes and she is smuggled into occupied Netherlands to put her escape artist skills to the test.

I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to read a pre-publication of Kristina McMorris’s historical novel. .Thank you NetGalley.

We meet Fenna Vos as a child in Copper Country living with her father after her mother died in childbirth.

Her father worked in the copper mines, and they were on strike so life was hard.

Fenna meets Arie during a Christmas Party that turned deadly...a true event.

A little later, we follow Fenna as she escapes from an orphanage and goes back home to live with Arie and his family.

Fenna and Arie are in love, but Fenna can't marry because she said she would never be a good mother since the screams from the Christmas event of screaming children still rings in her ears.

She then leaves Arie...she is heartbroken and she knows he will be too

Fenna learns tricks and is in a Vaudville show when she is approached by an intelligence officer who wants her to help them defy the Germans.

We follow her through the war as she helps invent gadgets for soldiers that look like one thing but could be a razor or a compass or anything to help soldiers escape.


The turned down edge of the cover gives a clue about one of the clever gadgets created.

Fenna was a very determined, brave girl and woman.

Despite the historical aspect and the interesting facts about the inventions and the as-always marvelous writing style and extensive research of Ms. McMorris, THE WAYS WE HIDE was not that attention-grabbing for me.

It moved along slowly and took a while for me to be fully engaged in the story line, but the last quarter of the book pulled me in.

Those readers who enjoy historical fiction and want to learn something new will definitely enjoy this book that I think could have been a bit shorter.

Her author notes give wonderful facts you won’t want to miss reading.

Of special interest is the meaning of Fenna's last name. 4/5

This book was given to me by the publisher and Book Browse for an honest review.

The Ways We Hide is a very aptly named book.

I loved the authors notes and part way through reading this book, I skipped ahead to read them (and was glad that I did). Many parts of the book are based on actual events and have been collected over the books and woven together (seamlessly) in The Ways We Hide.

As a Michigander I appreciated the ties to the tragedy in in Calumet, Michigan in 1913.

The main character was the brains behind a magic act and had a falling out with the magician. She ends up being recruited to Britain to assist with war efforts and ends up trying to bring a long lost friend out of hiding.

So many creative touches in this book. This book has been extremely well written.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the advance read copy (ARC) of The Ways We Hide by Kristina McMorris. The ARC copy was read in exchange for an honest review. Also thank you to SourceBooks Landmark, the publisher, who approved my request to read The Ways We Hide. Publication date is September 6, 2022.

I love that NetGalley introduces me to "new to me authors". Kristina McMorris has written several other books (including Sold on a Monday, a best seller that I've not yet read). Its on my list.

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Heartbreaking. Astonishing.

I'm not sure where to start with this book. I went through so many emotions while reading The Ways We Hide, my heartbreaking multiple times. I have heard about Kristina McMorris for some time now, and she has been on my to-read list. When I started to read The Ways, We Hide , I didn't know what to expect because this was the first book I had read by the author. I love historical fiction; it's one of my favorite genres. The title, cover, and summary caught my attention and why I requested the book. I was in love with the story and the characters within the book's first few pages. I wanted to find out more about these characters, and I wanted to see what would happen with Fenna next. I felt this book would be an emotional read, but I had no idea how passionate it would get. However, I couldn't get enough of the story, and I forced myself to put the book down because it was getting late. Even as I put the book down, I would think about the story and wonder what's in store for Fenna next.

Fenna. She was my favorite character in the book. I love reading books that feature strong women, and Fenna was one of these women. I loved her from the moment she was introduced in the book; there was something about her that I knew I would love her. She was fierce, and even if she knew that there was a danger to what she was doing, not once did she give up. I feel that Fenna was one of the most developed characters in the book, and I felt as I watched her grow through the book. Fenna wasn't the same person at the end of the book as she was at the start. Fenna's emotions were vivid throughout the book, making me feel all her feelings. It felt as if I was experiencing everything that Fenna was at that moment. I found myself thinking about Fenna long after I turned the book's last page.

I loved the relationship/friendship between Arie and Fenna. I loved watching how their relationship developed and how it took time. I found myself rooting for the two of them right from the beginning. The Ways We Hide is one of the best historical fiction books I have read this year; it was filled with suspense, twists, and turns. A part of me was eager to see how the book would end, but another part didn't want it to end. I would highly recommend this book to any historical fiction fans. Now that I have read The Ways We Hide , I cannot wait for a chance to check out the rest of Kristina McMorris's works.

"For me it all passed in an emotionless blur..."
Sadly, that quote from the book sums up my experience reading it.

There were some moments in this book that I liked but I wasn't deeply moved or swept up in the story at all. The writing is choppy, clustered, and dragged on and on. I'm positive this book could have been 200 pages shorter. (Its 497 pages, paperback)

The MC was unlikable for me. She made choices that didn't make sense/confused me/angered me and I never cared for her.

there's SOO much inner monologuing and info dumping, which is fine sometimes, but I couldn't handle it here.
I love books that have little dialogue and lots of descriptions. I read Orlando by Virginia Wolf for heaven's sake and loved it. But the difference here is the writing. Orlando was poetic, lyrical and passionate. This was mostly one note, and uninspiring. I'm not trying to be mean. I'm just being honest. I'm genuinely happy for anyone who enjoys this book. Maybe I just can't see what other 4- and 5-star reviewers see. I appreciate the plot and the real historical events, but overall, not a book for me.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Characters - 6
Atmosphere/Setting - 5
Writing Style - 2
Plot - 7
Intrigue - 3
Logic/Relationships - 5
Enjoyment - 3

Total: 31
Divided by 7 = 4.4 (2 stars)
1.1-2.2 *
2.3-4.5 **
4.6-6.9 ***
7.0-8.9 ****
9.0-10 *****