I usually enjoy historical fiction, but I'm not a big fan of magic shows. I struggled to get through the first few chapters of this book for that reason. I have decided not to try and finish the book or to review it in fairness to the author. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and to NetGalley for providing a copy of this ebook.

This was a very enjoyable read; the first I have read by Kristina McMorris.
This story has it all:
1. Traumatic Childhood
2. Magic
3. War Spies
4. Puzzle Solving
5. Bonds of Friendship

The tale starts when Fenna Vos is a young girl in Michigan. Her mother is dead and she's raised by her immigrant Father. She has a best friend, Arie, whose family helps her navigate her difficult childhood. Her love of magic and solving puzzles leads her to becoming an assistant to an Illusionist in her adult life. Then someone spots just how clever she is and recruits her to solve puzzles in WW2.

Although fictional, the reader is quickly swept up in the details and taken on an emotional roller coaster. Rooting for Fenna comes easy throughout the novel. McMorris does a fine job of developing her characters as well as bringing the story together without plot holes. I highly recommend this thrilling ride of intrigue!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the digital ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

I loved this book!! First I want to say I met Kristina this year at a luncheon where she discussed how she became a writer and why she wrote Sold on a Monday. She is just a sweetheart!! She also gave us a teaser for this book, so I was quite anticipating this one. Then I saw her again on a zoom meeting and REALLY wanted to read it. I finally joined Netgalley and got an e ARC and how excited was I!?
A first person narrative begins with Fenna Voss being the brains behind an illusionist show. After she is invited to come to London to put her talents to a good purpose helping the war effort.
We then go back to her childhood to find out how she came to this point, including a historical event that shaped the rest of her life.
The war sections were based on a real life inventor who used everyday things to send maps and other necessities through care packages sent to POW's in German prison camps.
The daily life of Londoners during the blitz is shown to great effect.
The story becomes quite nail bitingly suspenseful when a situation arises where Fenna must became an actual spy and her journey to save a fiend is fraught with danger.
I sobbed through most of the last chapters, but the ending is quite satisfying. Be sure to read the author's notes at the end. It is always interesting to learn of the facts that a historical novel on.which it is based.
I highly recommend this book.

What a great book! All the characters were so easy to relate to, or understand, the action never stopped, and the author had me pulled in from the beginning. I spent the better part of two days reading this book because I just could not put it down. From the great depression to World War II, Fenna Vos grew up and became a young adult in difficult times, both in her own young life personally and with the struggles of the world at large. The two things that she held onto and that kept her steady through most of it were her talent for magic and escapism, and her friend Arie. From the US to London to the streets of Holland, Fenna struggled to do what was right for herself and for the war effort, but not without consequences. Historical fiction at its best, this book needs to be at the top of everyone’s must read list. Thank you to NetGalley for the advance read copy.

Oh, the ways we hide things – from ourselves and from others. McMorris does a great job of taking true tidbits of history and weaving them together into a fast-paced, intriguing, sensitive portrait of people at their best and at their worst. She brings us into the illusory world of the world of magic, where things aren’t as they might appear and where a sleight of hand can be used to achieve more than just entertainment. It is a riveting tale and unlike any other World War II fictional work. Fenna Vos, the main protagonist, is a strong, independent and capable woman. And the Dutch translation of her surname is just another of the author’s clever devices of concealing something in plain sight. I highly recommend this book! Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for an Advanced Readers Copy. The opinions expressed in this book are entirely my own.

Fascinated since a young age with magic and illusions, young Fenna Vos finds that navigating through life isn't as easy as one of her magic tricks which she carefully designs and practices; leaving nothing to chance. Learning that her lifelong childhood friend is in danger from being captured by the Nazis in occupied Holland, Fenna uses her skills as a designer of "impossible" illusions to parachute behind enemy lines in an effort to find and bring him back to safety in England. But unlike one of her illusions, nothing goes according to plan and Fenna must fight her own childhood demons and learn to build an escape in which nothing is certain. The characters are well drawn, giving enough background that the reader can understand the decisions that each one makes. The fear of a sudden Nazi Gestapo raid is palpable as is the fear of one tiny slip-up leading to discovery and certain death. The tension builds after Fenna's parachute team is captured and shot and Fenna is now left to her own devices to complete her mission. Well researched, the extensive notes lead the reader to wanting to know more about the British Intelligence agency, MI9 and the unusual recruits that they sought out to aid in the escape and recovery of British soldiers in World War II.

The Ways We Hide
By Kristina McMorris

This is a work of historical fiction, a genre I like because of the things I learn while enjoying the story. It has a strong female protagonist, Fenna Vos, who has an unusual calling to magic – everything from sleight of hand While

The story begins with Fenna's decision to walk away from Charles, her partner in her magic show, and to accept an offer to move to England and work along-side a real life character named Christopher Clayton Hutton in developing tools to help captured allied prisoners escape.

But before she makes that move, Fenna's backstory explains how she becomes the person she is as an adult. It begins with her copper miner father and introduces her dearest friend, Arie Janson, and his family. The circumstances of her childhood are fraught with tragedies and mishaps, which lead to her walk away from Arie when he asks her to marry him.

After some time spent in England, Fenna is startled to find Arie in England and back in her life. Circumstances force Fenna to participate more actively n the war. She is parachuted into Holland and the story proceeds with many twists and turns from there.

There are two things the author does here which make me like this book even more: she resists the temptation to write the expected ending, and her Author's Note explains just how she manages to bring together a number of disparate historical situations to create this book. Kudos, Ms. McMorris!

Excellent historical fiction about the lesser known M9 division of British intelligence during WWII. Revolving around magic, trickery, and family this beautifully written story follows Fennes from the Cooper mines of Michigan to the theaters of New York and to Europe during WII. Full of history, a bit of romance and tragedy, it is a wonderfully woven story of a forgotten and hidden time.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC

I loved this novel. Imagine that during World War II the British government creates a Military Intelligence department devoted to misdirection, hiring magicians and people who create ordinary objects that have hidden cameras, tools, so they can be used to advance their cause. This was hard to believe, until you think of the “M” character in the James Bond novels. The author links two tragic accidents that tie the two timelines together. And I kept thinking of the numerous ways we hide things, both physically and emotionally.

I absolutely loved this book! I immediately did not want to put it down. It was full of suspense, twists that I did not see coming, lovable characters, heartwarming moments, and heartbreak. I loved the theme of magic that flowed through the story and played so many important roles and connected so many small details. While there were some heartbreaking moments, the story felt hopeful because of the strength of the characters, especially Fenna. I love a book that develops characters so well that I feel like I have known them their whole lives, and that is how I felt with Fenna and Arie. This was an amazing and suspenseful story that beautifully connected the history, characters, and plot seamlessly. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley. My review opinion is my own.
This is a fascinating historic fiction read. I enjoyed the sweeping time lines and the story of the savvy smart protagnist. Set among WWII a magicans assistant with special. talents is recurited by the British to help the war effort with her talents. its a compelling story that is based on true events. The charcters are richly drawn to the story, the action and suspense perfectly crafted to the story. A most enjoyable read for all fans of historical fictions.

Fabulous read of Fenna Vos, a magic show escape artist who uses her skills in espionage for the British intelligence service in WWII. The title evokes not only her physical skill in hiding but also her life experiences of hiding. Engrossing, educational, and a recommended read.

Oh my!! Add this fabulous read to your fall book list. Fans of historical fiction will be swept away by the compelling storyline and intrigue. Thank you NetGalley for providing an early review copy.

From the author of the wonderful Sold on a Monday comes another heartfelt story full of all the feels.

A story set during World War II of an illusionist who was recruited by British Intelligence and the ingenious use of Monopoly as a tool.

Fenna Vos is from Michigan. She knows what hardships are and she knows how to survive. As the war rages on overseas, she is working as an assistant to an escape artist. While she is the mastermind of the act. She controls it all. And this is one of her survival mechanisms. Control.

Just as she is fed up with her partner in the act, a man approaches her about working with British military intelligence. She works to design escape aids. MI9 is looking for those with special skills to end this war.

So Fenna becomes an inventor. Her loyalty will be tested and she may never be able to escape her own past.

This is a beautiful story of survival, courage, and overcoming when the odds are against you. And who knew about the Monopoly angle? I did not and I love it!

NetGalley/September 6th, 2022 by Sourcebooks Landmark

The main character of this novel is Fenna Voss. The story begins in her childhood with a traumatic event that affects the rest of her life. As an adult, she is the creator of a magician's escape artist act based on that of her hero, Harry Houdini. She is recruited by MI6 to apply her skills to the British war effort. Later, she herself goes into the war zone as part of a dangerous plan. There are several stories in this book. Kristina McMorris shows her skill by seamlessly weaving them together.

The book started out slow for me, but once I got into it, I could not put it down. The author's note is not to be missed. It explains the heal history behind the story.

Thank you, Sourcebooks Landmark and Net Galley for the advanced reader copy of this book.

3.5 stars. Good read, but not too different from many of the other WWII books. The book moved a little slow overall until about 2/3rds through. I wish the magician angle was a little bit stronger, but played out fine throughout.

Excellent book! Five stars for The Ways We Hide by Kristina McMorris. I was thoroughly absorbed from the very first page. The author transported me to a turbulent time in our collective history. It is a story of love, loss, intrique, evil and triumph. This book has it all. Richly developed characters and an impressive storyline kept me turning pages. The historical events described and depicted left me wanting to find out more about that time in our history. I loved the main character, Fenna, and her courage and resourcefulness. A sweeping and emotional novel, this is one you shouldn't miss.

What an amazing book! I wasn’t keen on reading yet another WWII historical fiction but the spin on this was a story about a female illusionist. The twists and turns were non stop. I couldn’t put it down. I loved the characters and the insight into the undercover techniques used by spies and agents. It’s heartbreaking at times, emotional and thought provoking. I haven’t read her other books but I will definitely look into them now. Highly recommend this book. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

The Ways We Hide is the latest by the author of Sold on a Monday, and one more reason to keep reading this author’s great books. The story of a young woman, Fenna Vos, magician, illusionist, escape artist. After a confrontation with her performing partner after a show Fenna finds herself on her own, facing an uncertain future, and suffering from a tragic past. A unique and unknown British Intelligence department offers Fenna an escape and an opportunity to use her skills of misdirection and escape to help the Allies win the war by shipping things like maps, knives and tools hidden in unusual items.

Fenna is an inspiring yet eminently human and flawed heroine, and her story takes us to places we’ve never heard about before. Based on real stories, The Ways We Hide is one of those books you can’t put down.

The book followed the childhood to adulthood of the main character, Fenna Vos. Her early years were pretty tragic, but she found interest in performing magic. She befriended a neighbor boy named Arie, who played a significant role in her later years.
In adulthood, Fenna is recruited to work for M19, the arm of English intelligence that developed secret spy tools. This was due to her natural ability to understand and perform magic. She followed Arie to Nazi occupied Netherlands and her life took a dramatic turn. She returned to England, then the U.S. with an adoptive child as a single parent.
This book joins a long list of recent stories of remarkable heroism during WWII. Components of How We Hide are based upon recounted stories, but the overall tale is fiction. Early in the book, I skimmed long paragraphs of flowery language that didn’t seem to move the story along much. Maybe that’s because I have vague interest in magic and how tricks work. As the story moved on, it became more interesting to me. However, in a crowded market of WWII historical fiction, I found this book mediocre.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebook Landmark who provided me with an ARC.