A historical fiction and not your typical WWl book! It begins with Fenna Vos assisting a master magician, Charles at their show in Brooklyn, yet Fen, is actually the expert who has crafted this show and taught Charles all he knows. After the British Intelligence see her shows and recognize her skills, they present her with an offer to assist the war effort in England designing devices to help allied soldiers evade capture and/or escape prison. This is a. historical novel that covers aspects of history that I was not aware of and oh so very different!
I recommend this book to all my reading friends!
Thank you NetGalley for the early copy, in return for my review!
4 1/2 Stars

Cristina McMorris wrote Sold On A Monday, which was excellent and has sold over a million copies.
The Ways We Hide is very good as well. It is a unique take on a World War II historical novel that is sure to evoke your emotions. Fenna Vos is an illusionist. For these skills she is recruited by British intelligence. This journey becomes perilous, filled with tension, intrigue, romance, peril and darkness.

Fenna was raised in Michigan's Copper Country, and lived a life filled with hardships. Fenna had to learn to focus on her own survival early on. These early experiences sustain her as World War II rages in faraway countries. She performs onstage as the assistant to an unconventional escape artist. He is the star but she is the mastermind of their act.

As life goes on, Fenna is surprised to be called upon by British military intelligence. Her mission is designing escape aids to baffle and disrupt the Germans. Fenna is reluctant yet she joins the unorthodox team as an inventor. But when a test of her loyalty draws her deep into dangerous territory, she discovers no mission is more challenging than escaping your own past.

McMorris’ novel is based on true accounts, giving the reader a gripping story of love and loss, and the wars we fight, both on the battlefields and in ourselves.

The writing is elegant and definitely a page turner.

The use of illusionist skills not for fame or applause, but for survival during war-time definitely makes for an interesting concept. This story of Fenna Vos is historical fiction done right in every aspect. When true happiness is the cruelest illusionist of them all, how far does a person go for love and duty?

"Vos meaning fox, my surname said I was fated to be inquisitive and friendly yet sly and elusive, a solitary creature not meant for a pack."

The very best of books have an iron-clad grip on you demanding a wide-eyed-all-night read just so you know that the characters somehow managed to make it to the end of the book. This sure is one of those. With a brief introduction of an adult Fenna, the story takes us back to her origin and then back again to her helping with war efforts. The not very quick detour to her childhood sets such a necessary foundation that helps us appreciate the fears she bravely faces despite past traumas.

"Fear is giving power to the Devil."

The approval for this one came through quite some time ago and I cannot be more glad that past me read the blurb one day and hoped to read it. Thank you @netgalley for my advance copy.

"Breathe, Fen. Just…breathe."

"Ways We Hide" by Kristina McMorris, is an excellent historical fiction of a brave young woman, during WWII, using her talents as an illusionist, to make a difference. Gripping, as the main character faces grave danger, and displays enormous ingenuity and grit to complete her mission. Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for the copy for review. All opinions are my own.

When I first looked at the synopsis of this book I thought it sounded like a good story. I have to tell you this author took me on a wild ride of emotions. I fell in love with Fenna and Arie together and their stories from childhood until the end of the book.

I finished this last night and it left me weeping for the injustices of war. This was a new take on a WWII spy novel.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

I loved the first book and it kept me interested and wanting to not put it down. This book was great and this one I also wanted to keep reading! Would read more of her books for sure.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book; the story was compelling, the characters well developed and the narrator very good.
Fenna Voss, a dutch american girl finds herself back in Europe during WWII, helping the war effort, but also searching for her chosen family and the love of her life in the middle of a war torn continent.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review this story.

Fenna Vos is an expert in escaping. After being orphaned as a child, she clings to the two things she loves most—her best friend, Arie, and magic tricks. With Houdini as her inspiration, Fenna pursues her aspirations to become a successful magician, and after a falling out with Arie, she runs away to the city to chase her dreams. When an opportunity arises to use her skills to help British military intelligence during WWII, she learns that no matter how skilled she is at magic tricks, she can’t always escape her past. Inspired by true historical events, this is a story of love, loyalty, loss, and courage.

I was fascinated by the historical inspirations of this book, and Fenna is a wonderful character to bring these details to life. McMorris does an excellent job of weaving together separate (and in reality, unrelated) historical events in a way that feels cohesive and helps develop the characters. The chapters during Fenna’s childhood were particularly strong, as was the development of Fenna and Arie’s relationship. A far weaker section of the novel for me was in the middle when she begins working for the military and we read about the details of her actual job. The pace changed and began to feel rushed, and we only slowed down again when she leaves England for her special mission.

I enjoyed the story and these characters, and I thought the premise was unique and exciting. I would recommend this to anyone interested in WWII, war romances, historical fiction, or, of course, magic.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC eBook in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and all of the above listed for this #giftedebook in exchange for my unbiased review.

This novel takes you on a wild ride, from America, to England, and then to The Netherlands. I personally enjoy fitting vague pieces of WWII history from differing countries into my greater understanding of the entire conflict. This is the first book I have read that takes place in The Netherlands. Experiencing moments of EXTREME tension and anxiety, romance, action, and devastation, I must confess, I was taken on an emotional trip! The author has a way of making you feel like you are part of the story...everything is so real! (She did that in her book, Sold on a Monday, as well.) I appreciate her ability to tell an authentic story. Loved it!

As she has done before, Kristina McMorris takes us back into historical fiction with her new book, The Ways We Hide. Her first chapter begins in Brooklyn, New York in 1942 as Fenna Vos becomes disenchanted with her partner in her magic act. She is the mastermind of the act, but the male performer gets the applause and attention. Coincidentally, Fenna is enlisted to use that magic in a different setting as she is recruited as a World War II spy.

An early childhood fascination with Houdini is an escape for her as a young girl. Orphaned by her mother, Fenna grows up in a copper mining town with a father who depends on alcohol to ease his grief and his grievances with the mining company. Coping with her hard life and her absorption in learning to perform magic tricks make her into a strong independent woman who can take on the challenge of being a spy for the allies as she uses many of her ruses to deceive the enemy.

In the war, her work takes precedence over her personal relationships which must be weighed against their security in her war effort. This is war, and her losses are not glossed over. Still, I found the ending satisfying.

The book has fascinating ways of getting information past enemy lines, hiding them in Snakes and Ladders or Monopoly boards. The author’s note at the end explains how she based these stories on true happenings and gives some of her research. This book will appeal to those who love historical fiction, especially that from World War II, and will make for interesting discussions if it becomes a book club choice.

Captivating! I'm pretty spent on historical fiction, and WWII historical fiction specifically, but I devoured this novel. I really enjoyed the magic/illusion aspect as it related to war tactics.

Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark and #NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this novel. My review is voluntary, and all opinions are my own.

This was a very interesting historical fiction book. It had a lot of interesting historical topics woven into the main story. I thought the characters were well developed. As is often the case with historical fiction, there were aspects of the story that were unbelievable or timelines altered to meet the needs of the story. If you are a fan of historical fiction, it will be an enjoyable read.

This book was engrossing and I just couldn’t put it down. A very interesting story written well. This is my first book by this author and it won’t be my last. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an ARC. This is a World War II historical novel based loosely around true events with a little bit of everything: magic, romance, mystery, love, and loss. I loved the two main characters, Fenna and Arie (which was my dad's name and was a Holocaust survivor). I enjoyed the latter part of the book as it moves into the events during WWII. My only issue was that I felt it could have been condensed a bit.

I really appreciated the inclusion of the author's notes at the end of the book. If you're a fan of WWII fiction, or just a great read, you won't be disappointed!

I want to thank Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Ways We Hide by author Kristina Mc Morris. She previously wrote Sold on a Monday.
“Yet only nightmares came flooding back, of being trapped in a stairwell, a basement, a casket. A grave, buried alive.”
A scary beginning gets your attention. It’s a magic trick that seems to be going horribly wrong!
A different slant on WWII. How Houdini’s magic saved lives!
Feena and Arie were special people.
There are strong well+defined characters throughout.
The Ways We Hide published September 6th, 2022.

This brilliant story follows Fenna who is growing up in Copper County, Michigan to being in the middle of WWII. Fenna has always been fascinated with magic since she was a little girl. Then tragedy strikes.

Now we go forward to 1943 where she is part of the British military intelligence. She joins the MI9 where she creates devices with hidden features to protect British soldiers. The story continues to unfold alternating chapters across different time periods.

Then, Fenna finds out that her childhood friend is in trouble. To try to save him, she signs up to go undercover in the Netherlands. Facing danger, she has to fend for herself while trying to stay a few steps ahead of her own past.

😭😭 oh my goodness. This one is definitely a tear jerker.

I'm a big fan of WWII historical fiction with a strong female protagonist and this book delivered just that. We also have a touch of friends to lovers/ second chance romance thrown in the mix, which was the icing on the cake.

Fenna Vos starting at a young age has grown up obsessed with Houdini and mastering his tricks. While working her own show as a skilled magician/ escape artist, she's approached to assist in the war with her unique skills. Being an expert at lock picking, slight of hand deception, and escapism makes for her the perfect war time employee.

While in London inventing devices to assist the Allies and creating escape aids within army supplies, like shaving kits, and Monopoly boards with hidden maps and tools, etc., Fenna is tasked with her hardest assignment yet. Traveling to the Netherlands, to bring back her longest childhood friend. This is where the intensity picks up and can become at times very nerve-racking with heart racing moments.

Being the first book I've read by the author, but having Sold on A Monday on my TBR list for quite some time, I went in not really knowing what to expect. I'm excited to read Sold on A Monday even more so now. The only reason I am giving four and not five stars to this book is I felt, initially, I was intrigued. I loved her childhood with Arie, but when we were going through Fenna's backstory during her teenage years, it wasn't as attention grabbing as I would have liked. I started to become bored and wanted it to pick up the pace, so we could get to the meat of the story. Once we arrived at that though, the pacing picked up and I stayed captivated.

If you are looking for your next historical fiction book and enjoy World War II Era books, I'd highly recommend picking this one up.

**Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an advanced copy of this book and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion. I am posting this review to my Goodreads account immediately and will post it to my Amazon & Instagram accounts upon publication.

WWII - this based on true events - a story of love and loss. Fenna is called by British Intelligence - she joins forces as an “inventor” to help those escape the Nazis -
It’s also her past she wants to escape

I read this book not long after Anthony Marra's Mercury Pictures Presents, which is another new book with a unique American perspective on World War II. I suggest reading them together. This book, for me, was fascinating for its behind-the-scenes look at the people called upon to aid soldiers and spies; designing gadgets that would ensure their safety, aid in their escape, or allow them to die before they were tortured into revealing secrets. The idea that these items could best be created by an illusionist seemed both wildly imaginative and completely obvious all at once. I found the settings as compelling as the characters, as they traveled small towns in the US, and then further abroad. I highly recommend reading the afterward. Until I read it, I didn't realize that many of the characters in the story (aside from the more well-known) were based on real people. Also, it was especially interesting to see how the author skillfully intertwined several true events in an attempt to preserve their memory.

THE WAYS WE HIDE by Kristina McMorris (Sold on a Monday) is an historical fiction novel that occurs in the first half of the twentieth century. The main character, Fenna Vos, is introduced as a talented magician who idolizes and mimics Houdini while eventually having a chance to aid British intelligence during WWII. There are multiple flashbacks to 1928 when Fenna lived with her widowed immigrant father near a copper mine on Michigan's upper peninsula. It is a lonely life and her one true friend is a young man named Arie Jansen. Eventually, they are reunited and hints of a romance form even as they struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder and both work to help the Resistance in Europe. At almost five hundred pages, the book is long and its pace could be increased, but McMorris shares a moving and suspenseful story filled with numerous realistic details about life in the US during the Depression, London during wartime, and dangers associated with espionage efforts. THE WAYS WE HIDE, written by an award-winning author, is a LibraryReads selection for September 2022.

LINK:
https://libraryreads.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/LibraryReads-September-2022-Final.pdf