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

This book was everything I wanted it to be. It had me turned pages without even realizing. It was so good!

This book was a tear jerker for me! I did enjoy this book, even though it took me a couple chapters to get into it (it started slow), but by the middle, I couldn't put it down! It was my first book by Kristina McMorris. I will be reading more of her stuff!
I love how Fenna hung in there, through all of the obstacles that came her way. She was a strong, creative woman & I love how she was presented especially in the WWII time period!
I really loved the relationship between Fenna and Arie...they just completed and accepted each other so well. I was loving them from the second Fenna left for England! They always found each other no matter where they were in their lives. They were genuinely soul mates!

The Ways We Hide has such a deeper meaning after finishing the book, as does the cover. While I did find the first half of the book to be slightly alow and disjointed, the second half of the book picked up quickly. It had similarities to Nightingale and while I did enjoy the ending, the book could have been wrapped up a little quicker. I felt there were some parts in the middle that dragged, although they were setting the stage for later.

Ways We Hide is the story of Finn, a young woman who was orphaned at a young age after experiencing a very traumatic event. She finds a new home with a fellow immigrant child’s family .Through her childhood, she finds a love for magic and illusionism. She begins to practice tricks and perform magic shows and eventually makes a career out of it. During WWII she is recruited to help with the war and eventually reconnects with her long lost friend. When he is lost in war zone after going undercover there, Finn herself volunteers to go on a mission to find him.
I REALLY loved this book. While it is long, the way the author draws you into Finn’s life and her story really makes you feel a connection with her. It helps you to understand why she made some of the choices she made. The story is somewhat divided into 3 parts: her childhood, her time in England and her time on the war front. All 3 parts play a role in how the story comes together in the end. Her childhood was full of heartache and trauma, but she found love, family and connection through Artie and his family. In England, she builds confidence in herself and finds a way she can help the war effort through her magic that had previously been somewhat of a coping mechanism for her past trauma and a guard to avoid future heartache. When she goes undercover to find Artie, she really draws on all of her life’s experiences to try to save the one person she’ really loved and also to survive not being caught herself! There were many suspense filled moments and you come to realize that sometimes the line between right and wrong isn’t always clear. .

I had no idea illusionists made an impact during WW2, but Kristina McMorris brought this historical fact to life in "The Ways We Hide." In the book, Fenna Vos moves from her role as the daughter of a miner to the ward of a family friend to an illusion master and escape artist to a member of British Intelligence. She uses her skills learned throughout her life to help soldiers escape from captivity. But her biggest escape plan is yet to come. Can she tackle her biggest fear to perform a life or death act?
I did enjoy reading this book. My heart broke for Fenna in various places, and (spoiler alert) - I cried at the end. It's pretty long, though, and meanders at times.
I also like that the author made the main character a female although her inspiration was male. And the suggested reading list at the end encourages me to read more about this topic.

Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, particularly when it’s about WWII. Just getting a feel for how people lived and what life might have been like draws me to want to read more and more. There are so many situations and possibilities of what did and didn’t happen.

Interestingly, The Ways We Hide by Kristina McMorris is about an American woman, a magician. Fenna is the mastermind behind a traveling magic show. In her frustration with her assistant, she considers branching off on her own when a British man visits after a show to recruit her help with the war efforts.

Fenna ends up in London developing all sorts of equipment that can be delivered to pilots and soldiers. This equipment often have another purpose, like hidden maps on a deck of cards or board games with hidden tools. She even develops a way to heat up soup for warmth, but the test products blows up at a senior officers office. Yikes!

A man from Fenna’s past, who’s always supported her and even asked her to marry him before she started her magic show, swings by to see her in England. He doesn’t stay long, saying he needed to return to the States.

Not much time is passed when Fenna learns her friend has gone missing. The British think he’s joined the Nazi, but Fenna doesn’t believe it. She offers to be a bait to lure him so she can learn the truth. Luckily, Fenna learned enough Dutch growing up that she could pass as a native. Fenna drops with a team into the fields of Holland in hopes of finding her friend before the others after discovering their goal was to kill him on sight.

This is a fantastic storyline that is like no other I’ve ever read in historical fiction. I give this book 5 out of 5 tiaras because of the adventure I went on throughout this book! I’ve never read a story where an American relocated London to help with the war efforts, especially not a woman, a magician at that! There are many ways Fenna had to hide throughout this story, a very fitting title.

I'm a sucker for historical fiction and especially any geared towards WWII, but I have never read one like this before. I found the aspect of illusionists and how their skill sets were helpful during the war absolutely fascinating! This was intriguing and heartfelt. Definitely recommend!