A different view of WWII and a completely different plot than I was expecting when I started reading. This book moved slow to start, but I was too engrossed into the life of Fenna, and her creative mind. Kristina McMorris is a storyteller through and through, and this is no exception! Beautiful piece of history.

Wow! This was my first time reviewing an audiobook so I was a little apprehensive about what I would say, but I really enjoyed this. If you’re into historical fiction, you have to give this a go! And ugh, Fenna, my heartttt! What a strong character.

I love a good historical fiction and I love this Authors books. This one had an intense feeling. I enjoyed it!

I regret leaving a review saying that I did not finish an audiobook I was generously granted to review but, I didn’t finish this one. I’m afraid that I gave up at 25% through. I think this is because the main draw to the story was the WW2 element, the first part just did not hold my interest. But I am grateful I was given the opportunity to review it.

I had heard great things about this book but for some reason it didn't work out for me.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you RB Media ​and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.
Rating this book is difficult for me. While it had some positive aspects, it didn't meet my expectations, hindering my ability to fully enjoy it. I anticipated a grander story with illusions, escape tools, and a touch of fantasy in a World War II setting. However, it fell short, following a predictable path without any significant twists. Despite this, the book's focus on resilience, particularly in Fenna's childhood, had its captivating moments. Unfortunately, the initial allure waned as the story progressed. If you're a fan of World War II stories, this book might appeal to you more than it did to me.

I enjoyed this book enough, but it didn't stick with me at all. I did enjoy the narrator, but something about the story failed to grab my attention.

Kristina McMorris has done it again....made me feel so many feelings. Story spans a few decades, mostly during WWII. Strong women overcoming adversity is one of my favorite themes to read.

What a fantastic novel! I absolutely loved listening to Fenna's life story, her trials, and accomplishments. I usually have a hard time listening to historical fiction audiobooks as they tend to lull me to sleep. However, this one really piqued my interest. It was utterly compelling and intriguing.

I saw praise somewhere that this is book is "The Alice Network meets Queen's Gambit" and I couldn't agree more.

The story is quite intricate and layered. You meet Fenna as a young girl and are exposed to her childhood trauma, an event that forever changed her. The event in the book was actually based on an even that occurred in true life. I find that when author's weave real life events into their books, I am instantly more interested in the story. Something about the lines of fiction and reality blurring that allows me to truly envision Fenna as a real person.

I think all readers want happy endings in some books and although it wasn't the ending I was hoping for, I still feel like I got closure. I would definitely recommend this book and audiobook to historical fiction fans.

I absolutely love this author, and was so excited to read THE WAYS WE HIDE.

Inspired by stunning true accounts, a story about the wars we fight between nations and inside ourselves, and the courage we find in unexpected places.

Fenna is a young girl during WWII who is torn by the thought of loss, and ends up running away. I loved the narrator choice, which was engaging and set the tone of the story.

*many thanks to RB Media and Sourcebooks for the gifted copy for review

Slightly outlier review coming up! 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.

Kristina McMorris' Ways We Hide is a WWII novel that will capture your interest and make you consider things about the war that you may have not thought of before, especially when it comes to illusions. Fenna is a young girl with only her father when a terrible accident leaves her terrified of small dark spaces. The only one who can really reach her is Arrie, a neighbor boy who becomes a friend and confidant. When her father dies, she is sent to an orphanage, a lonely, sad place. Upon leaving there, she finds Arrie and his family again and their friendship continues into something more. However, Fenna is unable to face the thought of loss and runs away. As she performs on the stage with magical flights of fancy, she is found by the British government. They want her special set of skills to help with the war effort. She goes to assist, but finds that the past that you run from has a way of catching up with you. I really enjoyed the book and learning more about WWII and the effects of illusion and the way that things were hidden so soldiers could use them. However, some parts seemed to drag for me, which is why it is four stars. I am grateful to have gotten to listen to the audiobook version, as the narrator did an excellent job. And, as always, I will look forward to the next McMorris novel. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review.

Fenna--an illusionist's assistant in WWII is recruited by the British intelligence to help the war effort.

She is such a strong character to put herself in harm's way by ways of the Nazis and I dont know if I could have been as brave as she was. I loved that she invented things for the soldiers like hidden maps within a pack of playing cards and other mysterious things to help the war.

Loved the narrator for this audiobook. She kept me engaged and on the edge of my seat.

Thank you for this advanced listener's copy!

Fenna Vos is raised by her widowed father in Michigan. When her father is killed in the Italian Hall disaster, she ends up in an orphanage for a short period of time. She eventually moves in with her best friend's family and becomes part of their lives. Arie jansen and her are inseparable for many years, doing magic tricks, and communicating in code. Now an adult, Fenna is working as an assistant to illusionist, Charles Bouchard. She was the mastermind of the act, and after he tried a few too many dangerous things, she leaves his act. Not sure what to do next, she is recruited by British intelligence, designing escape aids with Clayton Hutton, and his secret M19 team. They design things to be used by the allies and becomes known as "The Gadget Girl". She is sent into Holland on a dangerous mission and learns about Arie, her best friend who is now suspected as a traitor. She learns some things that have happened in Arie's family and using her wits, magic tricks, looks, anything to stay one step ahead of the Germans, she steps in to save a little girl.

As I have said before, I like reading historical fiction where I will learn about people or events that I did not know about. The Ways We Hide is based on a couple of real people and events. Christopher Clayton Hutton and Charles Fraser-Smith were real men who made gadgets and tricked out monopoly games that were used to save an estimated 35,000 allied airmen and soldiers. Jasper Maskelyne was a professional magician who was also a British army officer who used his skills and tricks in the war to some success. Fenna Voss was loosely based on female workers that Hutton met. All this and more research brought The Ways We Hide to life. This is a story filled with adventure, danger, risk and some luck. Fenna's and Arie's friendship was wonderful. Begun as children, they rekindled that friendship as adults and vowed to help one another. The story was realistic, at times hard to read, emotional and enlightening. I listened to this book and Cassandra Campbell narrated The Ways We Hide. As always, she does a nice job with this story. Some of her voices were not strong, but for the most part, she gave the main characters a voice and using accents, tone and inflection the story was very real to me. There were times that the story moved a bit slowly, but it is an extremely well written and researched story about, family, friendship, loyalty, war, loss, espionage, courage, and coping with the unexpected challenges. If you enjoy historical fiction set during WWII, then pick up this book, it is a good one.

This book combines multiple historical events into one main character's life. McMorris did an excellent job at intertwining connections that move the plot forward. This is a nice chunky book which allows the reader to get closure on Fenna's experiences while also opening the door to her future.
Fenna is a woman full of grit and determination. She is fearful of tight spaces and being trapped in a life where she doesn't have control. Her life as an illusionist derives from needing to always have an escape route. Fenna's ability to conjure up ideas for escape leads her to places she never dreamed of. It also sets her right on a collision course with her past.
This is a story that is both compelling and heartfelt. It explores the multitude of ways one can love and the multitude of things one will do for that love.

I received a copy of this title via NetGalley.

I wasn’t sure if I’d like this book when I started it, as it’s begins with the protagonist, Fenna Vos as a magician’s assistant, and her lifelong fascination with Houdini. I wasn’t terribly interested in the subject of magic tricks, but I’m glad I stuck with it because Fenna’s experience with the art of illusion led her on a journey she never could have imagined. Recruited by British Intelligence in WWII, she helped create gadgets for the POW’s that would thwart detection by the German’s. Even though I’ve read many books about this time in history, it was interesting to learn how these items were created to help the soldiers. Overall I really enjoyed the book and fell in love with the main characters. I also thought the narrator, Cassandra Campbell, did an excellent job! Thank you to Recorded Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book by Kristina McMorris.

Fenna Voss has been through a lot in her short life. She’s a survivor, but that comes with its own problems to survive. Intensely afraid of the dark and tight, enclosed spaces, and of not being in control of a situation, these events did nothing to diminish Fenna’s compassion, empathy or loyalty. When the friend who helped her through some of the most traumatic events of her life needs help, she will venture into a war zone and face down her worst fears to save him.

Fenna could be a bit infuriating at times, making decisions based on fear and out of impulsivity instead of thinking things through, especially in occupied Poland, where a single mistake could end a life. It takes a while for her to recognize this in herself, but she did eventually get there.

McMorris does a beautiful of job crafting a story across many varied events and decades, shining a light on real-life events that the story was inspired by. The pacing could be pretty slow at times, but that did nothing to stop my desire to compulsively listen to this audiobook every second I could.

Cassandra Campbell did a phenomenal job performing this audiobook. She does not simply read it, but puts emotion into each word, bringing the nuance of the story to life.

Weaving more than just WW2 history into the story, this story about friendship, love, loyalty, and overcoming fear connects several different historical events in a thoughtful way, breaking your heart and putting it back together again as if by magic.

If you enjoy historical fiction, especially about WW2, you should consider reading this book!

Thank you, NetGalley, for an audio-ARC of The Ways We Hide by Kristina McMorris, narrated by Cassandra Campbell.
The Ways We Hide is a historical fiction that covers many less known historical events. The book follows the life of Fenna, from her childhood in Michigan to her career creating spy gadgets for World War 2. Mixing in magic and the intrigue of Houdini, McMorris creates a story that keeps the reader engaged. Casandra Campbell's voice works well with the story. She is easy to understand and keeps a great pace.

3.5 ⭐

I don't even know how to rate this book. On one hand, it really wasn't bad and it had several elements I appreciated. But on the other, it was completely different from what I was expecting, and it's kind of hard to see the story for what it is when all I have in my head it what it could have been.

For starters, why is this book tagged as fantasy on Goodreads? When you have an illusionist girl, designing escape tools to help fight against Germans in WW2 and a fantasy element, you kind of prepare yourself for a story much larger than it really was. The whole time I waited for something huge to happen, and that prevented me from enjoying the story for what it was.

That said, I did like the resilience as the main vibe of the book. I especially loved the parts that describe Fenna's childhood. They made me completely invested, and I even though this might end up being one of my favorite books ever.

Unfortunately, some of the spell lost its magic the further we got into the book. I was hoping for some big twist, but everything just kept going exactly as you'd think it would. Still, if you enjoy WW2 stories, you'll probably enjoy this book way more than I did.

Thank you to RB Media and NetGalley for providing me with an audio ARC of The Ways We Hide Kristina McMorris in exchange for an honest review.

The Ways We Hide by Kristina McMorris is a historical WWII novel that I couldn’t stop listening to. I finished it in one day as I had to know how it would play out!

I found this story much different from other ones but yet similar. Having to hide, fake papers for check points, escaping, yet it was different. There were so many elements that made it non stop action! I love the love story that unfolded even if (spoiler alert) it ended in tragedy in some ways but also not.

I loved Kristina’s Sold On a Monday book so I knew I would love this one!!

The Narrator Cassandra Campbell is one of my favourite narrators. She always does such a good job.