The first part of this book is a bit much but don’t let it deter you. It’s worth it to keep going.

I always forget how much I love a well written historical fiction. This one was very well done and flowed so well. At the end, when she explained all of the research she completed before writing it all made sense. Sure, it wasn’t totally real but there were aspects that were and I don’t doubt even some of the made up portions very well could have happened.

🌀Synopsis
Fenna has a fairly traumatic childhood. She was involved in an incident that nearly took her life, then she lost her father, and finally she ended up in a home for orphans. Her best friend Aire manages to get her through all of that though and she eventually lives with his family. When she gets older she performs as an assistant to an escape artist but she is actually more of the brains behind the acts than the artist.

During WWII, Fenn is recruited by the British Intelligence to create gadgets and gizmos that help the war. When Aire supposedly aids the enemy Fenna finds herself in dangerous territory trying to get to the bottom of his actions.

In the end, Fenn overcomes. She overcomes everything that is meant to destroy her and she saves a little girl’s life in the process.

From the author of Sold on a Monday, author Kristina McMorris delivers a gripping tale of love, loss, sacrifice, and family.

Inspired by actual events, THE WAYS WE HIDE is a story of an unforgettable heroine, beautifully written and meticulously researched, a mix of WWII spy story, mystery, magic, illusion, a little romance, and historical fiction rolled into one intriguing novel.

A perfect title with many meanings. Ideal for book clubs and further discussions.

Included in the Book:
Author's Note (behind the book/inspiration)
Recipes from Fenna
Reading Group Guide
Images from Fenna's Journey
Further Reading
Her website includes a very extensive fun Book Club Kit.

From the Italian Hall Disaster and its parallel tragedy at Bethnal Green Station to the efforts of M19, Houdini, and the Dutch Resistance, plus those of the Engelandvaarders, The Ways We Hide highlights myriad stunning pieces of history.

Initially from Michigan's copper mining region, told from Fenna Vos' POV from 1928 (Michigan), 1942 (Brooklyn, NY), 1943 (London, England), Epilogue 1945 (Chicago)— Fenna is a successful illusionist and assistant in a magical show. She is the person in charge. The one teaching, envisioning, solving. Both the composer and the conductor are virtually unseen at center stage.

From past to present, the narrative shift from the many traumatic events of Fenna and Arie's youth to the present day. As the story begins to unfold, we get some backstory of her childhood tragedies and her happier moments with her father and childhood best friend, Arie.

Major Christopher Clayton Hutton recruits her to M19 with the creation of hidden gadgets to help aid in the war efforts for British allies. He believes her unique and innovative skills should be utilized for a grander purpose than amusement on a stage.

Excellent storytelling and the characters come alive on the page. Strong themes of family, love, loss, and sacrifice are apparent throughout the novel and the driving force behind Fenna's and Arie's actions.

Highly relatable characters, and a strong protagonist, I enjoyed Fenna's story and all the historical events and learning more about M19, Monopoly, the game boards, cards, and others that helped aid war efforts, and the fun facts of Houdini's history.

While I do not read a lot of historical fiction (preferring suspense, mystery, thrillers, domestic, psychological, legal, and literary fiction); however, since I read Sold On A Monday and enjoyed it, there are select authors I read in this genre. For fans of the author and historical fiction lovers.

I listened to the audiobook, which was narrated by Cassandra Campbell (one of my favorite narrators), and the reason for requesting it, with a superb and engaging performance!

A special thank you to #RecordedBook #RBMedia and #Negalley for an ALC in exchange for an honest review. I also purchased the e-book, which I switched back and forth with audio.

Blog Review Posted @
www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: Sept 6, 2022
Sep 2022 Must-Read Books

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.

Story Synopsis:
After being orphaned at an early age, Fenna Vos has learned how to survive on her own. Though a master inventor and magician, she is forced to play assistant to an escape artist to keep the 1940s audience happy. When an officer of the British Intelligence spots her and asks her to come to London to help out with the WWII efforts using her inventions, Fenna reluctantly joins the team, and is soon part of a dangerous mission in Holland. This mission will be the test of her loyalty in many ways.
The story comes to us in the first person perspective of Fenna.



✔ The initial half of the book was outstanding. Beginning with Fenna’s stage experiences in the US in 1943, going back to 1928 for a glimpse of her younger years, and moving back to 1943 London, where Fenna was trying to settle into her role as an inventor for the Allied troops - the content was relatively fast-paced, and kept me invested.
❌ Once the storyline reached Holland where Fenna is on a secret mission, the content became repetitive and slow. I had to force myself to concentrate and continue. My mind kept wandering.

✔ I loved all the elements of Fenna’s life that were connected to magic. Her stage life, her creative thinking, her astounding inventions, her sleight of hand, her strong admiration for Harry Houdini – all were written well. Her Dutch background is also put to good use.
❌ The second half hardly makes use of her magical skills. It is like the book forgot her capabilities as an illusionist and just wanted to focus on her skills as a spy.

✔ Fenna is a strong character and makes for a mostly compelling historical mc. Her brain is her biggest asset and the book chooses to focus on this than her physical appeal. I appreciate this angle.
❌ Her decision-making was questionable at times. Her reason for moving away from her hometown was unconvincing. I didn’t understand why she couldn’t communicate her worry to the concerned person instead of running away secretly.

✔ The first half was fast.
❌ The second half was slooooowwwwwwww and seemed to go on and on.
✔ The ending was somewhat worth the effort.

✔ There are quite a few topics in the story – magic, personal tragedies, inventions, rescue missions, romance, family issues, the WWII. I enjoyed most of these. Seeing the WWII from the pov of a woman illusionist was a fun experience.
❌ The one topic I didn’t like at all was the rescue mission in Holland. Unfortunately, this formed the biggest chunk of the book. If this part were crisper, I might have enjoyed the book more.

✔ The book incorporates plenty of real life incidents into its narrative. The author explains these very well in her author’s note. Her research is outstanding. I never knew the extent to which “magic” was involved in the WWII! I learnt a lot about history from this book, though I have been an avid reader of the historical fiction genre.

❌ The first person narration doesn’t work in favour of the book. There is a lot of inner rambling which further reduces the pacing. This is more pronounced during the mission, where Fenna is alone and hence voices her thoughts on almost everything.

✔ The plot seems to proceed in compartmentalised sections. There is the stage life of the magician, then the 1928 flashback, then the 1943 London segment, the Holland mission and finally the tying up of every end. It was almost like reading a fresh novel after each section than a continuation.
❌ While I did like the first two sections for their content, I felt that the book didn’t come together into a cohesive whole. As each section deals with a fresh location and a fresh situation, the transition took time.

❌ I don’t like romance when it comes up in non-romance genre books. It is, more often than not, irrelevant to the main plot. This story could have easily been written without the romantic track.
✔ The direction of the romance took me by surprise. This is what sets the romance in the book apart from others in this genre, a small saving grace.

Having thoroughly enjoyed Sold on a Monday, I was thrilled to read the latest by Kristina McMorris.

Fenna Vos is a survivor, a woman illusionist/escapologist who is recruited by British Intelligence to use her skills of misdirection and illusion to help Airmen, POWs and others covertly fighting the Nazis in Europe during WWII.

There is no doubt that McMorris is an incredibly talented writer who is able to draw her readers in with her heartbreaking yet heartwarming stories. However, personally I had a hard time following this story. It took me some time to get into the story, and due to its length and slow moving plot, I found myself getting distracted, confused and unfortunately, losing interest more than once.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.