Ways We Hide

Ways We Hide
by Kristina McMorris
Pub DAte: Sept. 6, 2022
Sourcebooks
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
* historical fiction
This is my second novel by this author and I really enjoy the style and flow of her stories. I found this novel to be engrossing with the illusionist storyline. I had never considered using a talent like that during the war.
The strong female character was sassy and bold. I'm not a big fan of romance in a novel but I did enjoy this particular storyline. I lost interest during her mission. I think our patrons will enjoy this book so I have already preordered it.
3.5

Ways We Hide by Kristina McMorris does not disappoint. From illusions, to family drama, ww2 spies and gadgets and a love story all come together in this book. I couldn’t put it down, kept me reading late into the night too many nights to count! Would recommend this book to fans of historical fiction, ww2, 1920s and 30s America, and Harry Houdini 😉. You will not be disappointed!!

What an amazing World War 2 historical novel from a new author to me. It was not only wonderfully written, but the time the author used to use actual historical events to write her story.

Inspired by true events, The Ways We Hide is a beautifully written WWII spy story full of historical intrigue and amazing characters.

The story is primarily written from Fenna's point of view which instantly connects you to her character and surroundings. As a successful illusionist and assistant in a magical show in the US, her connections to the war feel safe and distant compared to the terror that reigns in the Netherlands. That is, until Major Hutton recruits her to M19 creating hidden gadgets to help aid in the war efforts for British allies. As the story begins to unfold, we get some backstory of her childhood tragedies as well as her more happier moments with her father and childhood best friend, Arie. The skillful weaving of these timelines not only shapes a fantastic plot but also builds the type of suspense that will keep you feverishly turning the pages. I literally could not put this book down!

Fenna Vos is an amazingly strong protagonist who is not only inspiring but also relatable, along with her childhood friend, Arie. I fell in love with them both as I laughed, cried, and longed for each of their journeys. My goodness, these two characters really gripped me!

I also enjoyed learning about M19, the game boards that helped aid war efforts, and the fun facts of Houdini's history along the way. An extensive amount of research went in to this book and it clearly shows. I truly appreciate the amount of devotion McMorris puts in to each and every one of her novels to craft such captivating stories and characters. They always seduce me into learning even more about the book's topic long after I've finished reading.

Schedule to publish on September 6, 2022, The Ways We Hide is perfect for historical fiction fans and book club discussions. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks for an Advanced Readers Copy of this amazing book. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are entirely my own.

As someone who loves history and has just recently gotten into historical fiction, The Ways We Hide has become one of the best books I have read in the genre!

The blend of WW2, Illusion/Magic and a little blend of romance creates a beautifully crafted story of love and the lengths we go to as we reach for it or even run away from it. The characters of Fen and Arie bring this story to life and make it feel realistic and like it could have happened in real life.

Kristina McMorris crafts a story that feels lived in and I hope to see what else she writes because of this phenomenal story!

This was a fantastic read, I found the description of the book interesting because Fenna grew up in Copper Harbor Michigan (I'm from MI), she was involved in magic shows and loved Houdini (I was always fascinated with both), and she was recruited to use her skills to help in WWII. I thought she was going to be performing across Europe to sneak in and out and help during the war but that isn't the way she helped. I also was surprised to see that she was the assistant in the magic show but in truth was the genius behind the show and the builder of all the large "tricks" they performed. Her many skills behind coming up with these was how she started to help, coming up with so many ideas for our servicemen. This is based on true events during the war to make the book further interesting. I normally read books around 300 pages so when I got the book and saw it was just under 500 I was a little disappointed but I am so glad I read it. From Fenna's childhood, her time touring with her magic show, her time with the military intelligence coming up with so many creative ideas to her actually heading into the war zone in a dangerous plan the book was so captivating. Fenna is the main character in the book and it was so good to read about a strong female lead! If you like books like The Forest of Vanishing Stars, The Pull of the Stars, & The Exiles you will love this book too! I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley and this review is my honest opinion.

Ways We Hide is an interesting perspective on the interwar years and WWII. It is also a relief after all the standard WWII fare.

Young Fenna Vos shares a love of magic tricks with her neighbor, Arie. The two children live very separate lives, but trade Morse code messages by tapping on a shared wall. Language and religion keep their families apart. Fenna and her father, both Catholics, speak a different dialect of Dutch than Arie’s Protestant family.

The two families live in Michigan’s copper mining region. The mine owners are putting pressure on the workers to keep them from unionizing. At a Christmas Eve gathering, Fenna and Arie are caught in a suspicious and horrendous tragedy that kills many of their neighbors, mostly children. They survive, and are bound together and scarred for life by the experience.

As Fenna gets older, she becomes increasingly interested in gadgets and magic tricks. She eventually performs on stage, designing tricks and acting as back-up for a less adept magician. Her skill, and her uniqueness as a female magician, come to the attention of an MI9 operative in Britain. She is recruited for the war effort. Her assignment is to make gadgets and hide tools that will help downed airmen and prisoners of war escape from the Germans.

Meanwhile, Arie is also recruited for his skills. When the two childhood friends cross paths again, Arie is suspected of being a traitor. Fenna sneaks into Holland to aid her old friend. Deep in German territory, Fenna must use all of her knowledge of gadgets, tricks and misdirection to get out alive.

I am in absolute awe of The Ways We Hide. The quality of the writing, the plot and the characters are exquisite. This is not a thinly disguised romance set in the past. This is the real deal. Drawn from historical facts and extensive research, this is a masterwork novel. This is one of the best books I’ve read this year and is the first book to win my Historical Fiction Gold Star Award in 2022.

My Rating GOLD STAR, A+

NOTE: Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebook Landmark publishing for the opportunity to read and review an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. Expected publication date is September 6, 2022. Look for it at your favorite online or local bookseller.

Five stars for this fascinating well-written tale of "love and loss" that had me emotionally hooked from the beginning. The author did a terrific job developing the main characters whom we first meet as children. We understand how & why they develop into the adults they become and why their relationship moves along as it does. The main female character is a magician/illusionist who ends up in British intelligence helping to save lives in WWII; this aspect of the book, much of it based on true events, was incredibly interesting and informative. The well-rounded secondary characters added a great deal to the story, helping us better understand the motivations and actions of the main characters. I look forward to the author's next book

This is an entertaining, well-written, fast paced, historical fiction novel set during WWII, which is based on true events. It is tragic and heart-breaking, and has suspense, perseverance, a heart-warming romance, heroism, and hope. The female protagonist is likable, caring, courageous, intelligent, confident and resilient. The author's notes at the at the end of this novel are interesting and informative, and are truly appreciated.
NetGalley and Sourcebook Landmark kindly provided me with an ARC of this novel, and this is my honest opinion.

Wow oh Wow!! I have read several of this authors works, but this one, is by far the best ever. What research she had to have done to get this story told so well plus the writing is stellar. There was never a dull moment, and the story is completely believable all the way thru.
The flow of this story is something you just don’t want to miss. I loved all the characters, it has it all, intrigue, enjoyment, sadness, joy but most of all, love. The love story is so touching. I re-read so many passages over again just so I wouldn’t miss anything.
I loved this book, the highest 5 stars I can give. Moving it into my top 5 books ever list. Of which she was already in the list with Sold on a Monday.
I want to thank SourceBooks Landmark along with NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read an ARC. Coming in with high 5*****

The Ways We Hide opened introducing us to the main character, Fenna Vos in 1948. Fenna worked as a magician's assistant in a magic show. She was really the master mind behind the act as she created most of the tricks and props. She trained her partner to be the lead in the act hoping to get more bookings.

The story later flashed back to 1928 to give the reader a sense of Fenna's childhood. Fenna was a child who grew up in poverty. She became friends with the boy next door, Arie, who gave her a book on magic as a way to occupy her mind after they barely survived a tragic event . She spent time practicing on Arie and developed a real love for magic and Harry Houdini. Fenna lost her mother as a young child. She later lost her father as well and was sent to an orphanage. She eventually escaped the orphanage and tried to find her best friend, Arie, who moved to another town nearby. She found him and his family took her in. Fenna and Arie continued to pass the time practicing magic, learning, using Morse Code, and solving puzzles.

The story then moves back to 1943 where Fenna is approached by an agent working with the MI9 section of the British War Office. It was the middle of WWII and they were working on ways to secretly get tools and supplies to POWs. The agent felt that Fenna's skills in creating secret compartments used in magic acts would be an asset to their office. She decided to leave the magic act and begin work in London.

Fenna was an wonderful main character. She was flawed, as humans are, but she tried to do what was right. She had a love of creating illusions and misdirecting attention that helped those captured soldiers get necessary supplies. Fenna was fiercely loyal and would do what she could to help those she cared about. That loyalty later took her on a dangerous mission.

McMorris did a fantastic job of telling an unusual WWII tale. In reading her Author's Note at the end it was interesting reading how she took several events and wound those through her story. I love reading how women helped the war effort with their unique talents and abilities. Fenna's story explored an angle I had not read of before and I fell in love with her completely.

The Ways We Hide is scheduled to be released on September 6. 2022. I would like to thank Kristina McMorris, Sourcebooks Landmark, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and honestly review this book.

This review has been posted to my Goodreads, Instagram, and StoryGraph accounts. The links are below.

Ways We Hide by Kristina McMorris is just... wow! This is a novel that will stay with you long after the last page. Jenna Voss is one of the most memorable, fully-realized characters I've ever "met." McMorris is incredibly talented-her books are unputdownable!

The Ways We Hide
by Kristina McMorris

I Loved This Book! I’ve read a lot of historical fiction that takes place in WWII but none have had multiple story lines like this book. The Ways We Hide hooked me on page one and my interest never waned. The writing is superb - descriptions of people, places and events clear and precise. On top of these hallmarks of good writing we meet wonderful characters like Fenna Vos and Arie.

Fenna Vos is an interesting and engaging woman. Growing up life isn’t easy but she copes by making the most of whatever she has to face. She is fascinated with learning to perform magic tricks - her "bible" is a worn copy of the great magician, Houdini. After her father dies Fenna is sent to an orphanage from which she escapes at 12 years of age. Making her way to her neighbor Arie’s house his parents take her in, and she grows up with a crush on her best friend, Arie.

Fenna matures into an accomplished magician, creator of illusions and magic tricks. Her skills wind up transporting her to England helping British intelligence during WWII. Arie, who enlisted in the US military, is over there as well, but he was sent to Holland where British intelligence believes he may have gone rogue. Fenna volunteers to go to Holland to “flush” Arie out and determine what’s happened to him. This part of the The Ways We Hide had me on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next. I can’t go further without giving away too much of this fabulous story.

This is not the first book I’ve read by Kristina McMorris. Sold on a Monday will stay with me forever. That said, The Ways We Hide moves to the top of my list of “must read” historical fiction set in WWII. I will recommend this to my book club for inclusion on our reading list after September. Be sure to read the Author's Notes where Ms. McMorris distinguishes fact from fiction, explaining how the various story lines melded together to create a novel of intrigue, struggle, love, determination and WWII history.

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the opportunity to read and review The Ways We Hide.

4.5 ⭐️

When I first started reading this book, I wasn't sure what to expect. A new author. A new style of writing. A new plot and characters. I will admit, some of the chapters were a bit too slow-paced for my liking, but then the author would take readers back in time to relive Fenna's childhood days. Those were some of my favorite flashbacks, especially between Fenna and Arie. They were so wholesome and sweet, and Arie really is the best 🥹

If you're sitting down to read this book and you're wondering how on earth do magic tricks fit in to a WW2 story, I was right there with you. At first, it almost seemed like the first few chapters were unnecessary. BUT. As I got into the story more, I realized what an essential part magic tricks played towards 3/4 of the book, so trust me, if you don't understand initially, you will as you read more.

I was honestly conflicted in my rating because I thought this story was shaping up to be a 3.5 star read. And then, as I read more, it became a 4-star read. But, because of a few scenes (I'll explain more down below), it was back down to 3.5 stars. But then. About 80% into the story, my heart broke. And it became 4 stars again. But THEN. About 93% into the story, there was this one scene that literally broke my heart. I'm not a crier when it comes to books. I've honestly never cried before. So when I say this, it truly shows how the author did such an incredible job of writing this scene: I. Was. Blinking. Back. Tears. So. Hard. And. If. I. Didn't. Have. To. Go. To. Bed. I. Might. Have. Cried.

THAT scene, and the way the author ended the story with such a bittersweet but hopeful ending, brought this book up to 4.5 stars. Endings are so important for authors to nail. It ties the story together, leaving the reader crying happy or sad tears, wishing there was more to the story or it had ended sooner, and sealing the deal on the final rating the reader will give. The author NAILED this ending. It was one of the best endings I've ever read in my life--and I've read a lot of books, trust me.

So. This story is a 4.5 read for me. Why not 5 stars? Well, because of this...

Content Warning: There were two scenes I skipped because, well, Arie and Fenn loved each other. And in two specific scenes, their love led them to show it in a "what couples would do on their honeymoon night" kind of way (that sounds so awkward to say, hahaha!). As a Christian, I don't read scenes that include s*x. I'm going to mention the chapters, so if content like this is something you don't want to read but still want to give this book a try, you can skip those scenes. Chapter 24 and Chapter 70 (these CW scenes are only about 1 page long, so I completely skipped the page when I knew where the scene was going, so it's easy not to read it).

Minus the CW, I honestly have no complaints about this book. I. still can't get over how 93% into the story and until the very last page, how I was fighting tears, and just how the author ended the book...this is a story I won't forget for quite some time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an eARC of The Ways We Hide. A positive review was not required, only my honest opinion. All thoughts are expressly my own.

I am not usually a fan of historical fiction but I am a fan of Kristina McMorris so thought I’d give the Ways We hide a try. I’m so glad I did. The story of Fen had me captivated from the very first page. There were moments I was literally sitting on the edge of my seat, holding my breathe, praying all would work out. I felt the fear every time she encountered a German soldier. This book was definitely worth the read, even if you are like me and not usually a fan of historical fiction. You will not be disappointed!

"Everything is better with magic." So says a very wise child we meet in WAYS WE HIDE, and oh, so true. As a performer, I loved the validation that one uses her particular set of skills to provide such great help to the Allied forces. McMorris' research, from MI9's gadgets to a tragedy at the beginning of the book, early in our heroine's life, gives us such great facts, wrapped in a wonderful, and at times difficult, story. In the author's note, McMorris says she often describes historical fiction as "literary Advil", providing a sugarcoating to harsh history. Nothing could be more apt for this book. From the glamour of the stage to the hard knocks of an orphanage and daring escapes, this book took my breath away, made me laugh, and, yes, cry. I couldn't ask for more.

In THE WAYS WE HIDE, a terrifying, near-fatal, narrow escape during her childhood in the 1920s turns out to be a predestination of sorts for things to come for Fenna Vos, the daughter of an immigrant Dutch miner in America’s Upper Midwest.

In their native tongue Vos means “fox,” her father taught Fenna. Thus she was already, in the words of author Kristina McMorris, “fated to be inquisitive and friendly yet sly and elusive, a solitary creature not meant for a pack. And like the Arctic fox, whose fur changes color with the seasons, I was adept at fading into the background.”

Good traits for not one, but two, subsequent career paths. Fenna shares a clandestine childhood friendship with Arie, whose family are also Dutch emigres. One day she discovers a gift from him under her pillow: a well-thumbed copy of Houdini’s magic tricks. The little volume, as well as memories of the tragedy she could never have escaped without Arie’s help, will end up shaping her destiny. So, too, will her deep connection with Arie.

Fenna becomes transfixed by the notion of “escaping the inescapable.” Mastering Houdini’s skills of illusion and deflection, peppered with extraordinary moxie, she manages to outwit a series of gatekeepers [you’ll get no plot spoilers in this review] in her youth. Ultimately, she lands on her feet—and on stage, following in Houdini’s footsteps—although she’s most comfortable behind the scenes, devising and designing complex escape illusions for her stage partners.

After a performance one night during one of her tours, she’s offered the opportunity of a lifetime: to go to England and join an MI9 classified section designing spycraft for the Allied forces and POWs: such as gadgets hidden in buttons, lipsticks, and Monopoly boards.

From the first scene of McMorris’s novel where life and death escapes are offered as stage entertainment (though we hold our breath nonetheless, because an illusionist’s trick can still go horribly wrong), we are led through a series of ever more dangerous offstage life and death escapes, where there is no sure denouement. Escapes from the inescapable must occasionally be improvised or re-imagined on the spot; and Fenna is never entirely sure who to trust. She has been hired for her skills in the art of deception; yet is she herself being deceived by someone? Or by more than one person? Including those in whom she has always placed her trust?

In THE WAYS WE HIDE the stakes are always impossibly high—and then they change, only to grow even higher. War rages on, with a ticking clock, just like a timed escape from a water tank or an airless capsule. Each of Fenna’s narrow escapes, too, are timed or doomed to failure—which would be catastrophic. There is no time to mourn a loss: characters must acknowledge it and move on, or more precious moments will be gone forever. Even true emotions remain hidden; revealed too late. McMorris has written a story of WWII that rings completely true, has no time for sentiment, yet grabs your gut and your heart from the first page, and never lets go.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book. The Ways We Hide is a beautiful and breathtaking story of bravery and love. The characters are so well developed and yet human. That this amazing story is inspired by real life events just makes it all the more amazing. This is a testament to just what lengths we will go to for those that matter.

I wish to thank NetGalley and Sourcebooks LANDMARK Publishing for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Where do I begin? This book covers so much and it hooks you at the very beginning. It is like having 3 or 4 books all in one. It is brilliantly written, the story flow works, the characters are amazing and it really involves the reader in the story. This is not the first book that I have read by this author and it will not be the last. I am a huge fan.

This story begins in New York City before WWII. Fenna has been fascinated with the magician Houdini since she was a child and as a young woman she is part of a magician team that entertains all over the country. She is the main person behind the scenes but on stage acts as the assistant. If this was all of the book I would have been pleased but the story evolves when the British government hires her to go to London and work with MI9 developing spy implements that will help downed pilots, POWs, and soldiers and spies in the field. If you are a James Bond fan this will grab you. She connects with an old flame and they work together to try to free a young Jewish girl and others. I do not want to say more but believe me this is a great book for anyone who loves espionage, and action all wrapped up in a web of magic. I loved it and highly recommend it.

Wow, just wow. This is a BEAUTIFULLY written story. Historical novels are usually out of my wheelhouse, however I’m glad I read this. The MC is SO real, flawed, strong, and tainted by her past - I love her! No damsel in distress for this story.

You won’t regret reading this book, the twists and turns are captivating! Check trigger warnings, but it’s a book based during WW2 so it has a lot of mentions of the time period, especially around Nazis. MC is first generation American with a Dutch father who eventually makes her way over to London to help the Allies in an unusual way due to her love of magic tricks.


Themes: action, Houdini, escape artist, strong female MC, WW2, death, love, PTSD, alcoholism, Nazi, escaping, gadgets, military, spies, family, fire, trauma, orphans, NOT HAE (but happy enough), historical, Europe, unions, immigrants, mentions of anti-Semitic (nazis), grief

I was provided a free arc in exchange for a review through netgalley, however my review is 100% my own.

I’m a fast reader, but I needed to read this slowly so I could absorb every detail and feel every emotion. This book was oh so good, stunning in its portrayal of human emotion, love and loss. I’m not good enough with words to do it justice.

Fenna Vos loves magic and illusions. She’s smitten with Houdini. She suffered loss and tragedy and her love of the magical world of Houdini got her through these hard times. She becomes quite adept at illusions and trickery herself, so as a young woman she is recruited by M19 to invent and design gadgets meant to help those fighting the Nazis. She finds that her skills will be put to good use to save those she loves.

I cheered Fenna on, I cried with her, I chewed off all of my fingernails and I stayed up way too late reading. I’m so grateful for the ARC of this book and would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher. This is my honest 5-star review.

Kristina McMorris’ latest book, The Ways We Hide, is a must read if you love historical fiction and novels set during WWII. I thought it was fascinating that Kristina used a little known piece of history, how allies used Monopoly boards to smuggle escape aids to Allied POWs, to develop a story. Kristina is a gifted storyteller. The novel kept me engaged as Fenna meets and overcomes one obstacle after another beginning in her childhood. Her role as inventor and magician assistant ends up taking her to England and working with British intelligence.
The novel was a roller coaster of suspense and action. I found myself gasping at some points wondering how Fenna was going to get out of the current mess. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book for my honest review.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a phenomenal novel and I loved everything about it...the characters, the storyline, the writing, everything. Fenna is a magician working at MI9 and gets dropped into Holland to help clear childhood friend, Arie. This book was suspenseful, action packed, tender and just wonderful. I definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys historical fiction but this book would appeal to such a wide audience. I would give this book 50 stars if I could!! Now I'm off to read Sold on. A Monday by this author.

Fenna Vos grew up in a mining town in Michigan, where a tragic incident has left traumatic memories that she has managed to suppress by studying the work of Harry Houdini.
It is 1942 and WWII is raging in Europe. Fenna is an adult now that performs on stage in New York City as the assistant to an escape artist. In reality, she is the genius behind the artist’s tricks, controlling each aspect of their act, from conception to the construction of contraptions, and the actual performance. It is in one of her shows that a British military intelligence officer offers her a job in London designing escape gadgets for POW’s, aviators, and members of the Resistance. The job is challenging and sometimes frustrating, but her biggest challenge is a test of her loyalty that threatens to destroy the walls she has set up to survive.
This is a fascinating, well-researched book that deals with a little-known fact from WWII. The language is beautiful, and the story kept me engaged from start to finish. I feared for Fenna, cried with and for her, and admired her courage and fortitude, as well as her ability to observe, empathize and rationalize her feelings. Her will to survive leads her to find answers and solutions. Through adversity, regrets, and loss, she strives to move on in life honoring her loved ones. I am truly in awe of this character and of the whole story.
I also enjoyed the author’s notes on the inspiration behind the story and her research on the subject. This is a five-star book for me; one of my favorites of all time. I cannot recommend it enough.
Thanks to NetGalley and to Sourcebooks Landmark for providing me with a free digital copy to review this book prior to its release.

Fenna Vos has experienced a lot of highs and lows in her short life. From surviving a stampede of people trying to escape what was later learned was a false cry of “fire”, to the loss of her parents to illness making her an orphan. Through these early experiences, she meets and befriends Arie, who finds a book on magic by Houdini. Thus began her journey into learning about magic and the tricks of the illusions.

Fast forward to 1942, after an argument with her onstage partner, she is approached by a man from British Intelligence. He knows she is the mastermind behind the tricks performed on stage and presents her an opportunity to support the Allied troops. Unsure of what to do, she calls Arie to ask if he knows the man through his network with the military. Arie is brief with her about the person and ends up hanging up on her, leaving the reader to wonder what fractured their relationship.

While in England, working with MI9 to find ways to help Allied forces with their contraptions, Fenna encounters Arie. He leaves soon after and she discovers through a meeting with British intelligence that he has disappeared on a mission and has failed to report in. Fenna suggests that she go to Holland as bait to flush him out. As she trains for this mission, she is told by a friend that she overheard the officer going with Fenna is being sent to kill Arie for fear he has turned on the Allies.

What ensues is a tense adventure where so many things go wrong, but not too many that leave the reader shaking their head wondering how much bad luck one person could have. McMorris weaves a story of survival, love, and betrayal masterfully that leaves you rooting for Fenna to successfully complete her mission and reunite with Arie. She is a strong female protagonist that utilizes her intelligence and trade to survive all that life is throwing or has thrown at her. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#netgalley #arc #thewayswehide #kristinamcmorris #sourcebookslandmark

I love historical fiction because I learn so much. History class was never this interesting. Ways We Hide is a wonderful story that is wonderful and heartbreaking at the same time. Fenna lives in a coal mining town with her father and a tragedy causes them to move away. Her best friend is Arie and the most important person in her life once her father passes away. They are of Dutch heritage and when World War II happens the Netherlands are one of Hitler's targets. How to help becomes the question for each of them. Their choices differ.

As a reader you will be rooting for each of the characters. This book shows how our childhoods affects our lives. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who likes historical fiction. If you have never read historical fiction you should also give this book a try.

Thank you to #netgalley, #Sourcebooks, and #KristinaMcMorris for a copy of this well written book.

This is the WW II story of Fenna Vos and the eventual reunion of her and her childhood love, Arie Jansen.

The story is beatifully written and depicts the horrors and danger Fen faced during the war. At times it is very emotional.

I loved the courage Fen portrayed in the novel as she works with the British in the war effort against the Nazis.

Highly recommend

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for granting me an advance copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

This book was one of those that will always be with me. The story is captivating and gut wrenching at the same time. I am amazed at Kristina's vast knowledge of the times and setting of this story. I felt like I was actually living it alongside Fenna. Kristina is one of my favorite authors because she cuts no corners and pens rich stories. I can hardly wait for her next one!

I almost did not finish this book. The first chapters were about a hung girl who worked as a magician’s assistant, even though she was the one with the plans and ideas eventually she is called by the British military to design an create various gadgets to be used as escape aids against the German army. As she is drawn deeply into the war, she is faced with unexpected emotions.
Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this very captivating book.

Ways We Hide by Kristina McMorris is a wonderful WWII- era historical fiction that I truly enjoyed.

Fenna Vos is such a wonderfully complex, flawed, and ultimately like able and admirable heroine. She is a fighter, stronger than she realizes, and has heart and fortitude. Going through so much, yet persevering…just beautiful.

I loved the inclusion of the concepts of the “magic acts” and how that illusionary vision and talent caught the eyes of British intelligence and that they saw in her a resource that could contribute to the cause and war effort. It was just such a unique premise and really gave the story a unique angle to make it even more memorable.

I really liked the moments of suspense, the emotions, and the eventual outcome. It was just such a great book that I highly recommend.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Sourcebooks Landmark for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 9/6/22.

Not sure where to even start as this book had me engaged and captivated. I was taken away into the journey of survival that Fenna was going through.
Age 11 she is living with her widowed father, A teenager seeing and discovering the magic of Houdini. I have to admit I got caught up in Houdini's magic as well.
She gets recruited by British Intelligence to use her "magic" skills of escapism to help win the war against the Nazis.
An edge of your seat story as you take the journey with Fenna of danger during war while dealing with memories and things in her past that still haunt her.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the opportunity to read this book.

The Ways we Hide is another amazing novel by Kristina McMorris!
Fenna's background story is in parts heartbreaking but is also a survivors story. Before picking up this book, I had no idea persons with Fenna's skillset would be such an asset in a war setting, now I want to learn more!
The Ways we Hide is a page-turner! Before I knew it, I was at the half way point and just had to know what happened next.

Fen's story from being a poor daughter in a mining community to her experiences during World War II is engaging from start to finish! A well earned 5 stars!

I have no idea where to start with my thoughts about this mesmerizing book, which held me under its spell for every deep emotion, every heart pounding scene, every line of superbly-crafted prose. It’s apt to use a magical term to describe a book that features an illusionist, an escape artist, a woman who uses her cunning and intellect to escape her hardscrabble life, and to help the Allies during WWII. Fenna Vos is one of the most extraordinary characters ever to inhabit any novel. Her life is shaped by hardships and trauma that left deep psychological scars, but also left her with a profound instinct for bravery and survival. Completely enraptured, I was swept up by Fen’s journey from 1928 Michigan when Fenna is an 11-year-old living with her widowed father; to her teenage years when she first discovers the magic of Houdini and also her first love; to 1942 when she is first the mastermind of a magic act, until she is recruited by British intelligence to use her skills to design gadgets and escape aids to help defeat the Nazis. I was completely invested in every aspect of Fenna’s life, always on the edge of my seat, as she faced memories and regret that haunted her, at the same time facing treachery and danger during wartime. I cried for her and with her, I celebrated her victories, I was fraught with worry, I was amazed by her cleverness, and I was in awe of her courage.