Historical fiction with World War II spies combined with a touch of magic had me hooked.
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Fenna has been fascinating by magic from an early age and has taken her talents to the stage when she is approached to use those same talents to help with the war effort. Recruited by MI9, Fenna shows ingenuity and creativity in her assignments. But when a childhood friend is accused of betraying his country, Fenna has to find him and set the record straight.

I loved this book! Kristina McMorris has written a stunning historical fiction novel that is beautiful and heartbreaking but also demonstrates the resiliency of the human spirit. Her characters are perfectly developed and you feel a connection with each one. Fenna's backstory was eloquently told and helped to create a bond with her and the reader.

Highly recommend this fantastic book!

This is my first Kristina McMorris novel and I was intrigued to discover it is based on true events. Set during World War II, the book is about Fenna Vos, an American female magician who is recruited by British military intelligence to assist the war effort in England, using her unique expertise as an inventor to design devices to help allied soldiers evade capture or escape prison. Fenna, who is smart, likable, caring, and brave, embarks on a dangerous mission where she is forced to come face-to-face with her past. I found the novel well-written, page-turning, heartbreaking, and entertaining. Recommended.

Received as a free ARC from NetGalley.

This is my first time reading anything by Kristina McMorris. I was pleasantly surprised. I loved the front cover, the colors, the photo, and it wasn't too busy. I love historical fiction and the fact that this was based on a true story was a bonus. Another addition was the appearance of magic and the creation of gadgets, Harry Houdini, style and the creative way the author strings these through the storyline.

Who would not love the characters, such as Fenna Voss and Arie. Fenna Voss is not only strong, she is a survivor from the time she was little a girl when her mother died and all the horrible events along the way in her life. Arie was a survivor as well and saw way too much in his lifetime. I was rooting for Fenna, Arie, their friends, and their family through the war, their missions, and what they were forced to deal with.

I will definitely be reading more of this author.

I was completely engrossed and invested in this story from the first chapter. Haunted characters that you can't help but root for, I was invested in and could relate to more than one character in this and really felt like I trudging along in the tragedies, the turmoil and the suspense.. Strong female empowerment vibes despite the setting and historical implications of that time period made this hard to put down and I finished it quicker than I wanted to. I will read more from this author, in a heartbeat, and would recommend to my reading group and others. Thanks to the Author and the Publisher for allowing this to be presented prior to publication for review. Thoroughly enjoyed and will review elsewhere as well.

I was excited when I received an ARC for this book from McMorris, as I've enjoyed some of her previous books.

Fenna Vos is an illusionist. She is quite talented and creates the majority of the content performed on stage each night. But being a woman, she cannot be the forerunner of the show. It's the assistant she has trained that gets all the credit. After a great falling-out, she is upset and unsure where her future will lead her. Until a British Intelligence agent reaches out to her and offers her a war-time job. In desperation she agrees and that sets her on a path she never could have imagined.

Fenna has such a troubled childhood with traumas that follow her throughout her life. It's her one true friend, Arie, who really is her bedrock and I loved the relationship they forged. But even that was a bumpy ride. There were some beautiful moments and some horribly tragic moments in this one. Definitely cried big tears in this one. But that goes to show how well these characters are written that I was so invested in them.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was such an impactful story. Fenna was an amazing female character who was incredibly resilient. The storyline followed the friendships, love, loss, unexpected experiences, and her time with the British Intelligence. The courage she shows throughout the book was really inspiring and I had a really hard time putting this book down. Highly recommend this one!

I loved this book so much! I really enjoyed the expanded time period that book allows the reader to travel through, as well as a different view of WW2 in Holland that is not typically written bought. Loved the magic and all of the characters. Highly recommend!!!

Perhaps my only concern was that at times I felt it seemed a bit much happening, but the afterword reveals the true history behind the details. Still a lot to have happened to one person though such things so occur in some peoples’ lives.

The Ways We Hide is a gripping historical fiction that begins with Fenna Vos apparently assisting master magician Charles at their show in Brooklyn. But appearances can be deceiving as Fenna, or Fen, is the expert who has crafted this show and taught Charles all he knows. The future holds so much for them, and the world as it’s now 1942 and the beginning of the United States’ entry into the War. There are changes on the way for this pair.

I absolutely loved this book and will definitely be looking forward to reading more from this author.

I recently read the historical fiction novel Ways We Hide by Kristina McMorris, and I found it to be an incredibly compelling and well-crafted story. The author does a great job of weaving together an intricate plotline that takes the reader through various time periods, locations, and characters. The characters are especially well-drawn and vivid, making it easy to connect with them and their struggles. The story is full of intrigue and small surprises that make it a joy to read. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to experience a well-told story that captures the essence of history.

A woman who loves creating illusions ends up working for the government during world war II, but her past relationships take her into territories she never anticipated and she has to face her greatest fears. I was so pulled in at the beginning--both by the magic show aspect and her relationship with the family who took her in. I felt like the book bogged down a bit in the middle but then picked up again towards the end.

Who knew? So many interesting stories have come out of WWII. People chose to use their talents to defeat the enemy in whatever form they could. The author did an excellent job of researching and telling an engaging story.
Thank you Netgalley.

This book wasn’t quite what I expected, but in a good way. I loved the WWII backdrop, yet it wasn’t the main focus. Fenna Vos is a strong lead and an interesting character to read about. I appreciated her story and the struggles she faced both as a child and as an adult. I would have appreciated a little less of a look inside her thoughts though. Sometimes her memories felt a bit long winded, which took away from the overall story.

Overall a solid 4 star read. Id recommend to other readers who are looking for something set in the WWII era without the war being the main focus.

Thank you Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book follows the life of Fenna Vos, a magician who also designs elaborate escape tricks. As it jumps from the present to the past, we uncover the layers of Fenna and see how she overcomes adversity time and time again. I was drawn in as she took a job with the British Military Intelligence to use her invention and illusion skills to help keep the Allies safe during World War II. I really loved the story and the strength Fenna showed throughout her life. This was my first book by this author and I will now be searching for more. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

💯Wowie Kapowie, this book! Y'all know I don't easily dole out 5 stars, but this one certainly earned every single one!

👏Now I've been a fan of Kristina McMorris since her release of Sold On a Monday, but this novel was on a whole new level. I experienced all the feels with this gem. During my crying bout, I must admit I was a bit angry with one of the author's choices toward the end, but as I reflected, I realized it was simply the reality of WWII. Kudos to her for making the book realistic and compelling.

The storyline was incredibly unique for this genre and the fact that it is based on true accounts made it that much more powerful. I never knew that escape artists were used by British Intelligence to create escape tools for the military. Absolutely fascinating...

Fenna immediately became family, and her narration was exquisite. I felt her trepidation, anxiety, and hope throughout the novel. All of the supporting characters were essential to the story and not a word was wasted.

I always love Ms. McMorris' author's notes. It's intriguing to hear how photos inspire her to uncover these little-known stories. And the fact that she can come up with such a brilliant backstory just speaks to her incredible talent.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for sharing this amazing novel!

After the initial pages, I found myself not connecting with the story or characters, so I decided to pass on this book. Did not finish

I attempted to pick up Ways We Hide numerous times and I found that I could not get in to the authors writing. This was my first book by Kristina McMorris so I am not sure if it was specific to this book or just may be the authors style of writing. I decided to DNF this book around the 30% mark.

I would still like to try another book by this author as I can definitely see the potential in her work/stories.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for allowing me the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

9️⃣5️⃣ The Ways We Hide by Kristina McMorris
🗓️Tuesday, December 27, 2022
⏱️15 hours 44 minutes
📓Kindle, ARC from @netgalley
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fenna Vos has always been fascinated with magic. She admired the great Harry Houdini and studied his works through reading he rushes literature of his life and acts. She began to craft her own tricks based on her understanding of his maneuvers and trials. She became familiar with sleight of hand tricks using cards as well as illusions such as disappearing in crates and boxes as a show magicians assistant.
Everything changes one evening when she noticed a a guest in the audience holds a firm and emotionless gaze throughout the show. Leery of the man and his presence she can’t knock his expression. The gentleman seeks her out and makes her an offer and ponders not to resist.
Due to Fenna’s remarkable skills and craft she is recruited to help with Allied forces to create and fine tune devices and hidden compartments to aid for the on going war. Lipstick tubes, pocket compacts, board games, and even decks of cards are used for secret messages and hidden receptacles for weaponry and maps.
Fenna becomes successful in this field however stakes draw with greater risk with each passing of time.
As Fenna works through assignments with M-19, she remebers her past of losing her parents and the unnerving situations she was forced into as an orphan. She recalls her own great escape from the orphanage using Harry Houdini as her inspiration. She bittersweetly holds memories of her father even as she sacrifices leaving her only mementos of him.
As her assignments come with more demand and detail, she realizes someone from her past is resurfacing. Puzzled at first leading to curiosity she looks to discover why Arie is proximal and what he is established for during the war. Fenna left Arie in their youth on disheartening terms, doing what she felt was best for him. With grasps for closure Fenna looks for an opportunity to explain herself, but realizes she may be in over her skills and abilities for what is to come.

@kristina.mcmorris had proven a well researched and accurate depiction of what life was like for many who had no tiger choice to create safety through hiding during WWII.

Even though this piece is lengthy, it is well worth every minute read.

This book did offer a new twist on the WWII historical fiction we typical read. The characters were nicely developed. The plot was also engaging. My only complaint is it was a tad long and could have benefited from some editing. Overall an enjoyable read.

THE GOOD: Extremely well researched. It ties in numerous 1920's-1940's actual events and real people into a cohesive, engaging novel. A good, long, length, as well, giving plenty of time to enjoy the almost epic-like tale. Included, also, are a fascinating Author's Note explaining the creative process of building the fact-based fictional world, as well as historical photographs of places mentioned in the book.

THE BAD: The main character is not a based on a real person, and, in fact, this fictional character takes credit for the brave work of real, historical individuals. The cover, too, is a bit misleading as this is primarily a WWII novel with an adult female lead. That said, however, about 10% of the story takes place in Fenna's childhood in the '20's and '30's. The title could use some work, too, as I don't feel it really represents the story.

CONCLUSION: Worth a read, and recommended, although not quite a 5-star.