Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Incredible! As a lover of historical fiction, this book was heartwarming and heartbreaking all rolled into one. Absolutely loved it!

I was not able to finish this book. I got over 40% through and it just was not grabbing my interest. Historical Fiction is very hit or miss with me and I may try to continue this book later down the road.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for allowing me to read this book. My review is late but doesn't mean I didn't love the book. I am a sucker for WW2 books. This book had a lot of intrigue and mystery and I love the secret world of spies. Would recommend!

This book had so much substance and I loved it! It starts with a traumatic event i n1913 i nMichigan in the area of copper mines. When her father is killed in a mining accident, Fenna is forced to leave the company housing and is placed in an orphanage. She manages to escape, and finds her best friend's family
Fenna is the brains behind a magic act during WWII and is approached by an Englishman who asks her to assist in M1I9's efforts to design gadgets, hidden maps and other devices to help allied soldiers. She thus joins British intelligence and becomes an operative in The Netherlands.
Some scenes had me on the edge of my seat, reading about the travails that the Allies went through to get in and out of the Netherlands. Others brought tears to my eyes, realizing the suffering that the characters sustained.
This book was well written with well developed characters and situations and thoroughly researched.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for free and am leaving this review voluntarily

This historical fiction was a wonderful novel, telling the story about Fenna's life as an only child of a copper miner living in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. She experiences true hardship throughout her life, but still shows kindness and hope. This book is a story about love, loss, tragedy and hope.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

Fenna Vos has always been fascinated by magic. She is an assistant to an escape artist while she continues to grow their act with her fascination and trauma of her past. There is a person from that trauma that continues to weave through her life over the different stages. Fenna always has an escape plan.

One of those plans happens to be called by British Intelligence to go overseas to help with WWII. She uses her slight of hand and ability to make things appear to help their soldiers escape from the Germans. As an inventor for the British, we follow as she creates new items that appear to be one thing, but contain elements to assist. However, when she finds out that the one person from her past is in trouble, she needs to help find a way to get him, and his niece out of harms way.

This was quite a fascinating book. Do not skip the pages after the story ends, the author provides more backstory to show how this story was inspired by true events.

One of the cleverest, engaging historical novel I’ve read. And I have read many WWII novels. Fen a is an eventual orphan whose parents immigrated to the upper peninsula in MI to work in the copper mines. As a young girl Fenna had an obsession with Magic. The only book she owns is a manual on magic. After her parents died she’s traveled to find her only friend, Charles. His family takes her in. Fast forward the war started and Charles joined the service. Fenna directed a traveling magic show. Eventually that ends and she is “found” by a peculiar US Government agent who plans to use her magic skills in a top secret mission to plant secret items in Red Cross packages to enable service men to escape or send and receive messages. That’s when the fun begins. This is based on a true story. Talking to POWs, they confirm receiving such devices. The relationship between Fenna and Charles is also explored. . I loved this book and highly recommend it. Thanks to Net Galley and Sourcebooks for ARC and an honest review.

This wonderful novel maintained my interest from the first sentence. Unlike so many WWII novels I’ve read, The Ways We Hide one isn’t about the British who served as intelligence agents. it’s about an American woman’s involvement with MI9 (which I knew nothing about). MI9, the British Directorate of Military Intelligence Section 9, was a highly secret department of the War Office between 1939 and 1945. Their function was two-fold: to help Allied POWs escape Nazi Germany, and help downed airmen evade capture after being shot down.

Fenna Vos grew up on Michigan’s harsh Upper Peninsula. On Christmas Eve, 1913, the union holds a party at the Italian Hall in Calumet for copper miner’s families during their five-month-long labor strike. After someone yells “fire!” a stampede down a steep stairwell kills seventy-three people, fifty-nine of them children. Fen narrowly escapes with her life.

Fast forward to WWII. Fenna is making a living as an escape artist in New York City. When a recruiter for MI9 sees her show, he recruits her to use her skills to make escape aids to thwart the Germans.

The author relates haunting experiences, the characters are well developed, and the plot is riveting… the trifecta of a good book. The Ways We Hide has elements of mystery, history, and adventure, and it is based on fascinating true events. It was both thrilling and frightening in parts; I even learned a bit about Henry Houdini.

The novel wasn’t perfect, but it deserves five stars. Highly recommended.

** Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy. The opinions expressed her are my own.

This was a very interesting read, while I did think it was a bit long. I always like when an author can bring me to tears through their writing, and I was there a couple of times during the read.

I don't always enjoy a historical setting in a book, but this one kept me interested throughout.

A solid historical thriller with the added bonus of all things Houdini, escapology, gadgetry, and the small but crucial details of espionage--and magic shows. The characters are interesting and have depth, and the story is well woven into its settings. I appreciate the complication of Fenna's and Arie's trauma as children and its continuing role in their lives as adults, Ways We Hide is a nice change from less well developed and more predictable historical fiction set in this period.

This perspective into World War 2 was completely different. I liked looking at this from another angle. It did take a super long time to tell this story though. It kind of lost my interest in the beginning and I had to put it away for awhile and then pick it back up again.

Another great historical fiction novel by Kristina McMorris! The Ways We Hide explores the ways that we hide from our feelings, the ones we love, the ways items could be hidden and concealed in WWII and physically hiding to stay safe. Kristiana did a masterful job of weaving in true spy gadgets and people in MI9 in England, with the fictional story of Fen and Arie. I found all the characters relatable and especially connected with Fen. A great read even if WWII historical fiction isn't your jam like it is mine.

You would think by now I would be tired of World War Two stories. I'm not. I'm fascinated by how many different takes there are on the time period. This one takes place in England and The Netherlands but it focuses on spycraft, which I loved. Combine that with a heroine that struggles with PTSD and loves to do magic tricks and you have a really great novel. It got a little long in places, and probably could have been told with about one hundred fewer pages, but it was well worth the read. I can't help comparing it to Code Name Helene by Ariel Lawhon. Recommended if you don't mind long books and enjoy WW2. Thanks Netgalley and Sourcebooks for an ARC of this book.

This is the story of Fenna, who is a magician. I've day she is asked to become an inventor to help beat the Nazis. It's a great story!

I really enjoyed this book! Magic tricks, WW2, gadgets, British Military and romance equal an absorbing and gripping tale by the author old Sold on a Monday.

Fenna Voss is a determined and unique character. She goes through multiple life changing events but keeps on going. She finds ways to help deal with her traumatic childhood. She learned a lot from her father and her best friend, Arie, and his family about how to survive in this world. When we join her as an adult, she’s now the brains behind a Illusionist act and is getting tired of being treated as an assistant. One evening after work she is approached by a man who wants to recruit her to work with his secret M19 team designing escape aids.

There’s romance, darkness, intrigue, tension, and peril, with an endearing main character I’m certain everyone will root for.I would recommend this to anyone who loves a character driven novel that is impeccably researched and based on true events. There are scenes that will make you tearful and others that will leave you feeling uplifted!

The Ways We Hide by Kristina McMorris. Pub Date: September 6, 2022. Rating: 3.5 stars. A WWII novel with an interesting, magical twist, this book packs a punch in female empowerment, military operations, romance and escapism. Fenna Vos grew up being fascinated with magic ultimately leading her to working with an escape artist. During her work, she is approached to be recruited to work with the secret M19 team to design escape gadgets during the war. She sets out to design gadgets/tools to help soldiers escape from the Germans. I loved the scenery, the grit of Fenna and the new twist on WWII historical fiction. I did find this book to be a tad long, but overall really enjoyed it! Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an e-arc in exchange for my honest review. #netgalley

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.

I’m sad. I really wanted to LOVE this book but I only liked it and not a strong like.

I have loved every book by Kristina McMorris since I read Bridge of Scarlet Leaves ( read that book!). For some unexplained reason, The Ways We Hide fell flat. The story premise is interesting but it got lost in long drawn out details that had me zoning out.

Will I continue to read Kristina McMorris books? Heck yeah. My thoughts on this book may have just been my mood while I was reading. Maybe I should have saved for January when I like big thick books. Others have raved about this book. Go check it out for yourself. She is a wonderful writer.

The book is 496 pages and the audiobook comes in at a little over 17 hours.

This book was amazing. There was so much packed into these pages and I could not put it down. It was well researched and a lot was going on, yet it worked. This one will stay with me for a long time!

A fantastic historical fiction novel based off of true accounts. I appreciate the authors beautiful writing style. The story of love and loss and the battles we face not only on the field but within ourselves. I'll be recommending this one.