A lovely book based on true events and inspired by a sign saying 2 CHILDREN FOR SALE and so a rather sad but inspiring read.
A true tale of the times in the 1930's and shows how hard things were back then for families and the lives they led.

Highly recommend. Great storyline and characters! This is a new to me author. I will definitely be looking into more books by them. A+

At times both heart wrenching and hopeful. This story is a lovely telling of mistakes, redemption, etc

As a journalist/photographer, Ellis Reed takes a picture of a sign saying 2 Children for Sale. This happens during the Depression and families need to make gut wrenching decision. After a 2nd picture, things begin to spiral out of control but Ellis begins a journey to find the children to see where they are and what has become of them.

4.5 stars

It all started when struggling journalist, Ellis Reed, snaps photos of two children beside a handwritten sign proclaiming “2 children for sale”. He takes the pictures because they evoke memories from his own childhood and has no intention of them ever being published. But, when his boss sees the pictures and they lead to Ellis’s big break, the pictures get published and attract far more attention than Ellis could have imagined. And the consequences of the pictures are far deeper than he could have predicted. Lillian Palmer is a secretary at the paper Ellis works for. Even though she’s dealing with secrets of her own, the plight of the children in the pictures captures her heart and attention. She teams up with Ellis to help this broken family and set things right, in any way they can.

This heartbreaking story captured my attention from the first paragraph and didn’t let go. Kristina McMorris has a talent for telling a story so well that you find yourself experiencing it along with her characters. And her characters are amazingly complex, heroic, flawed, unique individuals. Sadly, this story was based on an all too real photo published just after The Depression. McMorris definitely did her research into the time and surrounding while bringing the story to life. I enjoyed every moment of this book and can’t wait to read more of her work.

I really enjoyed this book! It was very well-written, and I felt like I really got to know the characters. The story was very in-depth, and I found myself invested in the story. It is difficult to think that during the depression some families actually had to resort to selling their children due to hard times. How heartbreaking to think that this was a choice some had to make for their very survival.

Based on an actual newspaper article, this book chronicles the rippling effects of a somewhat innocent action taken by a newspaper writer. Ellis snaps a picture of a couple of brothers sitting on their front porch. Afterward, he noticed the sign above them that stated "children for sale". The events that follow cause Ellis guilt, a mother heartache, and children fear and confusion. Ellis and his co-worker/friend Lilly are determined to make right a situation that has gone terribly wrong.

I loved this book and knowing that the idea for the book came from a picture of a pregnant mother and her 4 children, with a sign saying the children were for sale, is heartbreaking. The book starts during 1931 and the Great Depression with a young journalist, Ellis, taking a picture of two boys at a house with children "for sale" sign. Back at the office, secretary Lily, places that picture with other pictures on her boss's desk and Ellis is asked to write a story about the picture. When the picture is ruined Ellis heads back to the boys' house to take another picture of them and the sign but the family has moved on.

Ellis then goes across the street with the sign and takes a picture of a brother and sister to recreate the original picture. The story and picture go out and they draw lots of attention for Ellis and for the children in the picture. Little does Ellis know that his actions of 'faking' the original picture are going to wreak havoc on the life of that brother and sister.

I liked the characters of Ellis and Lily, both flawed, both growing and both dealing with past and present actions. I even liked most of the minor characters, most of them just ordinary people, working hard for little money, knowing that there were hundreds of people waiting to take their jobs. I know this book could be too slow, too subtle for many readers, but I liked the way it moved slowly, the way the romance(s) was so subtle, with Lily knowing she couldn't make a mistake of any kind...romance could not be about love at this point in her life.

In this historical fiction book Ellis and Lillian connect in the midst of the depression and forge a bond over the publishing of a picture in the newspaper. I felt as though I was being transported in time while reading this book and really enjoyed it.

Heartbreaking….summed up in one word. It transported me to a grim and depressing time. I felt the desperation. Overall, it was a really good book. It took me longer than usual to read because I felt the story lagged a bit, so I kept losing interest.

I’ve had this book on my shelf for a number of years, I was hesitant to pick it up because of that cover. To me it spells heartache, sadness and could be a depressing read.

It’s 1931 and both Ellis Reed and Lillian Palmer work for a newspaper. As they both strive for newsworthy events they also both have secrets and guilt from the past. But when a picture draws them together and sets them on a journey to heal a fractured family they get more than they bargained for.

This is my first time reading a Kristina McMorris book, she wrote this book inspired by an actual newspaper photo that stocked a nation. The author did her homework and depicting the time vividly. There were the struggles of the depression along with the desperation of families and those that take advantage of them.

Sold on a Monday is a story of family, redemption and righting wrongs. It will tug at your heart strings and draw you right in to its captivating ending.

What a heartbreaking but good book! I thought the writing was fantastic and it kept me on the edge of my seat. At one point towards the end I was holding my breath in anticipation! Great read!

I hope you’re happy! I can’t tell you how many times I uttered these words while reading this book. While Ellis Reed slowly climbs up his career ladder, the rungs that he has been using, are slowly falling apart. The year is 1931 and times are tough all around, as families struggle to stay afloat during the Great Depression. The uncertainty of their future had some desperate individuals searching for ways to survive another day while Ellis Reed was looking for something more.

As a journalist, Ellis is searching for his “big break” as his rise to fame wasn’t coming fast enough for him. Armed with his camera and his knack for writing, Reed discovers his “big break” but unfortunately, things don’t go as planned. Not thinking about the repercussions of his actions, he takes a short-cut to secure his “big break,” which in turn, escalates matters. It’s not only Ellis who feels the impact of this fallout, but those he had dragged with him. Ellis walks along a thin line as he tries to right his wrong as the clock ticks.

Images of the Great Depression flashed across my mind as I read this story. The desperation and the difficult times that individuals experienced brought deep connections to what played out in this story. I could understand Ellis’ actions as he strives to make a name for himself and later in the story, where some of those desires came from. I liked how as the story progressed, there were some surprises. A great story, I can see why this book is popular now. 4.5 stars

A big thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark, Kristina McMorris and NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. #SoldOnAmonday #NetGalley

Having recently finished the previously published “Sold on a Monday” by Kristina McMorris, I am happy to have had the chance for the e-book preview; thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark!

This photo took the reader on quite a journey. Although it wasn’t a book I was quick to pick up after putting down, I did get drawn into the drama of this story after the mission to find the children began. The compassion, determination and eventually desperation that Lily and Ellis had for finding Calvin and Ruby had me hurrying through the last pages of this memorable yet haunting story of a sad time in our nation’s history.

“It started with a picture.”

I felt this book was a bit all over the place and a bit forgettable. I liked the idea of the book but I don’t think the story was that gripping and I found myself having to force myself to read it.

Sold on a Monday is such a powerful, moving, emotional, and thought provoking story. So many secrets and twists and turns you don't expect. Historical fiction isn't my normal read and Kristina is a new to me author, but I am so glad I found this book.

The book moved really slow in the beginning, but thankfully it finally started to pick up and become more engrossing.

A sign on a home in 1931 changes everything for a journalist when he prints the picture of the children. He brings up dark things from his past and consequences he could never imagine.

Any form of a historical fiction is not my normal to read, but I gave this one a chance due to the hype surround this book. Set during the depression this novel brings the suffering to your lap. The main characters show compassion during a time where it is needed the most. Every character grows in one way or another during, making the novel a true joy to read. In order to get a accurate feel for this novel, a reader needs to go into this novel not knowing about the photograph inspires this novel. A novel that brings past to present, and keeps you turning the page, it is a must read.

I want to thank NetGalley, Kristina McMorris, and Sourcebooks for an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

5 Gripping Story Stars!!!

I’ve been wanting to read this book for a long time now and I was finally able to sit down and devote some time to this amazing story. This is actually my first book by Ms. McMorris and what a tremendous introduction to her writing. This story is compelling and filled with moments that had me crying and wondering out loud, how could this happen and who would do this? I’m certainly not going to give you any hints at these spoilers.

Ellis and Lily are two people that are struggling for different reasons in 1931. This is only 3 years after the Great Crash of 1928 and the actions of so many people are driven by this financial crisis. In the middle of this, there’s Ellis who’s trying to make a name for himself in the newspaper business and just when he thinks he has the story that will put him on the map, something goes wrong. He rectifies it, at least he thinks of it this way, and it definitely gets his name known in the publishing world, but it’s not necessarily how he wanted to earn it. There’s a cycle of events that lead to some major devastation and irreparable consequences…. Or what seems like it anyway.

Then there’s Lily, the secretary for the Chief of the Philadelphia newspaper and she’s young and hungry to move beyond what is an accepted “norm for a woman” in 1931. But there’s things that Lily is hiding and as she lets Ellis into her life, along with a potential love interest, life turns a little topsy turvy for those that she loves!

Once I started this book I was hard pressed to put it down. The story drew me in. Living in the Philadelphia area, I was fascinated with what the city was like eighty years ago. The amount of detail that is in this story is extraordinary. I actually felt like I was in Ellis’ Model T and driving on those county roads with him. I could hear the characters voices in my head! I fell in love with what Ellis and Lily were doing. As I neared the end of the book, my heart was in full-on palpitations because of the tension that was building as with each turn of a page I got closer to what was a very exciting and uncertain culmination of the entire story. Needless to say, I was left gasping and needed a few days to center myself again to write this review.

I’m 100% certain I will be reading all of Ms. McMorris’ previous books and will be on board for all future books she publishes!!

This book started fairly slow so I didn't continue this one. I am sure lovers of HF would be more interested in this story.