This book made me cry. It is not often that a writer can stir a reader, especially one who reads as much as I do, to tears. From the description, I expected a good story, it was so much more. Ms McMorris makes you feel a mother's desperation, so desperate she will part with her children for the good of the whole family. The story that follows this act, while fiction, could be true today in so many places. Read this with the tissue box handy.

The cover of this book is heartbreaking and definitely entices you to read for more info. Set during the Depression, a photographer spots two children seated beneath a sign that reads "2 children for sale". Intriqued, he snaps the photo. The photo is brought to the attention of the editor who sees this as a surefire publicity boon for the newspaper.
What is the story behind this family so obviously in need?
At what point does a person abandon their ethics to succeed?
This is my first book by this author and it's apparent that she can tug at heartstrings.
I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

tl;dr: Treacly melodrama with all the cliches you can think of.

Sold on a Monday was a fast read. That's the only positive I've got.

Probably contrary to everyone else, I thought this was a quasi-historical...thing that had characters who followed the path of every cliche that's possibly ever exsisted all the way to their inevitable happy ending.

So. Not. Good.

ARC note: I read an ARC of this. It (probably no surprise if you've read this far) did not inform my review of Sold On Monday.

Mild spoilers:


I'd have given the novel two stars if the story had ended with the kids who got sold grown up to be either serial killers or rescuers of abandoned children.

Heartbreaking and a heartwarming novel. This is a new author for me, first book I have read. I generally do not like reading books that take place many years ago but this one intrigued me. At first it was a slow read but I stuck with it because I wanted to finish it. It really makes you think and it gives you chills even thinking about selling your children. It was a great read, the characters were likeable but it just did not give me closure. The ending felt like there was more to the story.

I have to be honest. I struggled with this book for the first few chapters. It just didn't pull me in right away. I almost didn't go back to it. But I kept on and things started to really pick up. I loved the relationship between Ellis and Lily. All the characters were well developed t, the settings descriptive and the oft time funny lingo of the times (the word "swell" for instance LOL) created an authentic atmosphere. There were gangsters, smoky speak easys, and gin served in teacups... The plight of the sold children was incredibly compelling and well told. Would probably make a great movie! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

McMorris's portrayal of the financial difficulties of families during the depression gives us a glimpse of the ways desperate people try to care for their children, and of the moral dilemmas that can arise out of those needs. Her characters are believable and struggle with their own issues in trying to right wrongs and solve problems they have created. Part adventure and part romance, characters Ellis and Lily wade through major issues of the Great Depression including dealing with gangsters, Prohibition, incurable disease (tuberculosis), and poverty. This is an intriguing book that I read in a day.

This is a great book for a book club discussion. Reporter Ellis Reed recreates a photo that was destroyed by accident that is meant to accompany his first big story. Little could he guess. What the consequences of such an innocent recreation would have on many lives. His guilt and need to make things right uncover many evils and yet could thing be made right again,

4.75 *s. This Depression Era stories starts with picture taken by journalist Ellis of two children sitting under a for sale sign. The picture is published and a chain of events starts that Ellis did not intend. This is also the story of single-mother Lilly, a secretary at the newspaper, struggling to make her mark in a male-dominated world. I loved both Ellis and Lilly's characters and found this book compulsively readable.

Set during the Great Depression, Kristina McMorris’ thought-provoking novel Sold on a Monday follows rookie journalist Ellis Reed, who is trying to figure out how to make his mark in the cutthroat newspaper business. When he comes across two children playing in their yard next to a sign that reads “2 CHILDREN FOR SALE,” he can’t resist taking their picture. He really has no intention of ever publishing the photo – it just really struck a nerve with him that times were bad enough that parents would even consider parting with their own children.

Lillian Palmer, a secretary who has ambitions to be more than a secretary, however, happens across Ellis’s photograph and takes it to their editor, who offers Ellis the chance to write a feature for the paper. Ellis reluctantly agrees, his ambition and his desire to finally make his father proud of him outweighing his not wanting to exploit the struggling family. The original photo is accidentally destroyed, however, so Ellis has to go back and take another. When he arrives, however, the neighbors tell him the family has moved out. The “2 CHILDREN FOR SALE” sign is still there though so he pays the neighbor’s children to take a staged photo to replace the original. The chain reaction of events that the publication of the staged photo sets into motion is something that Ellis could never have predicted, as a family is torn apart. Wracked by guilt once they realize what has happened, both Ellis and Lillian are determined to do whatever it takes to right the wrongs they’ve caused and reunite a family that never should have been separated.

Sold on a Monday is a powerful and provocative read that really gave me a lot of food for thought. It is a journey of self-discovery for both Ellis and Lillian and McMorris take us inside the minds of each of them as they re-evaluate choices they have made and rethink what is most important in their lives, on both a personal and professional level. McMorris doesn’t stop there though. She also shines a light on the frustrating societal expectations for women during this time by having Lillian working as a secretary although she aspires to be a reporter like the famous Nellie Bly. Lillian not only has to hide the fact that she is unmarried with a young child in order to secure a job in the first place, but then she also has to contend with her boss ignoring any and all ideas that she pitches to him. Unfortunately Sold on a Monday did suffer from some pacing issues, especially during the first half which I found to be somewhat slow, but I would still highly recommend the read to fans of historical fiction and especially anyone who has any interest in what things were like for families during the Great Depression.

The author is well known for her novels being based on real life events and her experience as a journalist also plays a pivotal role in the storytelling of this marvellous read.
It is 1931 and the effects of the 1929 Great Depression and Crash are still evident, especially across the rural towns in America.
Ellis Reed is a thoughtful photographer caught in the 'women only' pages of the Philadelphia Examiner and is on his way back from reporting on a quilt competition when his car overheats and he stops in a small town.
Sitting on a porch step are two boys but what catches his eye is the small wooden sign beside them '2 children for sale'. With an eye for a picture but only one for his own observation he feels he takes a photograph and drives back with the nagging thought of what might happen to them in the future.
In a lively and often well removed newspaper office far from drudgery and poverty Ellis works alongside Lily Palmer, the Chief Editor's secretary who is also a thoughtful and often personally distracted prim young woman (or so she appears to colleagues and housemates at her lodgings). When she finds Ellis's photograph and is both troubled but stirred by its image she slides it into a folder for possible use.
When Ellis is told the photograph could well make a feature piece for the paper (and for his future career) he is annoyed when he finds the photo is damaged perhaps even deliberately to sabotage his progress.
On a whim he returns to the scene but finds the two boys gone and their home closed up. Talking to a young girl selling him dandelions, her cheeky brother up a tree he pays them to re-stage the photo, alongside their mother Geraldine with the sign that was left behind.
From this image which we would now say 'goes viral' across the newspaper world and brings in floods of donations for the family Ellis remains troubled about his moral decision to return and set up the photograph. When he once again returns to the family he is told the two children had been sold and that their mother had been seriously ill and was no longer around.
Switching between the life of Philadelphia where the mob, prohibition, corrupt cops and high life nights in speakeasy clubs and casinos abound to the personal problems of Lily living between a life she is keeping secret and her dream to progress as a reporter alongside Ellis's continued need to make his father proud of his choices in life we are drawn into a mystery about missing children and severe crimes against families all in time of greed and poverty living cheek by jowl.
Brilliantly evocative of the time and with well drawn characters I was immersed in the growing relationship between Ellis and Lily as thry try to unravel what has happened to children that can so easily be traded for cash.
Intriguing to see that the author based the novel on a real 'photographic image of such a scene' that inspired the story and reminds us that even today children can once again be the victims not only of greed but of despair.
I'd look out for further books by this author as she has a good style and presents the plots very well.

Made it one chapter and gave up. I didn't like the narrator and nothing grabbed me and made me want to see the story through until the end.

The title and cover of this book intrigued me and I just had to read it. Set during the Great depression, it's a piece of historical fiction based off a single picture, and is a story that will pull and rug at your heartstrings. Beautifully written!

Sold on a Monday is based on a real-life photograph that was taken during the Great Depression. Kristina McMorris uses this jumping off point to pen a story of newspaper employees, Ellis and Lilly. When Ellis takes a picture of two boys sitting on a porch with a sign, children for sale, Lilly sees it by mistake. Showing it to the editor of the newspaper they work for, sets in motion a story of 2 children, their mother and what happens to their lives based on a decision Ellis makes to get ahead in the news business.

Ellis and Lilly were both flawed characters. Ellis had a strained relationship with his parents, his father being disappointed with Ellis' career choice. He also makes decisions in his life that affect others, but he does not consider that affect until it is too late. Lilly was an unwed mother. If you know about the moral beliefs and standards at that time, unwed mothers were not accepted by society. Jobs were not made available to them. Lilly kept her son Samuel a secret to those in her city life, while her parents took care of him during the week. She was a loving mother and spent as much time as she could with him though. The main storyline was quite good and kept my attention. There were parts in the middle about the relationship between Lilly and Ellis and another reporter (read triangle here), that did not keep my attention as much and it was a bit slower, but keep going. The response from Ellis and Lilly when they find out that the children had been sold made them heroes in my eyes. Lilly, being a mom, followed her heart and Ellis, having so much guilt about what happened, could not rest until he rectified the situation, often taking risks that could have cost him so much. The end of Sold on a Monday is heartbreaking. There is a twist in the plot that I did not see coming, until right near the end. I was both surprised and happy with the ending.

If you read the notes from the author at the end of the book, you will find out why she wrote this story as well as finding out what happened to the four children in the original photograph. It was not a happy ending for them. The author played the "what if" angle of that photograph. What if the mother had second thoughts? What if the photographer had remorse over publishing the picture? She also explored the reasons why a parent would choose to do something like that. The story that she created out of that photograph was heartbreaking.

This was an interesting and well-written story set during the Great Depression. This book was historically accurate and told about part of history that I was not really aware of. To think that parents were that desperate is heartbreaking. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes Historical Fiction, especially stories from the U.S. or Canada. The publisher, Sourcebooks - Landmark, generously provided me with a copy of this book to read. The rating, ideas and opinions are my own.

I did not expect to love this book as much as I did. Sold on a Monday is the story of a small deception with chilling ramifications. Ellis is an aspiring photographer and journalist who captures a photo of two "children for sale" during the Great Depression. Historically, this photo, and stories like the one it captures, happened more often than is comfortable to acknowledge. Desperate times cause people to act in ways they may not normally act. At least, this is the case for Ellis and for the unfortunate family who agrees to go along with his deception when the original photo is lost.
Once events were set in motion, I could not stop reading this book. As Ellis and Lily begin the heart-rending search for two children separated from their mother and each other, I was swept into a story that was at once terrible and hopeful. McMorris's characters are complex and interesting even when they aren't likable. Her ability to weave together multiple stories to form a plot with depth and nuance was very well done. Most of us have stories that are less black and white than the photo which might be taken of them, McMorris has created a well-wrought tale that proves this truth exactly.

A historical novel that's less a mystery than the story behind a chance photograph of a family suffering through the Depression that changes the life of everyone involved., especially the children and their mother, whose picture sets off the young journalist's overnight success, the woman who falls in love with him, and the secret none of their newspaper colleagues knows. It's a pleasant read, colored by nostalgia, and very nicely crafted, but it's not a page turner; no murders, disappearances, bloodshed or violence. The perfect read for those who prefer cozies to thrillers.

1931, young journalist/photographer, Ellis Read, on his way back to Philadelphia from his assignment stops in a village and takes a little walk. Nearby, he notices a house, two young kids on the steps with a sign "2 children for sale". In a shocking state Ellis snaps the photo, returns to his vehicle and continues his journey.

Days later Lillian Palmer, newspaper chief's secretary, comes upon a photo and brings it to her boss's attention. Ellis is offered to write an article and is given a good spot in the newspaper. And just like that, Ellis Read gets the spotlight and fame he was longing for.

The story changes Ellis's life for the better, creating new opportunities for his professional career, however, the truth behind the photo hovers over his head. And shortly after Read learns how his photo and an article changed the lives of children in the photo.

How late is too late to tell the truth and make thing right?

The book is based on the true story and photograph that was published in Chicago in 1948. Both stories are touching and worth reading. Thank you, Kristina McMorris for bringing an attention to this sensitive subject, and for writing this wonderful novel.

I enjoyed this story about life in the depression, centered around a picture of two kids and a "Two Kids for Sale" sign. It reads like a page-turning mystery and the main characters are very likable. The mob element was a bit weak for me but the author is such a strong story teller, she makes it work.

A simultaneously heart-breaking and heart-warming story based on a picture. It is amazing what people will do when times are tough.

I know I have mentioned this before but I tend to stay away from reading historical fiction. I don't have anything against historical fiction, I don't like to read it. In my experience, I have found that fictional retellings of famous events aren't as good as I want them to be. There is always something left out. I liken it to books made into movies/TV series. 99% of them do not follow the book but there's that 1% that not only follows it but is fantastic.  Sold on a Monday is that 1% for me.

Sold on a Monday is based on a real-life photograph that was taken during the Great Depression. If you have followed the story of the 4 children in that photograph, you know that they didn't have a happy ending. That they were abused by the people who bought them. The author played the "what if" angle of that photograph. What if the mother had second thoughts? What if the photographer had remorse over publishing the picture? She also explored the reasons why a parent would choose to do something like that. The story that she created out of that photograph was heartbreaking.

What I liked about this book is that the main characters, Ellis and Lilly, were not perfect. Ellis had a strained relationship with his parents. His father was disappointed with the career choice that Ellis chose. Ellis believed that his father didn't love him. That it should have been Ellis that died instead of his brother. Lilly was an unwed mother. If you know anything from that time, unwed mothers were not accepted by society. Jobs were not made available to them. Those women and their children were shunned, by family and strangers alike. Lilly couldn't mention her son. If her boss found out, he would have fired her.

The main storyline was fantastic. That picture was not supposed to be published. When Lilly (yes, Lilly) saw it in the darkroom, she knew that it was something. She turned it into her boss, who in turn told Ellis to write the story about it. I was a little miffed at Lilly at that point. I was thinking to myself "Why can't she mind her own business!!". But, she knew it was something and that could push Ellis's career into the spotlight.

I felt awful that Ellis had so much guilt over the children being bought. So much guilt that he tracked them down to make sure that they were alright. He earned hero status in my eyes when he rescued Calvin from that farm. It made me angry to think that children were treated like that back then. But in hindsight, they were considered property....like the women were. So, I shouldn't have been so surprised.

The storyline with Lilly, her parents and Samuel were sweet. It was refreshing to read a book where the daughter was loved regardless of what she did. I liked that her parents 100% stood behind her with keeping Samuel. For that era, they were an anomaly. How Lilly was with Samuel touched my heart also. She loved her son and would do anything for him. That meant weeks working in the city and weekends home with him. Everything she did was for him. 

The storyline with Ellis and his family annoyed me, to be honest. Ellis came across as a petulant little boy, not a grown man. The whole dinner scene left a bad taste in my mouth. Instead of reaching out, Ellis thought it was because his father thought Ellis should be dead instead of his brother. When his father finally told Ellis the true reason why he didn't like his career choice, Ellis was like "Oh, ok". He did apologize but it came across as insincere.

I was surprised that there was romance in this book. I was even more surprised when there was an implied love triangle. I thought the book could have done without romance. While it did add some depth to the plotline, I didn't see the need for it. 

The end of Sold on a Monday is heartbreaking. There is a twist in the plot that I saw coming. I was still surprised by the outcome. It forced a reconciliation between Ellis and his parents. I wouldn't say that it was a happy ending because of what happened to Ruby's "adoptive" mother. I also didn't see Lilly making the choice that she did. 

I enjoyed the afterward that the author note at the end of the book. I agreed with everything that she wrote.

What I liked about Sold on a Monday:

A) Main characters were not perfect

B) The main storyline

C) Lilly's parents

What I disliked about Sold on a Monday:

A) Ellis. He annoyed me

B) Lilly showing the photo to the chief

C) The romance angle of the book

I gave Sold on a Monday a 4-star rating. This was a great book that was set during the Great Depression. This book was historically accurate. I did get annoyed with Ellis during the book. I also got annoyed with Lily. But overall a great book.

I gave Sold on a Monday an Older Teen rating. There is no sex (some kissing, though). There is no language. There is some mild violence. I would suggest that no one under 16 read this book.

I would reread Sold on a Monday. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank Sourcebooks, Landmark, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Sold on a Monday.

All opinions stated in this review of Sold on a Monday are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words and for Kristina McMorris this certainly holds true. Inspired by a poignant, tragic photo, the author has written a heart-wrenching tale about a reporter who snaps a photo much like the one that inspired McMorris which ultimately will alter the lives of the family in the photograph and many others as well. 

Sold on a Monday is a historical fiction book based on the a very real photograph. The story is set against the backdrop of the Great American Depression, an era that many Americans have chosen to forget. In creating this tale, McMorris brings the horror, pain and suffering of that time back to life again and in such beautifully written prose that it will carve this moment in time forever in your memory. 

This is exactly the type of historical fiction that I enjoy - it's fiction, yes, but there is so much truth, research and heart-wrenching details that the story comes to life before your eyes. In Sold on a Monday, McMorris tells the story primarily from the view point of two newspaper workers, one a reporter, the other is a woman who desperately wants to become one. Their lives intertwine over the photograph of two children who were for sale, a last act of depression that often occurred during the depression. As we learn more about this pair, their own personal histories, as well as what ultimately happens to the children, we discover the heartbreak, shame, the struggle of every day life during The Depression and the pain that everyone suffered just to survive. 

While Sold on a Monday is very heartfelt and at times it borders on despair, McMorris does not give us a maudlin book but rather one of courage, hope, love and friendship. In her own words, she gave the happy ending that she wished the children in the photograph could have had. 

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Regardless of your typical genre themes, this is a book that will cross those barriers and grab you into its soul from the first page to the very last. 

Thank you to #netgalley, #kristinaMcMorris and #sourcebooks for my copy of this incredible book.