After reading an excerpt from Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris my interest was caught and I requested the ARC. First, there was the setting, 1931 Philadelphia. The main characters work for a Philadelphia newspaper. And most of all, that opening scene when Ellis Reed notices the sign "2 children for sale" next to young brothers.

With vivid descriptions and great characterization, the story takes readers into the harsh realities of the Depression, a time when a widowed and ailing mother is pushed to a desperate choice, hoping to provide for her children.

The story is a heart-breaker, with a touch of romance and a threat of prohibition era gangsters, and a whole lotta of reclamation for Ellis and Lily. I enjoyed this historical fiction read not only for its storytelling but also for its relevance to issues that we still face today: poverty, lack of affordable medical care, separation of families, human trafficking, mental illness, and journalistic standards.

McMorris was inspired by an actual 1948 photograph and the story of what happened to the children in the photo. Learn more about the book, read an interview with the author, and find a book club kit at the author's website here.

I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

I received this from netgalley.com in exchange for a review.

Ellis Reed stages a photo "2 CHILDREN FOR SALE". The image leads to his big break, but the consequences are devastating in ways he never imagined.

I wanted to read this story because of the history behind it. Although the history was there wrapped around fictional characters, I felt the overall presentation of it could have been more captivating. Maybe just a minor thing to point out, but it was disappointing to realize the title of the book doesn't refer to the children, but to the story that Ellis sold to the newspaper.

3.25 ☆

Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris was a thoughtful novel about the expected consequences of a photo. The idea of selling children is the abhorrent event that starts off a series of events that are chilling and fascinating, sometimes in the same breath. The story holds your attention even when you are hoping truly that the series of events are not accurate (but they are). One of the other themes that is prevalent is that of guilt for what happened even though no guilt should be applied.

Ellis Reed snaps a photograph of two boys next to sign - 2 children for sale. The photograph was never meant to be part of a story, but Lily Palmer found the photo and that starts a series of events. Lily and Ellis are thrown together while working through the situation and their secrets come out. Ellis is marred by the outcome of the photo despite the situation. Lily is marred by the children being given up by the mother. And then we start hearing about what happens to children who are sold. The story really grips at the heart of the reader.

Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris was a good read.

Ellis Reed is a Depression-era reporter who also enjoys photography for fun. One day he comes across a peculiar, heart-wrenching scene—two forlorn children beside a sign: “two children for sale.” He snaps his photo but can’t get them out of his mind, and rightly, because their story will become even more tragic than it appears.

Lily is merely a secretary to the editor, but her discovery of the photos in the lab, and Ellis’ revelation of the story to her will entangle her as well.

Sold on a Monday is part thriller, part historical drama, and entirely addicting as both main characters and the children earn your empathy and a desire for a happy, hopeful reunion for each of them.
I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.

A powerful, raw, heartbreaking read. One of the best books I have read this year. Get your tissues ready as you read this based on a real picture story from Kristina McMorris.

In 1931, two years after the stock market crash, Ellis Reed, a local newspaper reporter, finds himself in the Pennsylvania countryside taking pictures of things that he finds interesting. He comes upon two young boys playing in the dirt on the porch of a rundown farmhouse. As Ellis takes their picture he notices a sign: 2 CHILDREN FOR SALE. Ellis begins to question the why behind the sign. He never intended the photo to go public but once his editor sees the photo he demands a story.

Lillian, the editor's secretary, is the reason the editor saw the photo. The mother within her is heartbroken for the children and the mother who felt this was her last resort to survive these hard economic times.

Once the photo and story hit the news waves it leads Ellis and Lillian on a journey that neither expected. Can all parties involved find their way home again?

I finished this book several days ago and found I needed time to reflect on the emotions it stirred within me. My dad was born in 1931 in Maryland and I know from the stories he has shared with me how rough it was to grow up in the Depression. I could not imagine if his parents had had to resort to putting him on the porch with a sign that said, Child for Sale. The thought of any child experiencing that brings tears to my eyes. Take a look at your child/children and reflect on how you would feel if you had to "sell" them to survive. Unfortunately most children during the Depression that were separated from their family for whatever reason did not experience a loving childhood. As told my Ms. McMorris they were put to work on a farms at a very, very young age and treated worse than some farm animals.

Sold On A Monday is a perfect historical fiction read on a subject matter from the Depression that is not very wide known to our generation. This novel will make you think about how good of a life you truly have.

Every book I have read by Ms. McMorris has been an emotional and educational read. I find she is one of the best historical fiction writers. She writes with knowledge and feeling. You will do yourself a great favor in picking up any one of her novels.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Sourcebooks/Landmark through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

Although this wasn’t the fastest moving story it was interesting and it’s surprises throughout made it a worthy read

3 1/2 ⭐️‘S
Suppose while doing your job, a mistake was made and by innocently covering up that mistake your actions caused catastrophic consequences for someone else. What would your reaction be? Would you ignore those consequences, or would you go to whatever lengths necessary to right that wrong? A quick read filled with characters you can’t help but root for, this historical fiction novel was based on an actual photo from 1948. McMorris does a nice job of depicting the novel’s 1931 timeline and the way the newsroom worked at that time. The struggle woman had in the workplace and the stigma of being an unwed mother were also well written. While this was a very interesting read, and one I certainly enjoyed, my one wish is that there had been more emotional depth for such an emotion packed story.

This was a well written book. I thought it gave a good picture of the Depression era-as someone once said to me the dirty thirties. I was a little disappointed that after the initial photograph of the two children that were for sale,, we really didn’t hear any more about them, It became more about righting a wrong after the second photo was taken. It was a good story about people in that era trying to get by and get ahead, a little romance thrown in and a few surprises throughout the story. I can’t wsit to read more books by this author.

SOLD ON A MONDAY by Kristina McMorris. From the description of the book, I expected more of a story about the children and the circumstances that led to them being "Sold on a Monday" and more about the family in the picture on the cover. Though well written this was more of a story of Ellis, the reporter and Lily, a secretary and their trails and tribulations.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book

Sold on a Monday is a well-written book that opens one’s eyes to the circumstances that will drive a parent to take actions to protect and care for her family at all costs even if those actions may view by others as unthinkable. However, there is so much more to this story.

The story takes place in the 1930’s just after the stock market crash that left many men unemployed and families struggling to make ends meet and to care for their children. A photograph taken for personal use of two children on a bench with a sign “2 Children for Sale” becomes the basis of a newspaper article. This is the impetus for the story.

This is a well-written story, that grabbed me from the start and held me to the end. There are twists and turns that you don’t see coming and a resolution that is not wholly expected. The characters are well developed and touch the reader in many ways. Remember that this story takes place in the 1930’s and the author has taken care to write the characters and their actions to fit the time.

I highly recommend this book for those who enjoy historical fiction and for those who enjoy reading a good book. This is my first book by Kristina McMorris. It won't be my last.

Thank you to Sourcebooks for approving my request through Netgalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Sold on a Monday

Sold on a Monday, set during the depression, is an engrossing page turner. It is inspired by an actual newspaper photograph taken in 1948 of a mother and her four children with a sign that says “4 Children For Sale Inquire Within.”

Ellis Reed, a hard working newspaper reporter, is trying to find a story so he can earn his salary. He takes a photo of two young boys with a sign that says “2 children for sale” which gives him his big breakout story. Lily Palmer, an single mother, who works at the newspaper with Ellis and has aspirations of becoming a writer encouraged Ellis to write the story.
After Ellis and Lily discover what happened to the children (as a result of their picture being in the newspaper) they struggle fighting their own inner battles of what’s right and what’s wrong.

I felt quite an emotional connection to this story. My mom, who at the young age of 5 and was raised during the depression, along with her younger siblings were separated and sent to live with various aunts and uncles. Although not because of the economical times but because their mother had passed away. The two young photographed children in this story were also separated from their mother, father and each other. I can’t imagine having to separate my children and send them elsewhere to live.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and it won’t be my last.

This wasn't the story I was expecting from the blurb written. I would have liked more background on the families in the pictures and the depression years. There was too much about Ellis and relationship with his father. The children and the heartbreak of the depression needed to be emphasized more. The author's note at the ending revealed the true picture that this story was based on. The story just wasn't for me.

What an amazing, gorgeously written book. It was so atmospheric, I felt like I was right there living in the Depression. The setting, the characters, the issues they face, the choices they make and the things they must live with all come together to create a book I couldn’t put down. And one that left my heart aching and tears falling. I loved it.

I received an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

3.5 Stars

"It started with a picture." A picture of two innocent children sitting on a porch with a sign that read "2 children for sale" sets into motion a series of events that are based on an actual photo (that was later deemed to be staged). Set in Pennsylvania in 1931 when times were tough after the market crash of '29, Sold On a Monday, details what happens after reporter, Ellis Reed, takes the photo of the two children. While this story had a happy ending, the children in the actual photo didn't fare so well.

This was a well-written story; however, I wish it had focused a little more on the children than the reporter. Fans of historical fiction that's based on actual events, will enjoy this story.

Thank you to Sourcebooks for the advanced copy.

I received an e-copy of this book through Netgalley; I was intrigued by the concept. Who would sell their children?! Turns out, the author wondered the same thing after she ran across a picture (which is shown at the end of the book). She decided to do some research into not only that picture, but also that time period, and the circumstances that might push someone to do something so desperate. It is all very eye-opening.

During this time period, child labor laws and workers’ rights were non-existent. That's right. No OSHA. What a wonderful time for big business! No pesky safety regulations to cut into their profits! The social safety net was also yet to be implemented so, in the face of starvation or worse, families did what they had to do to survive. Kristina McMorris paints a vivid picture of how things used to be and not only does it cause readers to reevaluate all they thought they knew, but it also (hopefully) brings a realization of the value of the very things that have come to be vilified in today's political climate. Do we really want to go back to such a time?

Plot pacing, although a bit slow at the beginning, quickly picked up and made for a compelling read. Character development was so skillful that every participant in the story seemed true to life. News stories of the day were integrated into the story, providing additional layers of realism and authenticity to the story. Characters actions, no matter how seemingly insignificant, were justified by those character's experiences and interpretations of life events. It was clear that, even though the reader might never know all of it, these characters had complex and rich backstories. Any one of them could have carried their own story. It just happened that this was Lily's and Ellis’ story to tell.

And what a story it is, exploring concepts of guilt, redemption, judgment, morality, inequality, and doing what is right, particularly when it is hard. This is a well-written, memorable historical fiction story that reads like an engaging nonfiction retelling with a moral. I won't soon forget it, and highly recommend it.

I was very drawn to this book both by the cover and the blurb. I did enjoy the story but it wasn’t at all what I was expecting and I was a little disappointed because of that. There were lots of levels to the book and I’m sure a lot of readers will end up reviewing more positively than mine but I have to give my own honest findings

I know I share a lot of heartbreaking books but I promise that the emotional turmoil is worth it. Sold on a Monday is built around a photograph of two young boys sitting by a “for sale” sign in 1931; their mother trying to sell the children because she simply can’t afford to feed them or care for them any longer. Devastating, right? Still, things like that really happened and I feel we have an obligation to confront and understand the sad and harsh events and decisions in our history. Sold on a Monday isn’t all sad though, it’s really not.

I can’t say much about this book without spoiling the plot and the ending but it is a book that tugs on the heartstrings. It starts out as nothing – a photographer snapping a picture reflecting a sign of the times – and it ends up with consequences far beyond anything he could have imagined.

I loved Ellis and Lillian. I loved the way they interacted with each other and the way they moved the plot forward. Often, I’m critical of characters in a book because I am the kind of person that needs to like a character in order to like a book. I loved these two and I know you will too.

As odd as it is to say, books and movies about the Great Depression have always been among my favorites. Cinderella Man is one of my favorite movies of all-time; I could watch it every day and not be tired of it. That scene in the movie when Russell Crowe comes home to find his wife sent their children away breaks me every time. It’s such a powerful and unforgettable moment in the story. It’s really no wonder I felt connected to this book, it plays on those same emotions and that same broken moment. It’s fabulous.

If you enjoy powerful and emotional stories that make you consider the human spirit and resilience, Sold on a Monday needs to be on your TBR list or Amazon wish list immediately.

My first book by Ms. McMorris and I was enthralled. She took me right into the Depression with her characters and settings. I found myself rooting for the characters. There is a lovely romance in there, very sweet, and it set just the right tone. The story is simple and deeply layered, poignant and heartbreaking.

Inspired by an actual newspaper photograph showing children sitting by a sign that reads Children For Sale, Sold On A Monday is a tragic, yet heartwarming, story set during the Depression.

This is one of those books that you'll sink into and suddenly find yourself immersed in a compelling story, time and place. McMorris brings her readers into the grim setting of 1930's America where people were desperate to ensure they had money in their pocket, a place to live and food on the table for their families. Many were not so lucky.

With an engaging story and well-developed characters, readers will be swept into the lives of Lily Palmer, a young woman who dreams of making it as a newspaper reporter, Ellis Reed, a reporter who wants to find a story to get his first big break, and two young children who find their lives dramatically changed by one photo.

This is a story about how two decisions, one by a stranger and one by a parent, compounded by dire circumstances, changed the lives of two children. It's a story of love, heartbreaking loss, redemption and perseverance. Fans of Christian Baker Kline's Orphan Train will enjoy this book.

Thank you to Net Galley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read an advanced copy. I have recently re-discovered historical fiction, thanks to Net Galley. This is such a good story, based on an actual picture taken during the depression. I thought the story would be about the children, when really it is about a reporter trying to get his big break.and what he sets in motion when he gets the picture published. An enjoyable read!.