Just so tired of covering and photographing society events for his newspaper Ellis Reed drove through a town and stopped by a sign and scene that evoked memories of a dark past from his childhood. The sign read “ 2 CHILDREN FOR SALE”. Evidently it was the final act of a family’s struggle to feed themselves in 1931. The great Crash, the great depression, bread lines, soup kitchens – it could have been written by so many families who couldn’t stand to see her children starve.

Ellis took the picture bringing it back to the paper where Lillian Palmer saw it and brought it to the chief editor who wanted a story to go with it. It was the big break Ellis Reed needed, even though the picture was never meant for publication. But then just before it was printed, it was damaged and Ellis had to go back and re-take the photo, only the original children weren’t there, so he substituted other children into the photo with disastrous results.

Both Ellis and Lillian realize that their actions had caused a great deal of misunderstanding and grief and though there was connection to their friendship they both felt the need to try and correct the actions that had been set in motion. As the two try to mend the fractured family, they naturally find a commonality and sense of soul in each other.

As this book was inspired by an actual article and photograph from a newspaper that stunned a nation, you’ll find this to be a powerful novel of love and redemption between two unexpected souls who found their way back to a way of life they had been missing,

Marilyn Rondeau

3.5 stars. This was a good book but I thought it would be better. It was an interesting story but I wanted to know more about what happened to the two boys Ellis originally photographed. The author did a great job of portraying the time period and Ellis and Lily but I didn't really connect with the kids or their mother. But it was well written and a good story.

This appears to be my year for trusting my gut instinct and grabbing books based on the cover and title. I've been rewarded with some awesome books by doing so, and once again struck gold when I decided to take a chance and request an arc of Sold On A Monday. If the heart-touching cover photograph doesn't get you, the title, synopsis, and story will. This has also been the year for me to become a fan of fictional renderings of real life events. The story behind Sold On A Monday is based on a newspaper photo (shown in back of the book) that shocked the world during the Great Depression. During this bleak time in history, families were faced with impossible, heartbreaking decisions. Banks collapsed, homes were repossessed, people were out of work, and families were starving. All hopes and dreams were shattered. And so, a heartbreaking photograph served as a sign of the times: 2 Children For Sale. Says it all, doesn't it?

Ellis Reed was a struggling reporter assigned to cover the social circuit in 1931. In the execution of his duties, he stumbled across an old, desolated farmhouse and took a photograph of two little children sitting on the front porch. Not intended for publication, Ellis only takes one picture which will later prove paramount in upcoming events. Upon reviewing the photograph, he's stunned to see the sign that says 2 Children For Sale propped up near the boys. Do these children have any idea what the sign says . . . or means? Newspaper secretary Lillian Palmer later discovers Reed's photograph in the darkroom and is so moved by it that she passes it on to the powers that be. Through happenstance, Ellis is faced with some hard choices including one borderline unethical decision that not only changed the course of his life, but also utterly destroyed some innocent lives. Will Ellis and Lillian ever find a way to right this wrong?

Sold On A Monday is a story first revealed through the lens of a camera - a moment of utter hopelessness forever frozen in time. But, thankfully, it's also a story of compassion, ambition, forgiveness, and redemption - a story of two people's determination to do the right thing with no thought of personal consequences. The setting and plot line drew me right into the story, allowing me to see, feel, even smell the agony, defeat, and heartbreak of families fighting for survival. I appreciated the direction and approach the author chose to tell this story as I think it broadens the reader's focus from the one photograph and allows them the vision to see a much bigger picture and story. I found the story pacing to be perfect as it kept me turning pages while searching for any assurance that it wasn't too late to set things right again. I highly recommend you skip all reviews and dive into this book prepared to not only be deeply moved, but also a little surprised. McMorris has written a stunning story - one in which a photograph is worth more than a thousand words. And yet, her words and rendering of this story are absolutely perfect! A 2018 Favorite! A Must Read!

As I sit here pondering how to do this book justice, one thought keeps coming to mind: it all started with a picture. A picture speaks a thousand words. Ellis Reed, a reporter, is out to write a story. While doing so he comes upon two boys and a sign, "2 children for sale." He vividly captures this depression era photograph and it goes viral. But the wrong picture goes viral. This book is set during the depression and you are there. It vividly describes these times with great precision. Describing prohibition, mobsters and most of all poverty. Would you sell your children? This was a difficult period for people. This book is heartbreaking at its core. Ellis teams up with Lily to right a wrong. This takes them on a riveting roller coaster ride. The characters are complex and well developed. They are flawed and human. I cried because this book is so heart wrenching. It touched me as a mother. Kristina McMorris has such a way of telling a story that keeps you turning the pages. I could not put this book down. The dialogue is fresh and the tone is true to the times. It gets better and better the more you read. I simply can't say enough good things about this book. An absolute blockbuster of a read that all started with a picture. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me the honor of reading this book. This is an absolute must read!!

Ellis Reed is a reporter scrambling for career success during the Great Depression. He is out looking for stories when he comes upon a heartbreaking scene of two children on a porch by a sign that states the children are for sale. He takes a photo. His colleague at the newspaper, Lillian Palmer, shows the photo to their boss which sets off a chain of events that impacts many lives.


Ellis faces a moral dilemma when his photo of the children is destroyed. His boss beseeches him to remake the photo and write an article about it. When he tries to recapture the moment, the children are gone and what he decides to do sets off a chain of tragedies. Lillian is a woman with a secret. Her involvement in this story will change her life .

Theme:
Choices, Ethics, Desperation, Family

This story is based on a heart wrenching photograph that really was taken during where children were placed up for sale in desperation. As a mother, this broke my heart. I would have preferred that the book focused on the children and their family, not the adventures of the reporters trying to break the story. I had a hard time connecting to the reporters because I cares more about the children.

3.5 stars, rounded up, for this heartbreaking story. It's unimaginable to most of us that someone could feel compelled, or even inclined, to sell their own child, but when a reporter makes a decision to run a photo of a family with a sign that suggests they'd like to do just that, it has a tidal wave of consequences he couldn't have imagined. Sold on a Monday, set during the Great Depression, sends readers to a time that really wasn't so long ago, but is distant enough that these events wouldn't be in most readers' collective memory. By using a reporter and a newspaper staffer to tell the story, McMorris is able to highlight a lot of issues at the time- the poverty, the limitations placed on women, etc.- and still tell a fascinating, unsettling story about family, crime, and truth.

This is a very slow burning, but surprisingly endearing, romance, with the added moral dimension of children for sale.
Reporter Ellis comes across two young boys sitting outside a farmhouse next to a sign saying “Two children for sale”. He takes a photo, which has far reaching (and completely unintended) consequences for all the characters in this story.
There is no mention of who is doing the selling, or why, but Ellis – while troubled – is not entirely surprised. America is in the depths of the Depression, and many families have no money, no food, and no prospects. Children from desperately poor families are often given away in the hope of them having a better life, with those who can afford to feed and care for them. But, to sell your child – to put a price on their life – is another matter entirely. It begs the question of whether the sale is in aid of the child’s welfare – or only for the benefit of the seller? Is the money needed for the succour of other siblings? We never really find out. And what about the person who would buy a child? In those days, legal adoption would have been relatively easy – so why pay, unless the child is to be (ab)used for nefarious purposes?
The photo might have been forgotten, if not noticed by Lily in the newspaper’s dark room. She encourages Ellis to write a human interest story about the two boys, which catches his editor’s attention. Unfortunately, the photo is destroyed just as the story is ready to publish, and Ellis has to replace it. The two boys are no longer to be found, so Ellis persuades two other children to pose for his photo (with the original sign), which now includes their mother.
Years pass, Ellis moves on, and Lily is courted by the kind and courteous Clayton Brauer. Lily had made a mistake in the past – one whose consequences she does not regret, but which has radically changed the priorities in her life, and also the way in which she views the world. For her, family is all important, and she cannot forget the photo. When she and Ellis meet again, they both feel the need to discover what became of the children in the second photo, and to do everything in their power to bring about a happy ending.
The romance angle is very understated. Will Lily plump for the security that the dependable Clayton offers, or risk everything on the wilder Ellis?
One thing that strikes you about this book, is that (with one minor exception) there are no villains. The characters are (almost) all nice, and trying to do the right thing – however misguided that may turn out to be. They are well portrayed and develop with the story, and you can empathise with most of them.
This book is not fast paced, but does keep your attention throughout. I would definitely recommend it.

This was a wonderful story, told with skill and fraught with emotional ups and downs. I really enjoyed it and recommend it.

Summary:


“It all started with a picture.”

Ellis only stopped for a second- on the way to cover another boring society dig. The boys, sitting by this sign, though…. it caught him. It wasn’t the first time he’d used the paper’s camera like this…. but it would be the most meaningful.

When the pic gets brought to the chief’s attention Ellis is offered his chance- just one shot- to write worthwhile stories. Starting with one about this family. He has good intentions- keep the family mostly out of the spotlight- write about it like this could be just about the turmoil of so many American Families. But you can’t shine a spotlight like that and expect the family to stay hidden.

The worst part? There’s a secret, only known to Ellis and the mother and kids, that no one can know. Not only is his career skyrocketing due to someone’s pain…. the secret is breaking him apart.

Lilly, secretary at the paper, only meant to help. First to help Ellis with his story, then help with the fallout. Sometimes you can do things with the best of intentions… and still cause pain. When the family risks being torn apart can a reporter and his friend really be enough to turn the tide?

This book brought to stark image the pain and desperation of 1930’s America.

My thoughts:

This book broke me for so many reasons. I think the author stated it best in her notes.

‘In the direst of times, I could fathom perhaps having to make such a heartbreaking choice for the sake of my children. But why on earth ask for money in return?’

Her friend answered “because they wanted to eat”. It’s easy to judge a family that could do this without thinking of why, what they are going through. It’s also far too easy to ignore the suffering of others unless it’s placed in a spotlight… like, say some cute kids with a for sale sign in the paper. It’s easy to say that they could have done something else… any thing else… but could they? When I read the reasoning it actually made perfect, heartbreaking sense.

The characters are well developed and wonderfully flawed. Each has their strength, their goodness, their hidden guilt and their faults. It’s these well developed characters that really brought the book to life for me. I fell madly in love with these well meaning but flawed individuals.

Part of the heartbreaking aspect for me was that this was inspired by an actual picture that first showed up in the Vidette-Messenger of Valparaiso, Indiana in 1948.



The story was well written and thought provoking. I loved the way it moved from Lilly to Ellis and back allowing for a duel narrative that gave a better understanding of what each character felt. Even as Ellis tried to enjoy his success, and did things he never thought he would in order to achieve it, there was still that small bit of the good guy wanting to shake the world. For me, this is a five star book.

On the adult content scale, this is has violence, language and drinking. It isn’t much and if that was the only concern then I would say it was about a three. Due to the treatment of the children, though, I feel I have to add a bit more. This is some heavy hitting material. I have to give it a five. I would say that this is definitely geared toward adults.

I was lucky enough to receive an eARC of this book from Netgalley and Landmark in exchange for an honest review. I also ended up buying it, so that I could add a few quotes to the bottom of the review (and because I loved it). Find the review, pics and quotes on garabrandtreviews.wordpress.com

A great snapshot of all that is NY in the 1920’s. It was a bit predictable but well researched. A picture paints 1000 words but what if a picture hides the truth

3.75 Stars
It all started with a photo. <i>Two children for sale</i> is what the sign read on a porch in 1931. A time in America's history where times were tough, paying jobs were scarce, and feeding multiple mouths was damn near impossible. Ellis finds himself taking pictures for his personal collection. Lillian finds said pictures in the dark room for processing, turns it into the editor and things start spiraling from there.
As a mother to two small children I couldn't even imagine being in such a desperate place as to sell my children. I've also thankfully never been put in a position and hope to never find myself in a position to find out. This book was gut wrenching, imagining not only what those poor kids went through, but also the guilt one would carry with them with having to make such a tough decision.

Absolutely loved Sold on a Monday! I was afraid it would be very depressing and while there were sad storylines, the overall feeling was one of hope.. Ellis knew he could make a difference by telling a story. Lilillian knew a mother would do anything to keep a child. And the mafia assumed they could buy stories and children. I am so glad Ellis and Lillian teamed! I really felt like I was living in 1931, from the clothing descriptions to the speakeasies.

I have just finished reading this book by Kristina.
This is the first book I have read from this author and I will definitely be checking out others.
The book tells the story of Ellis a struggling journalist and Lily a secretary who wants more from her job.
It tells the story of how 1 decision can have a huge impact on many lives in this case the Dilliard family.
I found it a little slow going initially but once I got into it it flowed perfectly and I was desperate to find out how things would turn out for all involved.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Kristina for the opportunity to read and review this book.

In 1931, struggling reporter Ellis Reed comes across 2 little boys on a porch next to sign that says "2 children for sale". He takes a picture which gets submitted to the editor. He writes an article about the face of poverty to go with the photo and it causes his career to skyrocket. It also creates a domino effect of unforeseen consequences and Ellis will have to go to great lengths to set everything right again.

This story was in turns heart-wrenching and exhilarating. The characters were ones I was rooting for and the story was so captivating I didn't want to put it down. This is definitely a must-read!

First of all, I would like to say thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for allowing me the privilege to read an ARC of this book! Upon viewing the bookcover, I instantly knew it was one that I needed to read. It’s a historical fiction story written by author Kristina McMorris. From what I understand, it’s based off of an actual photograph. The timeline is set during the depression when times were tough for everyone. It’s a story about how two newspaper employees do everything they can to return two young children to their rightful mother. I won’t go into too much detail and ruin the story but want to say I felt it was a very heartbreaking read that later turned heartwarming. It’s a wonderful book, one I enjoyed very much and will probably reread again in the future. I will also be purchasing a physical copy to add to my personal library. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading stories that grab your emotions and really make you “feel”.

Living near with this true life story took place drew me to Kristina McMorris's novel. I am a fan of historical fiction, driven by human relationships and characters. McMorris did not disappoint with this book. I will expand on my review on goodreads when I gather all my thoughts. Thank you for the egalley! Our library has purchased copies.

Sold on a Monday is a heart touching story that will surely have you shed a few tears, at least I know I did! This story is based off an actual photo taken during the great depression when times were hard and people had to make desperate decisions for their family. Ellis Reed is a reporter struggling at his job, he can’t seem to catch a break or get his boss to give him a shot at a big story. While Ellis is out he stumbles upon two little boys sitting on a porch with a sign next to them that states, “2 children for sale”. Even though Ellis is worried he’ll be using film from his camera that was meant for work only, he’s so moved by what he sees he must photograph this moment. What dire straights must this family be under that they have to resort to selling off their flesh and blood. Ellis has only a few coins to his name as well, and wishes there was something he could do, but he just can’t. Lillian Palmer is a secretary at the newspaper and she develops the photo’s for Ellis. When she sees the photo of the boys she approaches her boss about letting Ellis write a story about this family. Unfortunately the picture gets ruined, so Ellis boss neeeds him to go back and retake the photo and write up the story. Ellis is hesitant to do this because the photo is so personal, and might hurt the family even more, but he also wants to prove to his boss he is worthy of a big story. So Ellis heads back to the home where he took the picture, but the boys are gone, only the dirty sign remains. A little girl approaches him from across the street and she tells Ellis that the boys are gone, in fact the entire family is gone. How is going to get his big break now? His boss will be so mad!
Ellis decides to approach the mother of the little girl and see if he can find out where the family is. The women looks poor, sickly, and wants nothing to do with him. He sees the little girl’s brother and gets an idea, what if he uses these two little kids to retake the photo? He has the sign he used, but he knows this mother will never allow it, and he struggles with a moral delema of lying and printing a story and photo about a family that isn’t true. He wants this opportunity to shine, so he offers the mother a few coins to take the picture of the two kids. The mother is very hesitant of this stranger asking for a picture of her kids, but as a single mom she needs the money, therefore agrees. The plan goes exactly as Ellis hoped, and this article skyrockets Ellis career. The guilt is terrible for Ellis, and when donations for the family pour in Ellis delivers the items to the family, leaving them on the families porch. Lily and Ellis become close, and although he cannot tell her what he’s done because he’s so ashamed, he tells her he really wants to know how the family is doing, and she does as well. So they drive down to the house and discover the family is gone. Ellis finds out from a neighbor that after the article came out, a rich looking business man came to the home and purchased the kids, and the mother moved away from the home shortly after. Ellis is in shock, how could this have happened? These children weren’t for sale, and although they looked like they had little money, they were a family, and the mother didn’t seem like someone who would sell her children. This was all Ellis fault, and he set on a long journey to discover where the children ended up, and if they’re safe, happy, and healthy.
Such a sad and touching story. Parts had me on the edge of my seat, other times I was reaching for a tissue. I really enjoyed the story and learning about the orginal photo that sparked the author to write this book. I really liked Lily and Ellis, and the message to stay true to who you are, stay humble and don’t let money or anyone change you.

We have probably all seen the photo of four children crowded on the stairs with mother turning an embarrassed face away, and the sign "Four Children FOR SALE Inquire within" that appeared in the Vidette-Messenger , Valparaiso, Indiana in 1948 and went national. Thought by some to be a hoax, it is breathtakingly heart-breaking never the less.

Sold on a Monday is an excellent period piece, with precisely correct word pictures of the clothes, the cars, the music and movies, and the mores of the early 1930's. Centered around another photo of kids for sale, two young blonde boys tossing rocks into a can on a dilapidated porch, and a similar hand lettered sign.

Kristina McMorris takes us to the American world as it was in 1931, with the Great Depression dug in hard, jobs few and poorly paid, prohibition creating it's own problems and journalists a dime a dozen. Ellis Reed is an excellent photographer who wants desperately to advance from the Society page to some real newspaper work at the Philadelphia Examiner. Lily Palmer is a single mom in an era when that was not socially acceptable, working in the city as secretary to the hard nosed editor in chief of the Examiner and going home to her small community and the deli her parents own on weekends to help in the store and be with her son Samuel.

While doing an errand for another reporter in the newspaper dark room, she comes across the photo Ellis had taken of the boys, and slips it onto the desk of the editor in chief, who in turn asks Ellis to do the article to accompany said photo. And it is an excellent article - but the photo and negative are destroyed by a spilled drink as the article is processed.

Retaking the photo proves impossible as that family has since moved away. But next door, in the same farming town with despair painted over every inch of the dwellings and residents therein, are Ruby and Calvin and their widowed mom Geraldine Dillard. For a two dollar modeling fee, all the money he has in his pocket, Ellis is allowed to move the sign and take a photo of the boy and girl playing on the porch, with the mother, turning away to the door.... Of course the photo goes national. And Ellis becomes a feature reporter at the Philadelphia Examiner and a regular visitor at the Dillard house as he clandestinely drops off the small donations for the family that arrive almost daily in the mail.

And there begins the journey that will take Ellis to a reporting position in New York City, with both Ellis and Lily diligently trying to find out what happened to the Dillard family who quietly disappeared without a forwarding address. This is an excellent novel, with personable characters and a good mystery. I can happily recommend Sold on a Monday to family and friends.

I received a free electronic copy of this historical novel from Netgalley, Kristina McMorris, and Sourcebooks Landmark in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.

Sold on a Monday touches a nerve, it questions one's ethics and provides redemption when wrongs are righted.

This was a very interesting book. It caught my attention because of the cover. I will say it took some time to get into but I was glad I kept on reading. I will search out other books by this author.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley on behalf of the Publisher and was under no obligation to post a favorable review."