Thank you NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Sold on a Monday takes place during the Great Depression and is inspired by a real photograph of children with a for sale sign displayed. Lily and Ellis work at the same Philadelphia newspaper. She is the secretary while he is reporting on the society pages. Lily slips a photograph that Ellis took of two children on a front porch with a for sale sign into a folder of other photos he took for another story. She is haunted by the picture. This becomes Ellis's big break as he gets to write a story to go with the picture. Both Lily and Ellis struggle with knowing what's right, secrets, and following their hearts. This is a book that will haunt you, inspire you, and break your heart.

This is one of those books that will keep you guessing. Even when you have read the last page you will be shaking your head. The story, as explained in the description, came to life from an actual picture posted in 1948 in the Valparaiso-Messenger news paper. The image of children with a for sale sign in front of them, stunned the world. The novel starts in a hospital waiting room. “From the tiled floor came a shrill scrape, a chair being dragged in my direction. Tiny hairs rose on the back of my neck from more than the sound. Upon learning of my involvement, an officer had warned me a detective would soon be here to talk. That man now sat down to face me.”....”Then I heard “Can you tell me how it all started?” …..”It Started with a picture.” We don't get back to this statement until toward the very end of the story. By then so much has happened, I was taken aback when I started to read it a second time.
I love it when an author tells you the back story and what caused her to write this specific story. Kristina does a wonderful job of this at the end of Sold On A Monday. She fills in some of the gaps and explains things we may not have known or noticed. Please, take the time to read it, you won't be sorry.
I found this to be a very sad story, for the most part. But Kristina has a way of bringing light and hope even into this heartbreaking tale. You find yourself after just the first pages being taken on an unforgettable journey. Her characters are so authentic, you find yourself pulling for them. This book kept my interest right from the start. I would recommend this book.
I received this book from Sourcebooks Landmark through NetGalleys. The opinions expressed in this book are my own.

This book was difficult to get into. I was left uninterested after the first few pages of the first chapter. I usually enjoy these types of reads, but this one left me desiring more excitement. I couldn't get pass the first chapter. The book may pick up later on, so I do not wish to discourage others from reading it who may find interest in it.

You know book lovers that feeling you get when you see a cover and a blurb about a book and you know in your head that you just have to read it? Perhaps it is the anticipation, the wanting for this book to be spectacular, the need to read it from start to finish that propels you. Perhaps also it is this anticipation, that sets higher goals then this book is able to reach and sadly this was the case for me with Sold On A Monday.

Sold on a Monday: A Novel by [McMorris, Kristina] A want to be newspaper reporter sees a sad sight and snaps a photo. Later, it is believed that he has a gem of an idea for a story, a story that might propel him into the position at the paper he so desires. The sign is that of two young boys sitting on a porch. They are being sold, a result of the effects of the depression where life became so onerous for Americans that a sight such as this tragically happened. The reporter, Ellis Reed returns to find these boys and sees the house deserted and the children gone. So Ellis stages a photograph using two other children and from this the photograph a story and tragic events ensues. The children in the second photo are gone, sold......Ellis must find them and what happened to these young children.

He is joined on this journey by Lillian Palmer, a young woman also looking for a way to better herself and follow in the footsteps of Nelly Bly. Lillian herself carries a secret and she an Ellis search for these children following quite a circuitous trail to their possible whereabouts. Their search leads to heartbreak for the mother of the children of the staged photo.

This book has such an excellent premise and I was hopeful that it would provide an excellent story. However, sadly, I was disappointed. I felt a lack of a connection with the characters, as the book seemed to lack that emotional tie so needed in a book of this sort. There was just not that punch I felt this book required, although the author did a fine job with her descriptions. I enjoyed her author's note about the 1948 photo which inspired this book. I wished so much that she had followed up with that photo with its tragic story instead.

This was a quick read, one that I read with a group, The Traveling Sisters on goodreads. We each came away feeling the same way about this story.

Thank you to Kristina McMorris, Source Books Landmark, and NetGalley for an advanced copy o this book.

The picture that inspired the story. Siblings shown in old photo tell their stories and the article about it.

https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/l...

3.5 stars! First things first…...This is one of those books where I just had to read it because of that totally captivating cover and title of this book, which I found both to be absolutely intriguing!

SOLD ON A MONDAY by KRISTINA MCMORRIS was definitely an interesting, heartbreaking but yet heartwarming, and haunting tale but it left me with some mixed feelings upon finishing though. I thought this book was a good, quiet, easy and quick read that definitely had some great aspects to it but it didn’t really have enough emotional depth to it to make me feel emotionally engaged in this whole story.

I thought that this story had so much potential but unfortunately this book went a little differently than I expected. This was more of a story about Ellis, the reporter who takes a picture of two boys with a sign that reads “2 children for sale” and Lillian a secretary that works at the same newspaper as him. I would have liked the story to have given me a little more insight into the actual photos rather than the consequences surrounding the story behind that picture.

KRISTINA MCMORRIS does deliver a descriptive read here when it came to the life and times of a reporter and I could really envision some of the scenes that transpired in this book. The characters were well-developed and likeable but somewhat predictable. The ending was sweet & satisfying for me.

Knowing that the theme of this book was 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” was absolutely heartbreaking and definitely pulled at my heartstrings. I just wish that the emotional pull that I felt while reading the “Author’s Note” would have happened for me while I was reading this book.

I still think this was a good book though and definitely worth the read but in my opinion it was a little too quiet in the delivery.

Publishing Date: August 28, 2018

* Traveling Sisters Group Read

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark and Kristina McMorris for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of the book in exchange for a review!

WOW, WOW, WOW! Loved this book! Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris should be everyone's next book club read. It takes place during the depression, and is based on a real picture taken of children holding a sign saying "children for sale". McMorris writes a story which portrays the power of media which is also very relevant today. I found the very beginning of the book a little slow but that changed quickly. The story depicts the desperate measures families must have gone through during the depression and the consequences of their actions. Ellis a photographer/reporter could not find the original picture he took of the children holding the sign so recreates a picture of the children for sale with other children. The article goes viral and because of his lie the "staged" children end up taken from their mother. By the end of the book you find out what happened to the children and see the consequences of "fake news". A must read. Five stars for me. Grab your Kleenex at the end. Also when you are done make sure you google the story on the real photo taken in Chicago. Can't wait to read another book by Kristina McMorris. Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to read this ARC. I found a new author I love!!

I really enjoyed Sold on a Monday even though it wasn't at all what I was expecting! The book cover and the description made me think it would be about the two children photographed by a newspaper journalist during the Great Depression. However, while the story involves the children, the focus is much more on the journalist, Ellis Reed, and his coworker, Lily Palmer, and how they seek to unravel the truth about what happened to the children. Kristina McMorris was inspired to write this historical fiction by a newspaper article featuring children in a photograph near a sign that read "Children for Sale." I enjoyed reading McMorris's account at the end of the book about how this inspired her and would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good historical fiction.

It was an era that devastated the nation, the Great Depression. Broken dreams, broken families, the American dream was never more of a nightmare. One young reporter would use the pain of a broken family and a mother desperate to save her children at any cost to her to make a name for himself. But what he discovers is his own humanity, his own compassion and the need to redeem his very soul.

SOLD ON A MONDAY by Kristina McMorris is a gut-wrenching slice of the bitter taste of life in 1931. We are transported into this narrow window of time and witness the unimaginable horrors of having nowhere to turn for help, as families must choose between watching their children starve or ensuring their survival. We cannot fathom what the emotional turmoil or devastation these parents felt. Clearly, a young reporter saw and photographed a poignant piece of history, but it wouldn’t be until later that he would realize that what he saw was more than the byline he craved.

Brutal, raw and revealing, this is a story of the loss, but also one of finding truth, compassion and understanding. Memorable and moving, humanity at its most heart wrenching for the faceless masses.

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Sourcebooks Landmark!

Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark (August 28, 2018)
Publication Date: August 28, 2018
Genre: Historical Fiction
Print Length: 352 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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I hesitated to read this book because of the subject matter. I'm not a fan of Depression Era stories but this book is so much more than a description of the what and why of that time. Kristina McMorris saw a photo taken in 1948 that showed four children sitting on the front steps along with a sign "4 children for sale inquire within." She has written a compelling story to go along with that picture. The book is easily read and populated with interesting characters. There's something for everyone in this book: mystery, missing children, family drama and protagonists with a strong desire to do the right thing in spite of the possible consequences. I'm still thinking about this book after finishing it several days ago. That makes it a winner in my estimation.

My Review: 4.5 stars

Sold on a Monday transported me into the desperate days of the Great Depression in this heart-breaking and beautiful story. It explores what would lead a mother to sell her children, the why behind it and the ripple effect that follows. The emotional charge of this book really propelled the story line. I didn’t just want to know what happened, I needed to know what happened. I’m a fan of all of McMorris’ novels such as The Pieces We Keep and The Edge Of Lost. I loved watching the two main characters, Ellis & Lily, work together despite the odds stacked against them.

This author can expertly spin a story, while creating fully realized characters. I loved watching the two main characters, Ellis & Lily, work together despite the odds stacked against them. This is a story that sets you inside the plot and shows rather than tells.

Learning that this novel was actually based on a photo that read “4 Children for Sale” added an extra layer of interest based on factual history. (Photo attached below) This book demonstrates how one choice, no matter how big or small, can have consequences long into the future. It also questions the reader whether or not you can you right a wrong that has spiraled outside of your control. Book Clubs will devour this one.

I am easily intrigued reading about things that happened during the Great Depression era, whether it be fiction or non-fiction, which is why I requested for this book. For me, it gave me a similar feeling to the book Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate and I’m not sure why. It starts out a little slow and then it eventually picks up. I really enjoyed the characters and the plot itself. I give it a 4/5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

At the start of the Great Depression, two sympathetic and flawed aspiring journalists are faced with trying to fix their mistakes while reuniting two children separated from their mother. McMorris provides just enough details about the time period and the settings (mostly Philadelphia and New York) to satisfy the urge to learn for historical novel readers and enough family angst for readers of character-driven books. McMorris explains at the end that the impetus for the story was a real photograph she saw in an old newspaper. The picture in the book stays at the center of the book as Ellis and Lily race against time in their jobs, their family life and for the children.
Recommend this book to Fiona Davis readers and readers of Suzanne Rindell's The Other Typist.

I can absolutely see why publishers and marketers are targeting this as the next best book club read. It has all of the value, heart, sadness, guilt, redemption, and mystery of a great historical fiction drama set over the backdrop of the Great Depression and understanding the devastation of family's due to finances in which it would be possible that a mother would sell her children to be able to eat.

Based on some historical facts (that you find out at the end) make it a debatable topic. How could anyone? Well we will never know because we never experienced this kind of devastation. How do pictures speak a thousand words? One picture at a time. Think of all the greats in history.

This book was very well written and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I give this book 5 stars. Provided to me through NetGalley. Thank You!

What a heart wrenching novel that takes place during the Great Depression of the 1930’s. It all started with a picture-journalist Ellis Reed runs across a family who have a sign in their yard that states “children for sale.” Using the newspapers camera Ellis snaps a photo. Newspaper secretary Lily Palmer stumbles across the the photo in the darkroom and puts it among other photos the chief will soon see. It is then that Ellis is presented with the chance to write a story on this family. However, the original photo is accidentally destroyed and Ellis sets out to see the family again and capture another photo which involves having to pay for a second photo.

Through twists and turns, the truth comes out about the selling of the children, the Mom who loved them and the ones who bought them. Are the children better off? Are they being properly cared for? Are they loved as much as their Mom loved them?

Secrets abound in this book of hiding the joy of being a mother, the horrid loss of a child and the true stories they bring these events to life.

Sold on a Monday is a poignant look into some of the truths of the Depression. At the same time, it shows a man's journey and introspection into his chosen profession. It starts with a photo taken on a whim. Someone shows the editor, and he loves the story and the narrative going with it. Unfortunately, the photo is ruined, and the photographer has to recreate it, but the original subjects are nowhere to be found. He finds a neighbor willing to let her kids pose for a small fee. The article runs, lots of attention, promotion and bigger, better job for the author of the article. The journalist starts to lose his way and follow the money instead of the people behind the stories and his integrity. Things start to fall apart when the journalist tries to follow up on the story and learn what has happened in the wake of his photo. None of it was intentional when the story first ran. Now, the journalist and his friend, the editor's assistant, embark on a journey to right the wrongs that followed the publication of the article. Can they do it in time? Should they step in and do it? All the while, they both grow closer than either had intended and this becomes a journey of self-discovery for them.

This was one of the most heartwarming and heartbreaking books I have ever read! It gave me all the feels!

The blurb broke my heart knowing children were being sold off. It's a very compassionate novel and once I find the right words, I will come back and edit my review.

Absolutely captivating book. Truly gives the picture of life in the depression, not just for the destitute but for those employed and still struggling to survive. The stories woven in under the main theme were so well done. The book just flows beautifully and is hard to put down. Hardship and love and honesty and kindness are written into every page. Recommended reading for anyone who loves a story that will capture your heart.

This was my first Kristina McMorris book but I know it will not be the last. I am really looking forward to reading other books she has written. Sold on a Monday had a great mix of true historical facts and a fictional story. When I first started the book it was a little slow as the characters of Ellis and Lily are introduced and developed but around halfway through the book I found the pace quicken and I could not put it down. The slow pace at the beginning helped me envision what it was like to live in the post-depression. Could a parent really sell a child? It is so hard to imagine feeling like that would be the best decision. Take time to read the Author's Note at the end of the book about the inspiration and research for the story.

It was great to take a step back from the current social media and back into the print media. I was surprised to feel a lot of the same characteristics that we see today with our media. Maybe not as quick and at your fingertips but the stories that were printed in the papers were automatically believed to be true even if they were not. You could spread rumors about a person without Facebook.

I also found other aspects interesting. Were laws always fair and followed? No. Were men and women viewed equally. No. The way Kristina McMorris told the story really created a heartbreaking yet wonderful book to enjoy. Thank you Net Galley for an copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

The first part of this book moves slowly. There’s much to set up in this heart wrenching story. A picture is ruined and as the photographer innocently attempts to recreate it, he changes the lives of all those involved. After he discovers the outcome of his photo, Ellis’s Reed attempts to fix things. This is a time shortly after the Great Depression where food, jobs, and money were scarce. We get to know Ellis and Lily quite well but I think more depth is needed in the characters of the children. They are a key part of this story. The last third of the book moves quickly and is enjoyable. As a whole, the book is worth the read. When you read it, hang on, it gets better.