The story was long and seemed to drag on for me. Set in the depression era .. Heartbreaking but it makes you appreciate not being born in that time era. Was a good novel but not one I’d read again. Just not my genre I guess.

”And how I wish that love
Was all we'd need to live
What a life we'd have
'Cause I've got so much to give
But ya' know I feel so sad
Down inside my heart
That the dollar sign
Should be keepin' us apart

“But you know that I love you
You know that I love you
Oh, how I love you”
--But You Know I Love You,Alison Krauss, Songwriters: Mike Settle

”Then I heard ‘Can you tell me how it all started?’ The reporter in my head blended with the detective before me. I wasn’t entirely sure which of them had asked. And yet, as if through a lens, I suddenly viewed the past year with astounding clarity, saw the interwoven paths that had delivered each of us here. Every step a domino essential to knocking over the next.
With no small amount of regret, I nodded at him slowly, remembering as I replied.
‘It started with a picture.’”

Imagine having no home. No income. No hope. And as far as you can see, those around you are either in the same boat, or on their way there, struggling to hold onto what little they have that they can claim as theirs. Imagine hearing your children cry every night because there isn’t enough food for them, their threadbare, ratty clothes no longer fit because there is no money for new clothes and there hasn’t been in too long to remember. No one has any money. You can’t, really picture this unless you’ve lived through it, I suppose. Endless desperation with no reason for hope.

Set in 1931, it’s August in Laurel Township, Pennsylvania when Ellis Reed first sees the two boys, no shoes, no shirts, pitching pebbles at tin cans in their overalls. He’d taken his camera along for scenic shots, but the eyes of the boys drew him in. Icy blue. As he focuses on the boys, a sign made from a wooden slat, the edges all jagged, comes into focus as well.

2 children for Sale

Ellis’s was responsible for providing readers with the latest “fluff” for the Society page of the Philadelphia Examiner. It wasn’t what he wanted to do, but it was what he did, so he was always hoping, looking for that something to prove he could cover the big stories, to get his big chance. Even though he had used the paper’s camera to take the shot, he took it more for the story it told, a story without words, never intending another to see it.

Lillian Palmer also works at the same newspaper, as a secretary, although she has aspirations of becoming a writer. Lillian sees the photograph Ellis has taken and convinces him to turn it in for the newspaper. An accident occurs with the original photograph, and he’s forced to reshoot the scene with Ruby and Calvin. What follows once it is published is the heart and soul of this story.

This is a story of desperation born of the circumstances of the Great Depression. One of the many ways that era left lifelong emotional scars on those most affected. This is less about the era than it is about the way it affected this one family, and the people who came to their aide when needed.

There is a little romance in this story, but this story is really about what people can be driven to in times of desperation, the values to which we hold ourselves, and the need to rectify wrongs.

The haunting tale of Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris will make you cry and lose sleep.
In the depression some families had to sell their children. One photographer made a tragic mistake by taking a photograph of 2 children with a 4 sale sign as a storyline.
It is with great grit, courage, resolve and the help of a good woman that this ends well.
But, oh, it will break your heart in the reading of it.
Five stars

This is a moving story that takes the reader on quite a journey. I expected it to be about the lives and poverty of the children and their families. It was. I expected it to hurt my mom-heart. It did. It was also about the lives of Lily and Ellis, their jobs at the newspapers and their endeavors to fix a wrong. We see their work struggles, family struggles...and even struggles with the mob and law. I thought the story was almost over when I was halfway through—but it wasn’t. One event after another continued to unfold. I thought Lily and Ellis did some stupid things—but they were right to keep digging. The ending wrapped up beautifully.
Advanced reader copy courtesy of the publishers at NetGalley for review.

Now this is the type of historical fiction I like to read! This was an emotional and heart tugging read. Inspired and based off a true picture of children for sale in the 1930s, this author takes the mom and kids from the picture and creates her own story for them. Why would a mom sell her kids? Was it real or faked? Told in alternating views from reporters Ellis and Lilly you learn why each, for different reasons, feel a connection to these kids and their mom. I gave it four stars because the book is broken into three different parts. I found the first part to be bland and slow to get to the real heart of the story. Once I got to part two I really enjoyed it. After I finished and read the authors note I did some reading on the true life story. So heartbreaking. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book!

Sold On Monday is a historical fiction story which is inspired by an actual photo of a mother attempting to sell her children. It is set during the Great Depression. It is about Ellis, a reporter and photographer, who writes a story with a picture that has far reaching consequences for many. Ellis and Lily, the chief editor’s secretary, work together to rectify the problems caused. I enjoyed this book and was wanting to know how they solve the problems that have occurred.

Interesting idea, but the writing and romantic storyline were predictable and mundane. Readers who like historical romances will enjoy the book more than I did.

I've long been wanting to try a book by this author, as I regularly see good reviews about her novels. I liked this book and thought it was well-written and the historical details well captured. It was a little too quiet and understated for my personal taste. The characters were all a bit too nice and I felt I would have connected with them on a deeper level if they had more flaws. I absolutely loved the fact that it was based on a real photo, and the details in the afterward about the children in this photo was very upsetting. I know that I am definitely in the minority here, and would like to try another book by her, so please let me know what your favorite is.

The Story: 2 CHILDREN FOR SALE. In 1931, near Philadelphia, ambitious reporter Ellis Reed photographs the gut-wrenching sign posted beside a pair of siblings on a farmhouse porch. With the help of newspaper secretary Lily Palmer, Ellis writes an article to accompany the photo. Capturing the hardships of American families during the Great Depression, the feature story generates national attention and Ellis's career skyrockets. But the piece also leads to consequences more devastating than he and Lily ever imagined -- and it will risk everything they value to unravel the mystery and set things right. Inspired by a newspaper photo that stunned readers throughout the country, Sold on a Monday is a powerful novel of ambition, redemption, love and family.

The cover starts the story without saying a word. What a heart wretching story. The type that pulls on your heart.

Well, "Sold on a Monday" starts out promisingly. By the second half, though, I was irritated and bored, and for the final quarter I was hate-reading. The quality of the writing seemed to devolve, the characters were cardboard, and the landscape was littered with cliches. While the hardships of the Depression seemed well limned in the beginning, by midway characters were boarding trains hither and yon with abandon. And the repeated extolling of the sanctity of birth mothers was like something out of the 1950s. I'm giving this two stars rather than one because, as a journalist and an adoptive parent (two occupations that come off horribly in this book) I may be biased... and because, sadly, it is not the worst book I've read.

This book grabbed me right from the cover. The unimaginable reality of the depression smacks you right in the face and pulls at your heart. I couldn't put it down!

An aspiring journalist takes a photo of questionable moral integrity, showing what the Great Depression has driven people to and it winds up being his big break. But when he returns to followup on it, he learns just how his photo and accompanying article has influenced the family in the photo and his niggling remorse over it turns into full blown regret and forces him to take a good, hard look at who he has become. Desperate to make things right, not only with the family, but also with his own parents and friends he has driven away, he embarks on a journey of atonement and self growth.

Based on a similar photo taken during the Depression, the subject matter seemed compelling. It was very well written with well developed characters, but I felt like the plot dragged a little bit. I enjoy a good slow paced book, but sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't and this time it was more the latter. It wasn't a bad read, but it was not as 'powerful' as I thought it was going to be, given the subject matter.

I think particularly because the actual photo (in the novel) that wound up being published was staged, the whole book felt too far removed from the real and gritty hardships and desperation of the Great Depression. It was really more about the journalist's remorse over staging the photo and what it winds up doing to the family. The story follows him and his love interest, neither of whom are particularly struggling all that much and don't embody the true depths of despair that time period evokes. I felt like this really could have been placed during almost any time period - the question of what some journalists will sometimes do for a good story and how they deal with those questionable ethics is something that isn't exclusive to the Great Depression. I'm not saying that such a topic isn't worthy of a novel, but this is not what I expected it to be, and therefore it lost it's impact on me.

Additionally, I have to say - the idea that Ellis knew how to pick a lock with hair pins just because he had "a father who preferred tinkering with machinery to conversation" seem ridiculously unrealistic and contrived for the sake of the plot. Maybe if Ellis had an uncle or such who was a locksmith, that would have been more believable, even if still a little contrived. But I just don't know how the author is making the connection between the two. This alone wouldn't be enough for me to dislike it, but it was so silly, I couldn't let it go unmentioned.

Advanced review copy from publisher via NetGalley. My opinions are my own

I received this book from NetGallery for a honest review.
The setting is during the Great Depression, 1931 and is a historical fiction novel. The book was inspired by a real photo which I found intriguing. The primary characters are Eli's Reed who is a journalist and Lilly Palmer, a editors assistant/secretary. I struggled to get through the first part of the book, then got got drawn back in which made me want to finish the book. I didn't like the romantic aspect.... I pretty much guessed right away what the outcome was going to be and turned out, I was right. There is a lot of mystery involved in the story and information about the Great Depression era.
This Is a new author to me and I will be looking forward to reading more books by her.
.

This novel was inspired by a real life newspaper article and photograph of two grubby siblings huddled together on their humble doorstep and with a nearby roughly written sign plainly in view which read ‘2 children for sale’. It was from the times of the depression of the 1930’s when poor families were desperate and struggling through life as best they could. Kristina McMorris was fascinated by the original photograph and she envisaged the inkling of a possible story from behind the lens and made it her own.
In our story a similar haunting scene touched the heart of a newspaper reporter-photographer and brought back painful memories from his past. It was never meant to be published, but in a twist of fate it was and it caused a sensation. It was the photograph which changed Ellis Reed’s life forever and not at all for the good, although it did lead to much wanted promotion. It also caused him immeasurable heartache and guilt as he gradually felt compelled to piece together the story of the siblings, now parted from each other and their sick mother.
Once a colleague and fledgling friend, Secretary Lillian Palmer is also managing her life with great care. She is the guardian of secrets of her own and also feels guilty for the outcome and furore caused by Ellis and in part herself. Reunited in their efforts to make amends for their actions, they are drawn into a sad story about poverty, desperation, corruption and broken promises. Determined to put things right they go to the greatest of trouble to reunite a parted family not even knowing the possible cost to themselves. They feel compelled to put their misjudgements right. Their amateur investigations lead them to danger, renowned criminals and more than a few surprises.
I enjoyed reading this involving story about morality, loyalty, trust, friendship and family. Its historical links were really interesting and as the story developed I liked the two main characters more and more. They truly regretted their ‘meddling’ and their characters grew as their understanding of the human consequences of their combined actions were laid bare. I liked the raw portrayal of the newspaper offices and the feeling of peeping back in time to a lifestyle so different from the modern day. I loved the other settings as well and the deeply ingrained feeling of history. The story was beautifully told, underlining the thoughtless (though innocent) cost of human actions and their outcomes. I particularly liked the ending because it rounded off the story very well.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from publisher Sourcebook Landmark through my membership of NetGalley. Thank you for my copy sent in return for an honest and unbiased review. This story piqued my interest and was enjoyable and informative. I’m very glad that I had an opportunity to read it.

A picture is worth a thousand words, but sometimes the story behind the picture is worth a thousand more…

Philadelphia, 1931. A young, ambitious reporter named Ellis Reed photographs a pair of young siblings on the front porch of a farmhouse next to a sign: “2 children for sale.”

With the help of newspaper secretary Lily Palmer, Ellis writes an article to accompany the photo. Capturing the hardships of American families during the Great Depression, the feature story generates national attention and Ellis’s career skyrockets.

But the photograph also leads to consequences more devastating than ever imagined—and it will take jeopardizing everything Ellis and Lily value to unravel the mystery and set things right.

Inspired by an actual newspaper photo that stunned readers throughout the country, Sold on a Monday is a powerful novel of ambition, redemption, love, and family.

I had difficulty reading this book, as it is not my type of book. This book was okay until it got to the point where Ellis got hooked up with the mob. I tried, but was unable to get through this book. If there was a rating I would be allowed to do below 1, I would have done it. I was not impressed with this book and would not waste my time reading it.

Kristina McMorris is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling American author of five novels and two novellas. Inspired by true personal and historical accounts, her works of fiction have garnered more than twenty national literary awards, as well as a nomination for the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, RWA's prestigious RITA Award, and a Goodreads Choice Award for Best Historical Fiction. To date, her publishers have included Kensington Books, Penguin Random House, Harper Collins, and Sourcebooks Landmark.

I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from NetGalley for this review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
When struggling journalist Ellis Reed sees two children at the side of the road wearing a sign stating simply CHILDREN FOR SALE he is immediately captivated by the children’s story. Soon he is photographing them and the picture quickly becomes front page news in every paper. Ellis is quickly drawn into a world of backdoor adoptions, mob Mafioso’s and parental desperation and when his journalistic integrity is on the line, Ellis must decide what secrets are worth keeping. When fellow reporter Lillian sees the photo of the children, she instantly immerses herself into the research as well, determined to find out what happened to the “children for sale” while dealing with her own secrets and demons.
This story was based on an actual photo, which adds to the story’s credibility. Not only does this story tell of the desperation felt by families the world over during the Great Depression, but it also delves into the inner workings of the world of journalism in the same era (which I, personally, found very interesting.) “Sold on a Monday” by Kristina McMorris is definitely unlike any story I have read before.
Deemed a historical fiction novel (and appropriately so) this novel is creative, with an inventive storyline, powerful characters and features both the dark and light sides of humanity. Ellis is a clumsy young man starting out, determined to follow his dream despite his father’s protestations and Lily is a career-oriented young journalist who is trying to make it on her own in a man’s world (at a pretty heavy cost).
This novel would not be nearly as enjoyable if did not have such a sweet and just ending. “Sold on a Monday” is powerful, moving and highly entertaining. It is definitely one not to be missed. A thoroughly inventive novel, it will draw you in from the first page and will not let you go until the very last sentence. McMorris’ novel is definitely something I would recommend to anyone looking for something more substantial than a beachy, summer read (without the pretention).

A touching and heart breaking story, but also heartwarming. Who knows what we would do in desperation? Selling children during the Great Depression? Decisions made in desperation, choices made we would never normally even consider.

Thanks for the opportunity to read this book. It was touching and suspenseful, full of great characters, and a few twists. I recommend it if you like historical fiction.

Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris came as a wonderful surprise for me. For some reason I think I selected it based on the cover and assumed that it was non-fiction, a recount of how dire times were during the Great Depression. Instead, to my delight, when I started reading the book I realized that it was actually a beautiful work of historical fiction, set in and around the newsrooms of Philadelphia and New York City in 1931.

Needless to say I couldn’t put it down.

A wonderful, wonderful story! A reporter and a woman aspiring to be one follow their consciences to rescue a pair of children and return them to their mother during the depression. A book club recommendation for sure!