3.75 Stars

”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.

I remember when I was really young, too young to understand what I’d been told, that the woman who had been visiting my grandparents wasn’t really my father’s sister, and her daughter wasn’t really my cousin, but she had come to live with them when her parents were too poor to afford food during this the 1930s. I don’t know the ins and outs of this, and I really only found out because my mother wanted to make sure I didn’t think that we were related. When I found out that my grandparents took them in, it made no sense to me. My grandparents were poor, so I didn’t understand why they would take in another mouth to feed, but they did. This was the reason I decided that I wanted to read 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.



Pub Date: 28 AUG 2018

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Sourcebooks Landmark

If you were captivated by Lisa WIngate's, Before We Were Yours....this one 's for you! Against the backdrop of our country's great depression, a struggling news reporter captures a photo that illustrates the desperation and devastation of the times. Reporter Ellis Reed has no idea this photo of two brothers playing in the dirt, next to a sign that reads "children for sale', will launch his career and start a devastating domino effect of events. Lily Palmer, secretary to the editor-in-chief of the newspaper, unwittingly plays a role in the destruction of a young family. Ellis' conscience urges him to follow up on the family and discovers his career success cost the family dearly. Lily and Ellis, for their own separate reasons, join together to rescue the family. Ellis and Lily were flawed characters, but ultimately people you want to root for and cheer on. This book was set an era that I don't normally read about, so it was illuminating and informative. The author's descriptive language put me in the middle of the newsroom and brought a vivid image of all the characters to mind. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to book clubs. Definitely read the author's notes - but NOT until you have finished the book. The image and story that fueled her novel is fascinating, heartbreaking and not to missed - much like her novel.

The year is 1931 and the country is in the midst of the Depression. Men are scrambling to find jobs and mothers are trying to feed their children. A young newspaper reporter, trying to get his big break, is out in the country near his home taking pictures when he sees two young boys playing and a sign on the house that says "2 Children for Sale". He takes a picture, wishes he could help and then leaves to go back to this job.

Ellis Reed is the reporter and the picture of the two children provide him with his first big break as a reporter. He makes an error in judgement that can't be changed and has to live with the immediate consequences of his actions. As he tries to right his wrong, he is helped by Lillian Palmer, a secretary at the newspaper who has secrets of her own.

The characters in this novel are so well written that the reader is able to identify with them in their quest to make things right again. Even though the idea of selling children is repulsive to us, the author does such a fantastic job of describing what it was like during the Depression that we begin to understand the desperation that drove parents to sell their children and hopefully give them a better life. This is a book that will make you sad but will keep you turning pages to find out if love and family win.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Sold On A Monday by Kristina McMorris is a thought-provoking story. It is the early 1930s and Ellis Reed is a young reporter trying to get his career started at the newspaper. While writing for the social column Ellis runs across two children sitting on a porch with a sign saying "2 Children for Sale." Ellis snaps a picture for his personal use but one of his coworkers sees the photo in the darkroom at the paper and submits it to the editor. Ellis is asked to write a story to go along with the picture. He has reservations about writing the story but does. After one gigantic snafu, the story and picture are printed and then printed in other papers as well. This article has repercussions for many and even though some seem to be for the better, things don't always work out for the best.

I'm a big fan of historical fiction, so I was excited to read this book. It was both heartbreaking and wonderful at the same time. I read this book in two days, it was that good. Tugs at the heartstrings, but you can't put it down. I loved it.

This is a novel inspired by a real photograph or maybe a strategically staged photograph highlighting the poverty and privation that might result in the mother putting up her own children for sale. Inexplicably the cover of the novel doesn’t feature that or similar image, but it does try to present the horrible circumstances of the Depression Era that led to devastating, impossible choices. Plus set right in and outside of the City of Brotherly Something, before it turned into the sh*tshow it is presently. So the subject matter is good, the execution is another thing altogether. The writing is strictly women’s lit, which is to say a more serious version of chicklit. Perfectly readable, but consistently plain as plain can be, every sentence and nearly every action is the most obvious choice, almost all of the characters are too good to be properly dimensional, all intentions are overexplained and the main motivations are as noble and pure as fiction demands. In other words, easy reading (despite the subject matter) and wrapped up all so neatly and adorably in the end, it’s a surprise it doesn’t come with a bow. Emotional manipulation can be tolerated when the story is worth it, but this was just decidedly mediocre with nearly strategic lachrymose moments inserted throughout. A Lifetime movie of a book, the sort that never even considers challenging the reader. Read quickly enough, for what it’s worth, provided a mild diversion, but never really lived up to what it might have been given the gravity of the premise. Thanks Netgalley.

A story that transports us back in time that as years pass by is a reminder of what was. Newspapers were the way to get news and Reed , a reporter who is swept up in the circumstances, is up to the challenge of reporting a story that might not be so true.

An excellent offering from Kristina McMorris. I debated between 4 and 5 stars. Sadly, four stars won out in the end because the book's ending was somewhat predictable. Nevertheless this is a beautifully crafted period piece that deserves lots of attention. "Sold on a Monday" will soften the hardest of hearts. It combines love, intrigue, the 1930s, gangsters, and loss into a terrific story.

Buy this book!

I love historical fiction books that transport you to a different time and place and make you feel like you've been dropped right in the midst of that era. Sold on a Monday does exactly that, and it does it beautifully. This story takes place in 1931 during the Great Depression, when hunger, poverty, unemployment, and desperation was all too real and all too devastating.

This book is a fictional story based on a real photo taken of a mother/family selling their four children. As the saying goes, desperate times call for desperate measures.

Ellis Reed is a reporter/photographer always looking for the next big story. He takes the photo. Lily Palmer is the newspaper secretary who helps launch his career. She develops it and gives it to their chief editor. One thing leads to another, and all hell breaks loose. Entangled in a web of past secrets and regrets, together they embark on the mission to right their wrongdoing.

This story is heartbreaking, hopeful, and captivating. They characters are vividly developed and quite likable. The setting and backdrop feel unbelievably real. The plot moves at a steady pace with the intrigue and suspense building at just the right time. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.

I would like to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

#SoldOnAMonday #NetGalley

This is a gripping book. It has an interesting storyline and captivating characters. It is set in Pennsylvania in the early 1930’s. It is a difficult time for Americans. Those that were lucky enough to have jobs tried their best to hold onto them at all costs. Lily is the main female character. She is single and working as a secretary for the head of the local newspaper. There are two male reporters that are interested in Lily. That is all I’m going to say about the story. Suffice it to say that I spent a lot more time reading these last few days than I normally do. But it was time well spent. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest review. Yes I will recommend to family and friends.

This book did not resonate with me. I had such high hopes for it but I felt the story fell flat. Was the river/flooding supposed to have symbolism with the family story woven throughout? I thought the story itself ended very abruptly, and could have been fleshed out a little more.

This book was not for me.

A real page turner. Ms. McMorris was able to bring me back to a time , post depression in the United States, when the country was struggling to get back to a bit of normalcy. However, normal was something that was all but forgotten by many of the victims of the stock market crash.
The author begins by introducing us to her wonderful cast of characters:
- A ‘cub’ reporter who while on assignment, would take advantage of the newspapers state-of-the-art photographically equipment, and shoot a few extra pictures for his private collection. A collection that included one picture of a struggling family.
- The secretary to the newspaper editor, who is instrumental in making the reporter and one of his photos famous.
- A mother and her two children who were the center of many surprising twists and turns.
- A supporting cast of family, co- workers, the rich and famous and even a mobster or two.

I was infringed by the way the story took me on a journey that I had never expected. The frustration and hopelessness experienced bunso many during the Depression vs. the human spirit that would never give up hope. The inner ability we all have to rationalize the irrational so that we may make it to another day. And finally the knowledge that the ‘easy way out’ sometimes is really the most difficult.

A desperate and earnest young newspaperman in the early 1930’s in Philadelphia stages a photo (having lost the original) for a story that goes nationwide with unpredictable and unfortunate repercussions. The story revolves around this event in combination with a triangle love affair, family relations and the importance of a mother’s instincts, the strained father-son relationships, and the Philadelphia 1930’s crime scene. An interesting read.

What a fantastic story!!! You will not want to put this book down!! I would definitely recommend it as the book of the summer & for reading clubs.

I had hoped to enjoy this book more based on other reviews but I couldn't get engaged. It was an okay story, the writing was quite well done. But the plot dragged and the story line didn't move as quickly as I would have liked given the subject matter.

Children for Sale. A simple photograph of the sign and the children in question is the catalyst for Ellis Reed's career. In the midst of the Depression, he takes the photo and develops it in the newsroom where he works. When Lily, the newsroom secretary, finds the picture and shows it to the head of the paper, a story spirals out of Ellis' control and only he has the ability to make things right. With the help of his growing friendship with Lily, he sets out to remedy the problems he has caused by a simple photo.

This historical fiction novel is based on an actual photograph from the Depression era, showing several children sitting outside with their own "Children for Sale" sign and the author paid a great deal of attention to the historic details. Ellis' and Lily's roles in the newsroom, especially Lily's desire for something more than a secretary spoke deeply into the mindset of the time, and their stories flowed well, juxtaposed to the children's stories.

I would highly recommend it to fans of historical fiction, as I think this time period is often missed between the typical WW1 and WW2 stories.

Lou Jacobs's Reviews > Sold on a Monday
Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris
Sold on a Monday
by Kristina McMorris (Goodreads Author)
M 50x66
Lou Jacobs's review Jun 04, 2018 · edit
it was amazing
Read from June 01 to 04, 2018

A beautifully written historical fiction masterpiece. Told in the backdrop of the Great American Depression along with Prohibition. Where people had to scrape together dollars to put food on the table. Both poignant and hard hitting .. it explores the multiple complexities of both the human condition and unexpected motivations. With heartfelt prose the dilemma of our main protagonists are explored. Ellis Reed, a young aspiring writer, determined to make his mark in the newspaper world ... with the unintentional gift to capture significant moments with candid photographs. And, Lily Parker, a young single mother, challenged with the pressure of society raising a child out of wedlock, and yet determined to break into the world of reporting. She finds herself accepting a job as a secretary for the Chief of the newspaper with the hope of eventually "getting a chance" . Ellis out on a normal and mundane story assignment .... comes across a scene that disturbs him which he must capture for himself on film. Two boys on a old farm porch with a wooden sign nearby ... declaring Children For Sale. He captures the image without any real intent to create a story. Lily on her own notices his photo drying in the developer room .... she is so moved that she places the photo on the Chief's desk .... and the subsequent events cascade in rapid order. The notoriety of the photo is instantaneous and pulls at the heart strings of America. Events spiral out of control resulting the "separation" of the children from their mother. Ellis and Lily need to team up in unexpected ways and overcome multiple obstacles in an attempt to right the situation. Beautifully written page turner that will remain in your mind and heart long after it is finished. Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this magnificent Advance Proof in exchange for an honest review. This novel will be read by book groups all over the world ... the word will spread quickly!

This is an excellent book with a great backstory. The author was inspired to write the story about Ruby and Calvin after finding an old photograph showing children offered for sale. Their story unfolds against the backdrop of the Great Depression and gives historical context to the struggles of working women, the desperation of average men and women and inner workings of newspapers at that time.

Ellis is a young reporter looking for that one great story. He accidentally stumbles upon it when a photograph he took of two impoverished children with a For Sale sign hanging over them is selected by the newspaper’s editor for publication. Lily Palmer is the editor’s secretary who has barely hidden desires to be a reporter and is living a bit of a secret life. She and Ellis are thrown together when the publication of the picture and story has unexpected consequences. I didn’t expect the twists and turns as their adventure moves along very quickly.

I usually avoid books that I think will make me cry but I am so happy I read this one. The author has the ability to draw you into the world she is writing, and you become invested in the outcome for characters who all seem to be slightly damaged by their circumstances. I highly recommend this book and plan to read others by this author.

I was hoping this would be more focused on the great depression and hoping it would keep my attention, but it didn't hold my attention like I thought it would. Not a terrible story, just not for me though.

This book has all the feels...I cannot imagine what it would have been like to live during and after the Great Depression and not have any other choice than to sell my children. This book is heartbreaking, inspirational and gives you hope. Loved it! Great choice for a book group.