A very interesting story that was based on the real photograph taken during the Depression, of a woman selling her children. The book took some liberties and at times the dialogue felt rather stilted but otherwise it was an interesting read that I didn’t want to put down - I finished this in 2 nights!

Sold On A Monday tells the story about a picture. Everything that follows is about the good and bad of human behavior. The characters are engaging, and the story moves along at a good pace. The array of character personalities, from innocent children to mobsters, provides good variety, and how Kristina McMorris put the story together works well in how it unfolds.

The subject of selling children is a sensitive one to write about. I liked the angle the author chose, that of a news writer, to create the story. It dealt with loss, guilt in many different ways, a search for redemption and forgiveness, and taking responsibility for one’s actions which leads to a satisfying end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for sending this book. The following review is entirely my own opinion and not in any way influenced by receiving this book.

Thank you Netgalley for an advance review copy of this book. At times through the book I wondered how much of it was based on true facts and after googling it I found that this indeed was a novel based on a photo. I did remember seeing the photo and this novel gave it life. the

his was a super quick read for me. I really enjoyed the first half or so of the book, the portions that focused on Ellis and Lily and the history behind Ellis' photo and how and why he came to take it. Once the story evolved into the current state of Ruby and Calvin , it went a bit downhill for me. I think I expected more from the historical fiction side - more about the Great Depression and how families were affected by it. There was so much potential here for a book with a lot of depth and imagery of an era that affected so many people in so many ways. Instead, it became more of a mystery/detective story, and lost a lot of its appeal. Not only did a lot of the second half seem far-fetched, it took it from being a historical human interest story to just another piece of fiction. It wasn't a bad book, per se, but I would have enjoyed it a lot more if the author had spent more time on the affects of the depression and less time on the "whodunit" aspect.

While the premise here was promising, the writing did not manage to hold my attention for long periods. I felt that it dragged in places, and at times I simply didn’t have much interest in continuing on. While fiction, it was based loosely on a newspaper story from 1948. That story was even more appalling as it involved a mother actually selling her 5 children for apparently even less reasons than this story. This story focuses on how people’s perceptions can be mistaken and how that can lead to dire consequences. Luckily this one ended well. But in the end I found it a bit overly drawn out, with some over-the-top melodramatic moments.
Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC for review.

I found this book to be very trite. Silly. Amateur writing style. Storyline unrealistic - with everything happening to “our hero’s” exactly when they need it to and then let’s throw in a kindly mobster who owed them a favor. Overly dramatic, just eye-rolling silly story.

I had my eye on this book what drew me in was the cover and synopsis. I was lucky enough to win an advance copy and excited to start reading it. This was my first book by Kristina McMorris and I’m going to be looking to read more by her. This was an intriguing book the time period of the Great Depression 1931. A photo of two little boys in front of a sign “2 children for sale” and the reporter who snaps the pic and heartbreaking consequences that follow. It was a great read!

It's pretty difficult in current times when things are so plentiful to wrap my head around the fact that in 1931 during the Great Depression that out of desperation people would resort to selling their children. It broke my heart to read the author's note and find the premise for this story was based on an old newspaper photo that she discovered that planted the seed for her story line.

The story was authentic, emotionally charged, suspenseful, historical and enlightening. This is the first Kristina McMorris novel I have read, but won't be the last. I really enjoyed her style and creativity. Her story telling is a gift, it has so much depth. I appreciate when an author can fill in so many little details without bogging down a story, it's a craft that not all authors possess.

The characters were well defined and I felt I knew each one personally along with their families as well as their ties to each other. I found myself rooting for each and every one of them.
Lilly Palmer, secretary, with a secret of her own.
Ellis Reed, the reporter who took the photo that sets the story in motion.
Ruby and Calvin, the two children who were photographed and ultimately sold.

The story has many twists and turns and every turn fits nicely in the story line. It was fast paced, I couldn't put it down, I just had to know what happened next. The emotional charge put's this story on another level. Exceptional read, highly recommend.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher eSourcebooks for allowing me the privilege of ready an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What interested me into this story was the time period of the Great Depression, “capturing the desperation sweeping the country in 1931.”

As the story starts it sets a tone I was looking for with a mention of the market crash of 1929 bringing dire times. “Every day, children were being farmed out to relatives or dropped off at churches, orphanages, and the like, hoping to keep them warm and fed.”

This is a story of Ellis, the reporter who takes a picture of two boys with a sign “2 children for Sale” and there is more to this one snapshot, which later becomes two snapshots and the whole story goes into untangling this situation. He does it with a help of Lillian, who he met at his first job for Examiner.

As the story focuses on those two main characters and them untangling the story behind that picture, it loses its effort to bring the time period of the Great Depression.

The characters are well-developed and at some points the story is very engrossing, therefore I see why already so many people like this book. But the time period is very poorly developed. As the story of Ellis’ is revealed it brings some brief mentions of life’s hardships, but it hardly reflects what was set at the very beginning of the story. This book had such a potential to bring a vivid image of the Great Depression, but failed to do this.

Kristina McMorris is a new author for me and her newest book, Sold on a Monday is a great one. I will be looking for more of her books. Sold on a Monday takes place in 1930’s Philly and NYC. The premise is a new one for me. In the heart of the Depression, a photographer takes a picture of two kids holding a sign that says “2 Children for Sale.” What happens next is the basis for a sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes entertaining and in the end very satisfying read. The characters are believable. The descriptions of the time and places are authentic. The entire story is based on an actual photo from the 1940’s. Ms. McMorris has done a wonderful job of telling a gripping story.
I received a free copy of the book from NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS in exchange for my honest review. Thank you.

This historical fiction novel is set in 1931 during the early years of the Great Depression. Ellis Reed, 25, is a society reporter for the Philadelphia Examiner, but longs to be responsible for covering news of more substance and import. When the Chief’s secretary, Lily Palmer, sees a picture he took on his own in rural Pennsylvania of two young children in front of a “for sale” sign, she gives it to her boss. The Chief then asks Ellis to write a feature to accompany the story. But the original picture gets ruined, and the paper asks Ellis to go take another one.

When Ellis returns to the place the kids were, he finds out they are gone; the sign, however, is still in the yard. He decides to stage another picture, and asks two neighbor kids, Ruby, 8, and Calvin, 5, to pose. He feels guilty but thinks the story is important enough to justify it. Yet the more compliments and success the story garnered, the more his conscience plagued him.

Meanwhile, he and Lily have been fighting an attraction to one another, and when Ellis thinks he has lost out to Clayton Brauer, the top crime reporter at the Examiner, Ellis decides to accept a position covering news at the New York Herald Tribune and he leaves. But then Ellis and Lily discover that the second set of kids have been sold as well, and they work together to find out what has happened to them.

Evaluation: As with previous books, the author does an excellent job pulling us into the historical setting. She makes you want to read more about the period, even though you know a dry history won’t offer the stirring emotions a novel adds to a more sober account. I have yet to be disappointed by this author.

It took a few pages, but then I was mesmerized and could not read it fast enough. I remembered an email I received sometime ago with photos from the "Great Depression", which included the one of "Children for Sale", and I cried. I remember thinking at the time that someone could write a book based on this photo and that is just what Kristina McMorris has done. It is a very emotional book, full of twists and turns with excellent characters. One I will never forget. If you like fiction based on true history you will love it! Thank you Kristina McMorris for an amazing story!!

Kristina McMorris has crafted a moving story with her latest novel “Sold on a Monday”. This book drew me in from the start and I really enjoyed it. I appreciate receiving an advanced reader’s copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

When I first caught a glimpse of this cover and read the corresponding synopsis, I teared up immediately. The cover art tugs at the heart strings of young mommas such as myself, the preposterous thought of selling a child gut wrenching and just plain horrible. I knew right away that reading the book would be an emotional journey- but in the hands of such a skilled author, I also knew it would be a journey well taken.

In SOAM, reporters Ellis and Lily find themselves immersed in what starts as a story line, but ends up a personal mission to right a snapshot gone very wrong. Together, our protagonists delve deep into the world of selling children, and the emotional turmoil that presents for all involved.

Kristina McMorris delivers another exceptionally planned and executed read in Sold on a Monday. Her masterful storytelling is what draws me to her books time and time again, never to be disappointed. Her ability to seamlessly interweave multi-dimensional characters and heavy themes into one story is pure talent and a huge gift to us readers!

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.

Inspired by a photo from the 30's featuring 4 young children by a "children for sale " sign with their mother hiding her face behind them. Our novel follows the photographer/reporter who takes such a picture and how one subsequent choice changes the lives of all of those involved. It is an interesting look at that time period with relatable characters and an interesting perspective.

SOLD ON A MONDAY by Kristina McMorris is an engrossing story of love, family, ambition and honor. Set in the early 1930s during the Depression when many people had to resort to desperate measures just to have food for their families to eat. A struggling young reporter happens upon a heartbreaking scene where two young boys sit in front of a sign that says “2 children for sale”. He snaps a photograph that ultimately gets submitted to his newspaper for publication. What follows is a gripping tale of how seemingly innocent, well-meaning decisions and actions can have far-reaching and life-changing consequences. The author’s vivid descriptions and outstanding character development drew me in and made me feel I was right there in the story. I could not turn the pages fast enough to get to the book’s dramatic conclusion. To know that this novel was inspired by an actual newspaper photo made it even more touching and heart-wrenching. I will not soon forget this powerful and emotional book and I highly recommend it. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read an early copy of this book.

This book was amazing. The story was so sad and so real that I could picture the characters in my head. This engrossing tale is set during the 1930's, during the Depression when people were driven to desperate measures just to have food to eat. Ellis Reed is a reporter trying to move up the ladder but not having much success. He also takes photographs on the side....he stumbles across two young boys on a front porch with a sign posted "2 Children for Sale" and snaps an emotional photo. The photo ends up in the hands of his boss who asks for an accompanying story which he writes with enthusiasm. After an accident, Ellis has to submit a replacement photo in which he uses different children with the same sign. The plot thickens when Ellis goes back to check on the second set of children and bring them money, food and other items that have been sent to them in care of the newspaper. The children are gone after a few visits and Ellis learns that they were in fact sold even though these children had not been for sale. Joining Ellis on his quest to ind these two children is Lily, the secretary to his boss. Following many different clues taking them on quite a path, the two attempt to locate the children and return them to their mother. The story is absolutely mesmerizing. I could not out it down. The characters are so authentic and real as the story pulls you into this time and place, a very sad one but also a very real time in history--tragic and touching at the same time. Do not miss this book! I know that I will be thinking about it for days to come. Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC!

Newspaper reporter Ellis sets off a chain of events , even he is surprised by, when he stops to snap a picture of 2 kids in rural Pennsylvania with a sign in the background saying "2 children for sale". That picture takes the newspapers by storm and changes lives forever. Ellis and his friend Lily are drawn deep into a world they didn't know existed, while trying to right the wrongs in 1931. This book takes place in rural Pennsylvania and New York City after the stock market crash amid the Great Depression! I was transported into the world of Model T cars ( crank front ), Governor Roosevelt, and the underworld the city !
I loved Ellis and Lily and I was routing for them all along, their story and their story of the children had me feeling all the emotions! This book has become a favorite of mine and will stay with me long after I turn the last page

I finished this incredible book last night with a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. It all started with a picture...Sold on a Monday Is a riveting tale of desperation; of the consequences of even the most seemingly innocent decisions and the ripple effects that follow; of loss and family and ultimately doing what’s right. The most wonderful characters live in the pages of this book; people who are shaped by circumstances and choices in their past, looking for a future which will bring them happiness, love, fulfillment, and redemption. The backdrop of the Depression adds so many layers to this story, and provides readers with an understanding of the how and why as the events in this story unfold. This wonderful book is written with warmth, heart, compassion, and deep emotions.