I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

What a fantastic story "Sold on a Monday" is!

I initially was drawn to the book as a former journalist myself. I wanted to know about this photograph and the children in it. I read historical fiction, and I was interested in being taken back to the Great Depression.

The book did transport me. I felt like I could smell the exhaust from one of the main character's Model T. I would have loved a sandwich at the deli owned by the other main character's parents. I could see the smokey newsrooms and loved the portrayal of the brusque editors and reporters of the muckraking era.

The story of the photograph is a heart-wrenching one, and it is a timely fable about the consequences of stretching the truth - both for journalists and for anyone.

I found the second half of the book much more lively than the first half. I'm not a fan of romance novels, and this book has a healthy dose of romance (especially in the first half). I found that part of the plot to be predictable, but the characters are likable and the love story is very sweet.

I read the second half of the book on a couple of flights. I was disappointed when the first flight landed, and I had to stop reading. But on the second flight, when I finished the book about half an hour before I landed, I simply closed my eyes and had plenty to think about regarding this book.

I don't often read books more than once as there are so many great books out in the world I haven't yet read. But "Sold on a Monday" is one I'd like to read again. I know there are more pieces to think about and chew on that can only come from reading a book a few times. Kristina McMorris has written a fine book, and I will keep an eye out for her future efforts!

I would like to thank Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Sold On A Monday’ written by Kristina McMorris in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
Ellis Reed, an up-and-coming reporter for the Philadelphia Examiner, is driving through Laurel Township when he stops and takes a photograph of two children sitting on a porch with a sign saying ‘2 children for sale’. This takes place in 1931 when families are so desperately poor they have to contemplate selling their own children to reduce the number of mouths that need feeding. Some months after taking the photograph Ellis returns to discover that the children and their mother have disappeared and he and Lily Palmer, the newspaper’s secretary, join forces to discover what happened to the children.
It’s a sobering thought that this story has been inspired by an event that actually took place. It makes for a touching and thought-provoking novel that has been carefully and sensitively written. As I continued to read I became so immersed in the story that I was desperate to find out what happened to the children. This is an impressive novel and one I can definitely recommend.

Love Kristina McMorris. I have read all of her books. She writes beautifully written stories with lots of heart. Wonderfully satisfying characters portrayals, and excellent closure. I will certainly wait for her next book!! Thank you Netgalley!!

It all started with a picture, a photograph taken by a young down on his luck reporter in 1931.
When printed in the paper, it draws a great deal of notoriety, leading to complications, difficulties, even anger.
The author creates a wonderful plot, creating a feeling of suspense as the action moves quickly.
As we read we are reminded of the importance of truth, whether reported in a newspaper or spoken to others.
A wonderful novel, that I was unable to put down and read in two days. Excellent!

This book covers so many emotions that I had to keep putting it down and read something lighthearted.
I eventually got to the end and wasn’t disappointed. Heartbreakingly based on true life, it tells the story of how people coped or didn’t cope with life, loss, shame and guilt. Those last four words say it all.

Very touching story that will break your heart! Loved loved loved the story, the writing and the characters were phenomenal!!! You must read the authors noteds at the end. It accounts how she came to write the story when she saw a picture from a newspaper in 1948 that touched her......read it!! It's almost as good as the story! An over the top 5 star rating!!

This was my first book by Kristina McMorris and I had heard such great things about her books and this did not disappoint! I loved the story and the writing was superb!, Thank you netgalley,

I went into this book without much idea of what I would be getting myself into. What I found though was a great story with a little bit of everything; historical fiction, mystery and a little bit of a thriller. It had the feel of an old time black and white newspaper movie. It had the fast paced clip of that rhetoric you see in movies like His Girl Friday. I felt instantly engaged and throughout the story never reaching a lull or had to push my way through it.

It was a story that tugs at your heartstrings. It's hard to imagine a justifiable reason why a mother would sell her two children yet rather than vilify the mother the story takes us on the journey of finding out the circumstances that led her to make the decision and what it takes to get her children back. It is a sad journey of mistakes made and the personal discoveries.

It is rare that I can leave a story having enjoyed every single character. Of course there was the bad guys that are meant to be unlikeable but Ellis and Lily, Cal, Geraldine, they all were such a joy to spend time with.

I would easily recommend this to anyone looking for their next great read and look forward to reading int again in the future.

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!!