I feel badly that I'm not able to be as excited as a lot of people are about this soon to be published book. Kristina McMorris has some very popular books out there, and this might be another one, but for me, it lacked a depth of character. I just couldn't connect to the main characters Ellis and Lillian. What's interesting is that I thought the main characters were going to be the two children, who were the inspiration of the book. Those two children that were sitting on a porch, with a sign saying "children for sale". Heartbreaking to even think about, but I thought, what an interesting book! I was also thinking of the depression era book Mary Coin, another book, based on a picture.
The book has potential, but fell flat for me. I would have enjoyed more stories of other people's of the time. Perhaps a bit shorter as well. I found myself slogging through much of the first half. A predictable "pat" ending, had me closing the book, and thinking I couldn't give this more than 3 stars. Thanks to NetGalley for offering this book to preview for an honest review.

A full blown pull at your heartstrings breathtaking read! The storyline grabs hold of you keeping you hostage, riveted fueling through the pages! A nail-biting on edge intense must read!

“Bread lines, bank runs, and impossible choices”
It’s 1931, and young reporter Ellis Reed, who is scraping out a living doing “woman’s work” writing for the society pages of the Philadelphia Examiner, gets his big break when he takes a photo of 2 children with a sign “2 children for sale” and his story, as we would say almost a century later, “goes viral”. But Ellis knows that his success is based on a lie that may have caused devastating consequences for innocent people, and he has a hard time living with that. Lily Palmer, secretary to the editor-in-chief, is practically the only other person who knows Ellis’ secret, and she has one of her own. But neither Ellis nor Lily knows the whole truth, and together they investigate to learn the story behind the story and to try to make things right.
I don’t read books like this one very often, but something in the description of Sold on a Monday attracted me, and I am glad I followed through, because it was a riveting read. Although this is not a suspense novel, the plot was full of turns and surprises, and I am deliberately giving few details so that you can enjoy them as much as I did. The well-drawn scenes ranged from rural farms to big-city newsrooms, an orphanage to a speakeasy, and were peopled with ambitious reporters, mothers forced to give up their children, wealthy New York bankers, and even The Mob. The characters were practically all sympathetic, which caused me some angst, because they each had something they wanted very much, very natural human desires for love and fulfillment, and it was obvious that not everyone could have what they wanted. In their quest some of them do things that seem pretty daring and, yes, stupid, but I can’t quite say implausible. Even the "bit parts" were nicely done, like Mildred, a low-level employee at the orphanage, who has to decide what is in the true interest of the children.
Author Kristina McMorris was inspired to write Sold on a Monday by an actual news photo showing four children being sold by their mother in Depression-era Chicago. As a mother herself, McMorris kept thinking about this picture and wondering what could have driven a mother to that point. Her inspiration grew from the timeless theme of a mother’s love. But as a historical novelist, McMorris also is interested in the (certainly not unrelated) social and economic picture of the era. The small details from the era were fun. The image of people smoking in the waiting room of a hospital (!) or Ellis telling the elevator operator what floor he wanted made me smile. Ellis’ dad eating creamed corn at dinner made me ponder when was the last time I saw THAT dish on a menu. Of course, there were also the children laboring at young ages and Hitlerites marching through Germany to remind me how grim the era was. Many of the newspaper articles and events in the book are based on actual happenings.
Sold on a Monday is a very well-told tale set in an interesting era; there is a lot to like. It would be a great book to discuss in a book group, and a Reading Group Guide is provided to help you along.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an Advance Review copy of this book.

great beginning. grabbed me right away. enjoyed the book. an easy read. i recommend it! really good for a book club. will bring great discussions.

Sold On A Monday is a very interesting story, and one that has garnered my interest enough to read more about the photograph that inspired the tale.

It is hard for me to imagine such a time and having to make a decision to give up my children. Knowing what we know now, that many were mistreated and basically cheap labor, makes it even more awful to consider.

I give this book between 3.5 and 4 stars and recommend it as an interesting book/story loosely based on a very well known and compelling photograph.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for an opportunity to read and review the book. All opinions are 100% my own.

This book was different from what I expected. This is the depression and awful things can happen when people can’t find wor, food or help. In this book that’s what it seems from the picture taken by a young reporter. But, there is so much more here.

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.

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.