Gave this a 3.5 I am usually a big fan of historical fiction but this book just didn't totally grab me. It was a fine story, no stand out characters & it kind of went off in many different directions.

The concept of this book is very interesting. I feel like there isn't a lot of fiction written about this time. I was very intrigued that the author was inspired to write this after seeing a real photo like the one described in the book.

The sequence of events was very interesting, but there were some details that I thought would be important but weren't. Like Ellis' connection with the Irish Mob. The relationship between Ellis and Lily was adorable, and you could really see it pan out as the story went on.

I thought the ending was kind of rushed. When they finally found out where the boy was, I was surprised at how few pages were left. It went from being a historical fiction story, to a crime thriller. I would have loved to see that part of the plot expanded a little bit.

Overall a good book, just not one that holds its own with so many other history/crime/thriller type books out there right now.

A picture of two little ones, a mother shielding her face, and a sign that states “Children For Sale” is how we begin our journey. The heart-wrenching fact that this historical fiction novel has its basis in absolute fact makes the story of children separated from their families during the Depression era that much more tragic. Told from the points-of-view of two newspaper writers, one whose decision will have a butterfly effect on many families’ lives, the twist and turns are unimaginable. This novel evokes such empathy and makes you appreciate the affluence we live in today by comparison. I especially enjoyed the author’s notes at the end which add a richness and honesty to an already emotional story. Four heart-wrenching stars and a thank you to NetGalley, Kristina McMorris, and Sourcebooks Landmark Publishing for supplying be with this advanced copy e-book in exchange for an honest review.

Set in the Great Depression, newspaper writer Ellis makes a choice on tweaking a photo from a storyline that has heartbreaking consequences. While the photo and storyline bring fame, money and success to Ellis, the family in the photo is torn apart. Ellis and his friend/assistant Lily try to find the family and make things right again. It's a sweet story that gives the reader a feel of how life was in that era. The storyline was engaging and overall well told.

Don't you find the cover of the book compelling and make you want to delve right in to find out what the story is?  That's what drew me to this book in the first place, and I'm glad it did.

During the Depression, Ellis is a news reporter struggling to find the story that will bring him recognition.  He is roaming the countryside taking photographs when he comes across a house with 2 young children and a sign that says "2 children for sale".  He is struck by the scene and takes a photograph.  He isn't planning on submitting the picture, but Lillian, one of the secretaries at the newsroom,  sees this picture developing and takes it to the editor who in turn wants Ellis to go back and interview the family for a story.  When he returns to the house, things take a turn, but he gets the story and finally gets the recognition he has been wanting.  He and Lillian later start having regrets about the circumstances of the picture and story submitted and start looking for the children.

Both Ellis and Lillian are well-developed characters with depth.  They both struggle with their conscience to do the right thing even though their actions might bring unwanted results for them.  Ellis has also been keeping a secret that comes out during the story, and it actually plays mainly into her decisions.  This was a heartbreaking look at a difficult time period, but ultimately redemptive; Although this is historical fiction, the story is apparently based on an actual newspaper photograph which adds even more to this compelling story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Excellent novel based on a famous photograph. I loved the book.

i enjoyed the story and the characters in this book. i think it's hard for us today to know how hard things were during the Great Depression. even sometimes the easy things. this book did a good job of reminding me how families must have struggled back then.
i also enjoyed the underlying current of love that is woven throughout the book in many ways.
i have found myself thinking about scenes over the past several weeks which i believe is a sign of a great book (when it makes you think).

i received an ARC of this book. all opinions are my own. :-)

Thank you to netgalley for providing me with the free ebook of Sold on a Monday.

The plotline of Sold on a Monday was so wonderfully thought out. I loved the story! However, it felt a little wordy to me, with pages and pages of text that didn't really say anything and didn't add to the story line. I feel quite conflicted on how to rate this one: if just the story almost five stars, if just the writing just below three. It just wasn't for me.

In 1931 there is a sign on a porch that reads '2 children for sale'. A reporter takes a photo of the sign and it leads to his big break. Sold On A Monday is a definite slow burner and it took me a couple of attempts to get into it but once I did it was really worth it. You really care about the characters and the writing style is wonderful and really hooks you in. It is quite a unique story (inspired by real life events) and I would definitely recommend it.

It's hard to imagine that anyone would be desperate enough to sell their children but this book will open your eyes to people who felt they had no other choice. I really enjoyed reading this book. There were a lot of twist and turns with the characters and I liked the way the different secrets were revealed.
I will definitely recommend this book and will order it for the library where I work.

Once again, I relied on reviews and really wanted to love Sold on a Monday. Especially since I'd never read anything by Kristina McMorris. The history being told in this book is absolutely heartbreaking, and needs to be told. However, I found the writing to be somewhat tedious, the outcomes predictable, and several loose threads in the telling. I do believe it is a story that needs to be told, and for that reason I do not feel it was a waste of my time.

A society writer for a newspaper is headed back homefrom his asdignment. He likes to take photographs for himself besides for the paper. He stops and take a picture of two children with a sign in front of them that says “2 children for sale.” He develops them and lets them dry in the newspaper developing room. Lily, the editor’s secretary discovers the photograph when she has asked by her boss to retrieve a photograph. She takes that one back to show him. The editor tells the society writer, Ellis Reed to write an article to go with the photograph. The photograph and negative gets lost, so he goes back to find the original family gone. He takes the discarded sign . As he drives back, he sees two children playing in the yard. He goes to ask the mother if he can take their picture. She says yes but wants money. Will he get his article in the paper in time with the new photograph? What happens to the children? Will the mother sell them? Why?

The novel is about one of many things that happened during the Depression. It is written with historical detail. My heart went out to the two children that were sold. It is a story that I will not forget due to its substance and the powerful feelings I felt as I read it. It’s excellent!

What started as an interesting historical fiction, quickly plummeted into a romance, and that is where it lost my attention. Granted, it did get back to the main storyline, but my disappointment in the need to add a romance soured my reading experience.

During the Depression Era, struggling writer Ellis Reed same across two children playing outside with a “Children for Sale” sign. Before the photo could be published, there was an accident in the darkroom and knowing he had a winning photo on his hands, he went back only to discover the original children were gone. Needing to recreate what he thought was his only way to make it in a struggling industry, he gathered the left behind sign and talked another careworn woman and her children into posing for a picture. Little did he know this photo would set in motion devastation for the family.

Lily, a woman with her own secret and desperation to make it in a man’s world, helps Ellis to right a wrong, and in doing so develop a relationship that took this book down the wrong road for me. If McMorris had stayed on her original path, this would have been an interesting book of historic fiction that had the reader cheering on Ellis and Lilly, unfortunately she took the easy path and introduced a romance.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.* 'Sold on a Monday is a beautiful, heart-wrenching book, set in the depths of the Great Depression. When struggling journalist, Ellis Reed snaps a photo of some children sitting in front of a sign that reads, '2 CHILDREN FOR SALE' and his newspaper publishes the photo and his accompanying story, little does he know the impact it will have on so many people's lives. This book was a thoroughly enjoyable read for a number of reasons. Firstly, for the glimpse it gave into ordinary people's lives living in American during the Depression. Also, however, for its nuanced take on human nature and the flawed beings we all are. There is a true redemptive nature to this story.

What an amazing book! It is set in the 1930s during the depression, when desperation led people to do things they would have otherwise never have done- like sell their children, who they could no longer feed. The book is heartbreaking, but at the same time, somehow heart warming. Add in a touch of intrigue and mystery and it makes for,an excellent read. I highly recommend it.

I am always drawn to historical fiction and I can see why this book has many favorable reviews as it is an easy read. It reveals a sad part of history that leaves you with a conflicting feeling of wanted to know more. I did have a hard time connected with the characters as I found them too clichéd. I kept picturing Clark Kent and Lois Lane for some reason which led to parts of the story being melodramatic. I understand the need for referencing events going on at the time to establish the time period (like the Lindbergh kidnapping) but they seemed forced. Overall, I think this would appeal to book clubs as there are a lot of themes to debate throughout the story. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris is full of family, gut wrenching choices, redemption and so much more. Set in the Depression era 1940's, this story is an intense, emotional roller coaster read that grabbed my heart and just wouldn't let go. (As if the book cover wasn't enough of a heart grabber!)

This story is engaging and while at times I needed my tissues to help me get through it, I am SO glad I read it. It's definitely a keeper!

I received this book for free. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are my own. Thank you to Ms. McMorris, Sourcebooks Landmark Publishing and Edelweiss for the opportunity to read and review this book.

With Sold on a Monday, Kristina McMorris has solidified her place on my favorite author list.

It all started with a picture. Reporter Ellis Reed snaps a photo of two children sitting outside their home with a sign "2 children for sale." This photo drives home the dramatic choices some families faced in 1931. Lillian Palmer, secretary, sees the photo in the darkroom and it speaks to her so she insures that it reaches the publication desk. What follows draws both Ellis and Lillian into a complex situation that has far reaching implications for both of them and a host of others.

I absolutely did not want to put this book down. The plot moves along quickly and has some unforeseen turns along the way. The author does such a tremendous job of making the characters leap from the pages and draws you into the locations and timeframes. I appreciated all the research and historical details that the author included. The note at the end of the book providing additional information about the inspiration behind the story put everything into perspective.

This book is a must read for any historical fiction fan and would make an excellent book club selection. Five star read for me.

I received this book courtesy of Sourcebooks Landmark in exchange for an honest review.

In all honesty, I chose this book based on it’s cover. Yes, a good cover will sucker me in every time. Luckily this one lived up to it’s cover.

The story takes place in the 1930's during the depression. Times are hard. Very hard. So hard that the only option is to put your children up for sale. That is what Ellis found when he was out scouting for an assignment. He came upon two children sitting on a porch with a for sale sign by them. He captured the moment with his camera.

He brought the photo back to the newsroom and showed it to his editor. I loved the newsroom setting. I can just imagine the clicking typewriters, the haze of smoke, the frantic rush to meet deadlines - all before cell phones. The story was a go, except that someone messed up the photo and Ellis had to go back to take it again. The only problem? The family was gone. So, Ellis had to recreate it with a new family and new children. The mother, desperate for money, agreed to do the photo.

This sets up the story that just snowballs from there. The story is told in a back and forth fashion between Ellis and Lily (a secretary at the paper.)

What makes the story even more interesting is that it is based on actual photograph took in the 1940’s showing children sitting on a porch with a for sale sign. The author was moved by the photo and used it as an inspiration for the story.

I loved this story. I love the newsroom setting. Each character was well developed and carried their own secrets and flaws. Heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time.

I received an ARC of the book.

EXCERPT: Another drop of sweat slid from Ellis's fedora, down his neck, and into his starched collar. Even without his suit jacket, his whole shirt clung from the damn humidity. He moved closer to the house and raised his camera. Natural scenic shots were his usual hobby, but he adjusted the lens to bring the kids into focus. With them came a sign. A raw, wooden slat with jagged edges, it bowed slightly against the porch, as if reclining under the weight of the afternoon heat. The offer it bore, scrawled in charcoal, didn't fully register until Ellis snapped the photo.

2 children for sale

ABOUT THIS BOOK: From New York Times bestselling author Kristina McMorris comes another unforgettable novel inspired by a stunning piece of history.

2 CHILDREN FOR SALE

The sign is a last resort. It sits on a farmhouse porch in 1931, but could be found anywhere in an era of breadlines, bank runs, and broken dreams. It could have been written by any mother facing impossible choices.

For struggling reporter Ellis Reed, the gut-wrenching scene evokes memories of his family’s dark past. He snaps a photograph of the children, not meant for publication. But when it leads to his big break, the consequences are more devastating than he ever imagined.

At the paper, Lillian Palmer is haunted by her role in all that happened. She is far too familiar with the heartbreak of children deemed unwanted. As the bonds of motherhood are tested, she and Ellis must decide how much they are willing to risk to mend a fractured family.

Inspired by an actual newspaper photograph that stunned the nation, Sold on a Monday is a powerful novel of love, redemption, and the unexpected paths that bring us home.

MY THOUGHTS: This is a quietly powerful novel. It is not written in a dramatic fashion, yet it tore my emotions to pieces. It gave me everything I expected, and more, yet it was nothing like I expected.

'Photography is the art of observation. It has little to do with things you see and everything to do with the way you see them'-Elliott Erwitt

None of us know what is in the hearts and minds of others. We are quick to judge by appearances, seldom taking the time to dig beneath the surface to determine the truth. And we do things ourselves, sometimes with the best of intentions, sometimes to further our own interests, mostly without thinking through the consequences. This is just what Ellis and Lily do. They individually set in motion a chain of events that neither one of them could have imagined and, united in the aftermath, what they find is not what they expected.

After the initial photograph of the children and it's accompanying furor, the book focuses largely on Ellis's career. I kept thinking, 'The children. . . what is happening to the children?' I was beginning to think that the book wasn't about them at all, that it was just an attention grabbing stunt. But I was wrong. The author was making a point, and a very good one, about how easy it is to lose sight of what is important, to be blinded by other things, superficial things that, easily gained, are also easy to lose.

This book is largely about values, about being true to ourselves and our beliefs, about truth and compassion, choices and consequences. But don't go thinking it is at all preachy or moralistic, because it's not. It is a beautifully written, compelling and captivating slice of history that will tug at your heartstrings. But it did leave me with one burning question. . . what happened to the two little boys in the first photo that Ellis took? That haunts me still.

💖💖💖💖💖

I feel sure that this book is destined to become a classic.

THE AUTHOR: KRISTINA MCMORRIS is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Her novels have garnered more than two dozen literary awards and nominations, including the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, RWA’s RITA® Award, and a Goodreads Choice Award for Best Historical Fiction. Inspired by true personal and historical accounts, her works of fiction have been published by Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, and Kensington Books. Her forthcoming novel, Sold on a Monday (Sourcebooks Landmark, 8-28-18), follows her widely praised The Edge of Lost, The Pieces We Keep, Bridge of Scarlet Leaves, and Letters from Home. Additionally, her novellas are featured in the anthologies A Winter Wonderland and Grand Central. Prior to her writing career, Kristina hosted weekly TV shows since age nine, including an Emmy® Award-winning program, and has been named one of Portland's "40 Under 40" by The Business Journal. She lives with her husband and two sons in the Pacific Northwest, where she is working on her next novel.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for providing a digital ARC of Sold On A Monday by Kristina McMorris for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

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