This is my first novel by Kristina McNorris and it did not disappoint. The very first thing that caught my attention about this book was that amazing cover. Not even knowing what the book was about, you have to look at it for that reason alone. Then when I read the premise of the book I knew it was one I could not turn down. 

This is a haunting fictional story that is based on a real picture published in the newspaper a long time ago of kids sitting on their front porch with a sign that reads "children for sale". My first thought is how could a mother even think of stooping so low??? Don't be so quick to judge. This story shows you how one decision can have a domino effect on the lives of many others. One bad decision can rip apart a family, forever change the landscape of a child's safety, of their future. One decision can have you question your morals, your ethics, and who you are and want to be as a human being. 

Sold on a Monday is a captivating,riveting and engrossing page turner that explores these decisions and their ramifications - the good, the bad and the ugly. It will touch your heart, make you believe in love and the power of a hero. It will make you question "What would you do" in the same situation. To what lengths would you go to save a child. And will possibly make you question past judgements. Times were tough in the 1930's and families just wanted to provide a good home for their children. 

The author does a great job with character development and keeping the story engaging and moving at a good pace. This subject is a sensitive and delicate one, and I like the angle the author chose to take this story, which has some nice twists,turns and surprises. This may have been my first book by Kristina McMorris but definitely won't be my last. 

My thanks to Netgalley, Kristina McMorris and Sourcebooks Landmark publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Truly, this story has movie-making potential. The setting is 1931, and families are still hurting from the stock market crash of 1929.  It was not uncommon for children to be farmed out to relatives or dropped off at orphanages and such with hopes that someone will take them in and take care of them.  The darker side, of course, is that children may be sold.  Although babies might be adopted and raised as real family, older girls would oftentimes be put to work as nannies, seamstresses, maids, or worse, and boys might work as farm and field hands or as mine or factory workers, or worse.  

It all started when Ellis Reed, a Society and women's page reporter for the Philadelphia Examiner, is assigned to write a feature story based upon a photo he took of two young boys sitting on the farmhouse porch next to a sign advertising "2 children for sale." When the original print and negative are damaged just before it was to go to press, Ellis has to return to the site to recreate a replacement, but discovers that the family has moved on.  As an alternative, he  pays a neighbor mom to allow him to stage and take a similar picture of her two young children with the intent that it will merely act as a representation of the plight of many struggling families.       

The story also follows the plight of Lily, a secretary for the Philadelphia Examiner who is relegated to a job--such as getting coffee for her boss, making personal restaurant reservations for him and his wife for their anniversary, etc. (you get get the picture)--instead of one that is a reflection of her true talents which is an aspiring columnist.  When she takes initiative and shows her boss some of her sample writings, he misconstrues it as her being unhappy with her job. Also, Lily is an unwed mother who was made to feel that she cannot share that information in order to obtain and keep her job.  

I am generally drawn to dark psychological thrillers and I almost passed on the opportunity from NetGalley to read and review this book before its official release.  I am so glad I didn't.  This is an impressive work, and as I was reading it, I felt that it could be easily adapted into a movie.  Well done!

Just so tired of covering and photographing society events for his newspaper Ellis Reed drove through a town and stopped by a sign and scene that evoked memories of a dark past from his childhood.  The sign read “ 2 CHILDREN FOR SALE”.  Evidently it was the final act of a family’s struggle to feed themselves in 1931.  The great Crash, the great depression, bread lines, soup kitchens – it could have been written by so many families who couldn’t stand to see her children starve.  

Ellis took the picture bringing it back to the paper where Lillian Palmer saw it and brought it to the chief editor who wanted a story to go with it.  It was the big break Ellis Reed needed, even though the picture was never meant for publication. But then just before it was printed, it was damaged and Ellis had to go back and re-take the photo, only the original children weren’t there, so he substituted other children into the photo with disastrous results.  

Both Ellis and Lillian realize that their actions had caused a great deal of misunderstanding and grief and though there was connection to their friendship they both felt the need to try and correct the actions that had been set in motion. As the two try to mend the fractured family, they naturally find a commonality and sense of soul in each other.  

As this book was inspired by an actual article and photograph from a newspaper that stunned a nation, you’ll find this to be a powerful novel of love and redemption between two unexpected souls who found their way back to a way of life they had been missing,

Marilyn Rondeau

3.5 stars.  This was a good book but I thought it would be better.   It was an interesting story but I wanted to know more about what happened to the two boys Ellis originally photographed.  The author did a great job of portraying the time period and Ellis and Lily but I didn't really connect with the kids or their mother.  But it was well written and a good story.

This book had considerable potential to present a multilayered and faceted account of the Depression, focusing on the dire circumstances that would lead to families to such desperation that they would even contemplate selling their children.  That's what I thought I'd be getting, based on the title.  Alas.  Instead of a story firmly set in the midst of the Depression, with a theme akin to Before We were Yours or The Orphan Train, I found a lukewarm romance between two bland characters, with their world so generic that without the very occasional reminders about joblessness and tiny apartments, it could have been anywhere at any time.

Instead of caring about the circumstances of the family that put its two young boys up for sale, Ellis seemed to care more that his photos of them were ruined and he had to shoot pictures of substitute children.  Lillian, the obligatory secretary with A Big Secret and aspirations to become a "lady reporter" in a man's work, was too cliched for words.  When it became apparent the book was going to be far more about these two characters and their romance rather than the larger issues of destitution and hard choices, I quickly lost interest.

This appears to be my year for trusting my gut instinct and grabbing books based on the cover and title. I've been rewarded with some awesome books by doing so, and once again struck gold when I decided to take a chance and request an arc of Sold On A Monday. If the heart-touching cover photograph doesn't get you, the title, synopsis, and story will. This has also been the year for me to become a fan of fictional renderings of real life events. The story behind Sold On A Monday is based on a newspaper photo (shown in back of the book) that shocked the world during the Great Depression. During this bleak time in history, families were faced with impossible, heartbreaking decisions. Banks collapsed, homes were repossessed, people were out of work, and families were starving. All hopes and dreams were shattered. And so, a heartbreaking photograph served as a sign of the times: 2 Children For Sale. Says it all, doesn't it?

Ellis Reed was a struggling reporter assigned to cover the social circuit in 1931. In the execution of his duties, he stumbled across an old, desolated farmhouse and took a photograph of two little children sitting on the front porch. Not intended for publication, Ellis only takes one picture which will later prove paramount in upcoming events. Upon reviewing the photograph, he's stunned to see the sign that says 2 Children For Sale propped up near the boys. Do these children have any idea what the sign says . . . or means? Newspaper secretary Lillian Palmer later discovers Reed's photograph in the darkroom and is so moved by it that she passes it on to the powers that be. Through happenstance, Ellis is faced with some hard choices including one borderline unethical decision that not only changed the course of his life, but also utterly destroyed some innocent lives. Will Ellis and Lillian ever find a way to right this wrong? 

Sold On A Monday is a story first revealed through the lens of a camera - a moment of utter hopelessness forever frozen in time. But, thankfully, it's also a story of compassion, ambition, forgiveness, and redemption - a story of two people's determination to do the right thing with no thought of personal consequences. The setting and plot line drew me right into the story, allowing me to see, feel, even smell the agony, defeat, and heartbreak of families fighting for survival. I appreciated the direction and approach the author chose to tell this story as I think it broadens the reader's focus from the one photograph and allows them the vision to see a much bigger picture and story. I found the story pacing to be perfect as it kept me turning pages while searching for any assurance that it wasn't too late to set things right again. I highly recommend you skip all reviews and dive into this book prepared to not only be deeply moved, but also a little surprised. McMorris has written a stunning story - one in which a photograph is worth more than a thousand words. And yet, her words and rendering of this story are absolutely perfect! A 2018 Favorite! A Must Read!

As I sit here pondering how to do this book justice, one thought keeps coming to mind: it all started with a picture. A picture speaks a thousand words. Ellis Reed, a reporter, is out to write a story. While doing so he comes upon two boys and a sign, "2 children for sale." He vividly captures this depression era photograph and it goes viral. But the wrong picture goes viral. This book is set during the depression and you are there. It vividly describes these times with great precision. Describing prohibition, mobsters and most of all poverty. Would you sell your children? This was a difficult period for people. This book is heartbreaking at its core. Ellis teams up with Lily to right a wrong. This takes them on a riveting roller coaster ride. The characters are complex and well developed. They are flawed and human. I cried because this book is so heart wrenching. It touched me as a mother. Kristina McMorris has such a way of telling a story that keeps you turning the pages. I could not put this book down. The dialogue is fresh and the tone is true to the times. It gets better and better the more you read. I simply can't say enough good things about this book. An absolute blockbuster of a read that all started with a picture. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me the honor of reading this book. This is an absolute must read!!

Ellis Reed is a reporter  scrambling for career success during the Great Depression. He is out looking for stories when he comes upon a heartbreaking scene of two children on a porch by a sign that states the children are for sale. He takes a photo. His colleague at the newspaper, Lillian Palmer, shows the photo to their boss which sets off a chain of events that impacts many lives.


Ellis faces a moral dilemma when his photo of the children is destroyed. His boss beseeches him to remake the photo and write an article about it. When he tries to recapture the moment, the children are gone and what he decides to do sets off a chain of tragedies. Lillian is a woman with a secret. Her involvement in this story will change her life .

Theme: 
Choices, Ethics, Desperation, Family

This story is based on a heart wrenching photograph that really was taken during where children were placed up for sale in desperation. As a mother, this broke my heart. I would have preferred that the book focused on the children and their family, not the adventures of the reporters trying to break the story. I had a hard time connecting to the reporters because I cares more about the children.

3.5 stars, rounded up, for this heartbreaking story. It's unimaginable to most of us that someone could feel compelled, or even inclined, to sell their own child, but when a reporter makes a decision to run a photo of a family with a sign that suggests they'd like to do just that, it has a tidal wave of consequences he couldn't have imagined. Sold on a Monday, set during the Great Depression, sends readers to a time that really wasn't so long ago, but is distant enough that these events wouldn't be in most readers' collective memory. By using a reporter and a newspaper staffer to tell the story, McMorris is able to highlight a lot of issues at the time- the poverty, the limitations placed on women, etc.- and still tell a fascinating, unsettling story about family, crime, and truth.

This is a very slow burning, but surprisingly endearing, romance, with the added moral dimension of children for sale.  
Reporter Ellis comes across two young boys sitting outside a farmhouse next to a sign saying “Two children for sale”.  He takes a photo, which has far reaching (and completely unintended) consequences for all the characters in this story.  
There is no mention of who is doing the selling, or why, but Ellis – while troubled – is not entirely surprised.  America is in the depths of the Depression, and many families have no money, no food, and no prospects.  Children from desperately poor families are often given away in the hope of them having a better life, with those who can afford to feed and care for them.  But, to sell your child – to put a price on their life – is another matter entirely.  It begs the question of whether the sale is in aid of the child’s welfare – or only for the benefit of the seller?  Is the money needed for the succour of other siblings? We never really find out.  And what about the person who would buy a child?  In those days, legal adoption would have been relatively easy – so why pay, unless the child is to be (ab)used for nefarious purposes?
The photo might have been forgotten, if not noticed by Lily in the newspaper’s dark room.  She encourages Ellis to write a human interest story about the two boys, which catches his editor’s attention.  Unfortunately, the photo is destroyed just as the story is ready to publish, and Ellis has to replace it.  The two boys are no longer to be found, so Ellis persuades two other children to pose for his photo (with the original sign), which now includes their mother.  
Years pass, Ellis moves on, and Lily is courted by the kind and courteous Clayton Brauer.  Lily had made a mistake in the past – one whose consequences she does not regret, but which has radically changed the priorities in her life, and also the way in which she views the world.  For her, family is all important, and she cannot forget the photo.  When she and Ellis meet again, they both feel the need to discover what became of the children in the second photo, and to do everything in their power to bring about a happy ending.
The romance angle is very understated.  Will Lily plump for the security that the dependable Clayton offers, or risk everything on the wilder Ellis?  
One thing that strikes you about this book, is that (with one minor exception) there are no villains.  The characters are (almost) all nice, and trying to do the right thing – however misguided that may turn out to be.  They are well portrayed and develop with the story, and you can empathise with most of them.  
This book is not fast paced, but does keep your attention throughout.  I would definitely recommend it.

This was a wonderful story, told with skill and fraught with emotional ups and downs. I really enjoyed it and recommend it.

Summary:


“It all started with a picture.” 

Ellis only stopped for a second- on the way to cover another boring society dig. The boys, sitting by this sign, though…. it caught him. It wasn’t the first time he’d used the paper’s camera like this…. but it would be the most meaningful.

When the pic gets brought to the chief’s attention Ellis is offered his chance- just one shot- to write worthwhile stories. Starting with one about this family. He has good intentions- keep the family mostly out of the spotlight- write about it like this could be just about the turmoil of so many American Families. But you can’t shine a spotlight like that and expect the family to stay hidden.

The worst part? There’s a secret, only known to Ellis and the mother and kids, that no one can know. Not only is his career skyrocketing due to someone’s pain…. the secret is breaking him apart. 

Lilly, secretary at the paper, only meant to help. First to help Ellis with his story, then help with the fallout. Sometimes you can do things with the best of intentions… and still cause pain. When the family risks being torn apart can a reporter and his friend really be enough to turn the tide? 

This book brought to stark image the pain and desperation of 1930’s America. 

My thoughts:

This book broke me for so many reasons. I think the author stated it best in her notes.

‘In the direst of times, I could fathom perhaps having to make such a heartbreaking choice for the sake of my children. But why on earth ask for money in return?’

Her friend answered “because they wanted to eat”. It’s easy to judge a family that could do this without thinking of why, what they are going through. It’s also far too easy to ignore the suffering of others unless it’s placed in a spotlight… like, say some cute kids with a for sale sign in the paper. It’s easy to say that they could have done something else… any thing else… but could they? When I read the reasoning it actually made perfect, heartbreaking sense. 

The characters are well developed and wonderfully flawed. Each has their strength, their goodness, their hidden guilt and their faults. It’s these well developed characters that really brought the book to life for me. I fell madly in love with these well meaning but flawed individuals. 

Part of the heartbreaking aspect for me was that this was inspired by an actual picture that first showed up in the Vidette-Messenger of Valparaiso, Indiana in 1948. 



The story was well written and thought provoking. I loved the way it moved from Lilly to Ellis and back allowing for a duel narrative that gave a better understanding of what each character felt. Even as Ellis tried to enjoy his success, and did things he never thought he would in order to achieve it, there was still that small bit of the good guy wanting to shake the world. For me, this is a five star book. 

On the adult content scale, this is has violence, language and drinking. It isn’t much and if that was the only concern then I would say it was about a three. Due to the treatment of the children, though, I feel I have to add a bit more. This is some heavy hitting material. I have to give it a five. I would say that this is definitely geared toward adults. 

I was lucky enough to receive an eARC of this book from Netgalley and Landmark in exchange for an honest review. I also ended up buying it, so that I could add a few quotes to the bottom of the review (and because I loved it). Find the review, pics and quotes on garabrandtreviews.wordpress.com

A great snapshot of all that is NY in the 1920’s. It was a bit predictable but well researched.  A picture paints 1000 words but what if a picture hides the truth

3.75 Stars
It all started with a photo.  <i>Two children for sale</i> is what the sign read on a porch in 1931.  A time in America's history where times were tough, paying jobs were scarce, and feeding multiple mouths was damn near impossible. Ellis finds himself taking pictures for his personal collection.  Lillian finds said pictures in the dark room for processing, turns it into the editor and things start spiraling from there. 
As a mother to two small children I couldn't even imagine being in such a desperate place as to sell my children.  I've also thankfully never been put in a position and hope to never find myself in a position to find out. This book was gut wrenching, imagining not only what those poor kids went through, but also the guilt one would carry with them with having to make such a tough decision.

Absolutely loved Sold on a Monday!  I was afraid it would be very depressing and while there were sad storylines, the overall feeling was one of hope..  Ellis knew he could make a difference by telling a story. Lilillian knew a mother would do anything to keep a child. And the mafia assumed they could buy stories and children. I am so glad Ellis and Lillian teamed!  I really felt like I was living in 1931, from the clothing descriptions to the speakeasies.

Based on a real life event, Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris is a heart wrenching historical novel that is poignant and thought-provoking.

  Society writer Ellis Reed captures a photo that secretary Lily Palmer brings to the attention of her boss. He in turn instructs Reed to write an article to accompany the picture of the two young boys with a sign that reads “children for sale”. However, right before the article is published, the photo and negative are destroyed. When Ellis returns to the farmhouse and discovers the family has moved, he finds himself in a moral dilemma that is solved by his decision to stage a new snapshot with different children. The article captures the heart of America but Ellis remains conflicted about the second photo. Fast forward a few months and Reed is offered a new position that launches his career as a newspaper reporter. But, at the back of his mind, the fate of those two children continues to haunt him. Determined to find out how the kids and their mother are faring, Ellis is stunned by what he discovers.

  Lily is a gifted writer but in 1931, journalism is a man’s field and women are often relegated to writing puff pieces. Fully cognizant of this fact, she is hoping her job as a secretary will be a stepping stone to becoming a reporter.  She  is immediately touched by Ellis’s photo but she has no idea the original photo was accidentally destroyed. As soon she learns the truth, she, too, is concerned about the fate of the family in the staged photo. Lily becomes the driving force in righting a terrible wrong but will she and Ellis uncover the truth before it is too late?

  Sold on a Monday is a truly fascinating novel that is fast-paced and engaging. Ellis and Lily are realistically developed characters who are endearingly flawed yet this just adds to their appeal. Kristina McMorris paints an intriguing and heartbreaking portrait of the hardships, social stigmas and seamy underworld of the time period. Readers of the genre are sure to enjoy this wonderful story that tugs on the heartstrings.

I have just finished reading this book by Kristina.
This is the first book I have read from this author and I will definitely be checking out others.
The book tells the story of Ellis a struggling journalist and Lily a secretary who wants more from her job.
It tells the story of how 1 decision can have a huge impact on many lives in this case the Dilliard family.
I found it a little slow going initially but once I got into it it flowed perfectly and I was desperate to find out how things would turn out for all involved.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Kristina for the opportunity to read and review this book.

In 1931, struggling reporter Ellis Reed comes across 2 little boys on a porch next to sign that says "2 children for sale".  He takes a picture which gets submitted to the editor.  He writes an article about the face of poverty to go with the photo and it causes his career to skyrocket.  It also creates a domino effect of unforeseen consequences and Ellis will have to go to great lengths to set everything right again.

This story was in turns heart-wrenching and exhilarating.  The characters were ones I was rooting for and the story was so captivating I didn't want to put it down.  This is  definitely a must-read!

First of all, I would like to say thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for allowing me the privilege to read an ARC of this book! Upon viewing the bookcover, I instantly knew it was one that I needed to read. It’s a historical fiction story written by author Kristina McMorris. From what I understand, it’s based off of an actual photograph. The timeline is set during the depression when times were tough for everyone. It’s a story about how two newspaper employees do everything they can to return two young children to their rightful mother. I won’t go into too much detail and ruin the story but want to say I felt it was a very heartbreaking read that later turned heartwarming. It’s a wonderful book, one I enjoyed very much and will probably reread again in the future. I will also be purchasing a physical copy to add to my personal library. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading stories that grab your emotions and really make you “feel”.

Living near with this true life story took place drew me to Kristina McMorris's novel.  I am a fan of historical fiction, driven by human relationships and characters.  McMorris did not disappoint with this book.  I will expand on my review on goodreads when I gather all my thoughts. Thank you for the egalley!  Our library has purchased copies.