I received this book "Sold on a Monday" from NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own. 
As they say one decision can change your life and the lives of those around you. I thought this was a great book. I liked the characters and the setting. This book was a page turner for me and I couldn't wait to read each day. I haven't read much historical fiction but I will from now on. Heartbreaking story and you really feel the pain the characters are going through.

Ellis Reed is trying his best. He's a low-level reporter that just wants to make a name for himself and keep his head above the poverty line like the rest of the country in 1931. "Children for Sale" is a sign he comes across during these desperate times and what happens afterwards forever changes the course of his life. 

Lily, a coworker at the newspaper, has unexpectedly intwined herself in the life and career of Eliis. As a women during this era, she struggles to have her voice heard, and to life a life free of judgement. Her perspective as a mother influences Ellis and helps him keep his moral compass in check as they work together to help bring a family back together. 

This is a heart wrenching read about how desperate people were to stay alive and do what was best for their families during the Great Depression. The result was often a worst case scenario, as we read in the book. Misguided choices made out of desperation and fear split up families and made people who were loving parents abandon their children.

Thank you net galley for the chance to read this book.

When I read books on my kindle, I tend to just start reading without reviewing the description of the book.  So I started Sold on a Monday with no expectation for where the story would go.  I was pleasantly surprised.

Ellis captures a sad, heartbreaking moment in a photo.  Lily finds the photo and shares it with their newspaper’s editor.  These two small acts set Ellis and Lily, practically strangers, on a path neither of them would ever have expected.

It’s not your typical, can predict each event, kind of story.  It’s fresh and real and speaks to the heart.  The characters feel like real people so you almost forget it’s fiction.

I received a free e-copy of Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris from NetGalley for my honest review.

I don't normally read Historical Fiction books, but this one caught my eye. I am so glad it did. What an exceptional read.

Sold on a Monday takes place during the depression in 1931. Ellis, a newspaper reporter for a Philadelphia newspaper, is out taking pictures of the countryside. She stumbles across a heartbreaking scene. Two boys that are being sold by their mother. Lillian, a secretary at the paper turns it into the editor who publishes it. Then things go terribly wrong.

I love how the story is told in third person with the points of view being told by Ellis’s and Lilly’s points of view. This book portrays a realistic view of the depression when people did whatever they had to to survive. This included selling their own children. Children were often sold by their parents in hopes that they could have a better life. A very vivid and heartbreaking read. I highly recommend this book.

Kirstina McMorris, in  “Sold on a Monday,” has written a heart tugging historical fiction novel.   During the Great Depression, a wooden board with “2 children for sale” scrawled across it sits on a dilapidated farmhouse porch beside two forlorn children.  A struggling reporter spots and photographs it, starting an amazing adventure. 

Starting with an early fascination for photography, author McMorris transitioned to a writer in 2011 with a WWII love story and has since has penned a couple of highly acclaimed novels and anthologies.  In Sold, she has written a novel that explores the depths of despair that leads people to drastic measures for survival, and then the equally anguished attempts at rectifying a horrible decision.

Any further descriptions of the book would not be proper because they would expose the author’s imaginative plot.  But it is important to describe the writing as intricate with a clarity that keeps the reader entranced.  The characters are widely diverse; with descriptive details that envelope the reader into an anxious search for answers that will both dismay and soothe.  The author has the remarkable ability to weave her words into a narrative that never ceases to magnetize a reader’s attention.

I am both enthusiastic and somewhat reserved in my praise for this book.  The words and writing skills used by McMorris are stirring.  The story, based on a true event, is riveting.  But the premise is hard to accept in that it involves the emotions of tender children torn from their mother.  That makes it tough for me to read.  My opinion: You must think about it and read this book.

An interesting read based off a picture from 1948 where four children were allegedly for sale. A roving reporter Ellis digs into this story along with working mother Lilly to retrieve two children who have been taken. The narrative shows what happens when times are stressful, tough decisions that have to be made, and a story that certainly would never be condoned in contemporary society.

Simply put I.LOVED.THIS.BOOK..If it weren't for the hour I would have read it straight through the night but still ended up finishing this within 24 hours. Heartwarming and all the more poignant as the impetus for the story was based on a real photograph that the author discovered on the computer. In this page turner of the highest order, the action begins 1n 1931 when a young reporter happens upon a house where two young boys are sitting. Near them scribbled in chalk was a sign, 2 children for sale. Horrified by the ramifications of this he snapped the picture, beginning the unraveling of what was to unfold. Enter Lily the Philly Examiner's secretary who saw the picture in the darkroom and brings it to the boss's attention. Lily has her own secrets that she has fought hard to keep from the general public, becoming another side issue to the unfolding story. When the photograph's original is destroyed, the reporter ends up staging the photo, leading to a domino effect that affects all participants.A wonderful story of family, a mother's love and the many paths to healing.

In her new book, Sold on a Monday, due out August 28, 2018, Kristina McMorris delivers her readers right smack into the middle the Great Depression of the 1930s. In doing so, she shows us how one small decision can change not only our lives, but the lives of others in ways we never imagined.

Just as reporters’ articles triggered our child labor laws, and novels of the past triggered safety regulations for meat packers, coal miners, and others, the characters in this novel expose for their audience the desperation of many families.

Sold on a Monday examines the cruelty of some adoptive “parents”, the mental illness of those who buy or steal children to replace a deceased child, and the double standard of that era for unmarried women with children. Through Lily Palmer, who has exemplary writing skills, but is kept in a secretarial position, McMorris also takes a look at the discrimination of women in the workplace that continues to this day.


Ellis reed is a young, yet-to-be-recognized  reporter in 1931 Philadelphia. While out in the countryside, he sees two barefoot little boys in patched overalls sitting on the porch of a dilapidated house, playing a game. Above them, nailed to the front door is a sign that reads, “2 Children for Sale”. He quickly snaps a photo of the scene.

A co-worker, Lily Palmer sees the photo in the developing room, and shows it to their boss. The story Ellis writes to accompany the photo launches his career in ways he couldn’t imagine. When young man spills ink on the photo and its negative, Ellis tries to take another, but the family is gone. Taking the sign from the trash, he stages the photo with different children, and inadvertently creates a series of events for those children and their mother that he must make right. 


The reader is reminded in a touchingly poignant way of the desperation felt by all but the very wealthy during those years. I highly recommend this book. You won’t be sorry you took the time to read it.

What Makes This Book Reviewer Grumpy?

The usual things:
•	confusing bring with take;
•	multiple split infinitives;
•	beginning sentences with conjunctions.

Look for me online as The Grumpy Book Reviewer.

If you love historical fiction like I do, you will want to read Sold On A Monday by Kristina McMorris. The cover reminds me of The Orphan Train, one of my favorite books ever. When I read the plot of this book, I knew immediately it would be one to read and savor! HIGHLY recommended!

Synopsis:

Philadelphia, 1931. A young, ambitious reporter named Ellis Reed photographs a pair of young siblings on the front porch of a farmhouse next to a sign: “2 children for sale.”

With the help of newspaper secretary Lily Palmer, Ellis writes an article to accompany the photo. Capturing the hardships of American families during the Great Depression, the feature story generates national attention and Ellis’s career skyrockets.

But the photograph also leads to consequences more devastating than ever imagined—and it will take jeopardizing everything Ellis and Lily value to unravel the mystery and set things right.

Inspired by an actual newspaper photo that stunned readers throughout the country, Sold on a Monday is a powerful novel of ambition, redemption, love, and family.

Ellis Reed is waiting for his big chance at getting a lead story for the newspaper.   A wonderful photographer, he takes a picture 0f two children in front of a shack  with a sign that reads "Two children for sale".   Itr is 1931 and the depression looms large with people unable to get work or put food on the table.   W.hen the photo is damaged, Ellis takes another picture, same sign. different children.  The story is published causing terrible consequences to the substitute family.

The story is also about Lily who works with Ellis.  She is a single mother who longs to be with her son who is staying with Lily's mother except for weekends.  Ellis and Lily join forces to find the missing children.

Sold on Monday is a suspenseful story about a brother and sister heartbroken by losing their mother and don't understand what happened to separate them.  Ellis and Lily  are strong, resourceful characters.  I would have liked to connect to them more forcefully and known more about the mother and children in this heartbreaking tale.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing the ARC for this book.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Ellis Reed means well.  He just needs to recreate a photo that he has already taken.   No internet in those days.

Lilly Palmer knows what he did, but she has  a secret of her own, so she won't tell. 

Complications arise because they are both desperate and they are both attracted to one another, and mostly because they both don't want anyone else to get hurt.  

Historical fiction at its' finest. Thanks to Kristina McMorris, author, Sourcebooks and NetGalley for allowing an advanced read in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of "SOLD ON A MONDAY" from NetGalley for an honest review. I wish to thank NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and Kristina McMorris for the opportunity to read this book.

I am a total lover of historical fiction! I was so very excited to read this book, but was somewhat disappointed. I knew that the novel was loosely based on a picture, but the book was somewhat ludicrous in its storyline and just didn't do it for me. I prefer "heavier" historical fiction that is really fictionalized historical non-fiction (my made-up terminology). 

I enjoyed the book and would give it a soft recommend for others who want to learn more about the early 1930's or an easy-to-read historical fiction book.

This story was heart breaking.  That a family during the Great Depression would be so broke and hungry that they couldn’t feed their children so would put up a sign to sell them is the story that this book was based on.  This story is fiction, although the truth of the matter was that during that time period there were many families who had to give up children for adoption, sell them, send them to relatives, etc…because they were no longer able to earn a living and feed everyone.  This story is so real and powerful that I had to read it all in one sitting.  I put it down a few times, only to clear things out of the way so that I could read some more.  This book was riveting, and so well written, that it really struck a cord with me.  I remember seeing the cover a few other places before I was able to get it to read and just the cover makes you want to pick the book up and find out what the story is behind the picture.  I say to the author, well done!  She knocked it out of the park.

Free from Netgalley.com My review is absolutely voluntary!  
Description as found on Netgalley.com:
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

This is a book that I really couldn't wait to read but I just can't grasp what it is about and I tried several times to try to finish the book.

A great read for a realistic depiction of life as a reporter during the 40s, but due to the nature of the plot line and the fact that this is based on real events, I was expecting this novel to spark more emotion. It felt a bit cold and dry at times.

Ellis is working hard to further his newspaper journalist career. When an accident destroys a picture he had taken for a feature article, he retakes the photograph using a different family. Such a simple photograph set off a domino effect of events that lead him to cross paths with mobsters and break the law in many ways in the attempt to do what is right.  Throughout the whole book, Ellis and Lily, a single mother working as a receptionist at his previous newspaper, are working to reunite a family after children are sold.  The story moves at a good speed with few opportunities to take a break from the action.  I gasped, I felt adrenaline pumping, and I got angry at some characters….a perfect combination.

This is a book that makes a person think about decisions they would make when things get bad. It was a journey of how one decision leads you down a path and you come upon another path where another decision awaits. 

I will be looking forward to future books by this author

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. 

Historical fiction is always a genre I sometimes struggle with.  However, this was a decent, quick read I've always had a love for photography and the stories behind pictures and this book is a story like that.  It was inspired by a actual newspaper photograph taken in 1948 of a mother standing behind her small children with her head turned in shame and heartbreak and a sign that says Children for sale.  I've seen the picture a number of times and its heart breaking. 

The basis of the story is that a newspaper reporter (remember those?) took a picture of a Mother and two children that is based on the photograph I mentioned before.  He bases a article around that picture and it is one of the most read articles of his career.   But is there a moral issue here?  Did he exploit that poor mother? 

Would I say that my heart was breaking into a million pieces?  I wish I could.  I wanted it to, in fact I felt guilty that it wasn't breaking into a million pieces.  It broke a little, but not as much as I would expected.  Kristina McMorris is an excellent writer, but I felt something was lacking at least emotionally for me. Still a book I would recommend

Well, this is a book about troubling times. When the Depression came about, it ruined people and families. This book starts off with Ellis Reed finding two children with a sign that proclaimed they were for sale. He takes a picture of this and writes an article that goes with it. Unfortunately, that original photo and its negatives are ruined which makes Ellis go around looking for a similar photo. This starts off an unfortunate series of events. 

This book was a brilliant read in the manner it portrayed life in during the times of the great depression. The writing, description brings forth a scene straight out of those times. Characters and the plot were absolutely well thought of and superbly written.

Definitely recommend.

I have to admit, I was fascinated by this story from the start.  It takes place around the time of the great stock market crash, where so many lost not only their fortunes, but their livelihoods.  
Ellis and Lily both work for a newspaper, Ellis as a reporter, and Lily as the secretary to the chief.  When Lily discovers a photo Ellis has taken of two children under a rustic “Children for Sale” sign in the darkroom, she submits it to the chief, unbeknownst to Ellis.  This sets a chain of events in motion that proves life-changing for the both of them. 
While, the story was a bit slow moving, it was riveting just the same.  The characters were very well-developed, and the dialogue was natural.   It was very well-written and I enjoyed it very much.