Kristina McMorris

Sold on a Monday started off a bit slow for me, but I’m glad I stuck with it because the writing and the story really pulled me in. Kristina McMorris does a great job creating a vivid historical setting and building emotional depth without overdoing it.

The premise—based on that haunting photo of kids with a "children for sale" sign—was heartbreaking and made for a really unique story. I liked how the author explored the impact of one decision and how it rippled through so many lives. show more The characters felt real, and their struggles were relatable even set in the 1930s.

Once it got going, it was hard to put down. A powerful, well-written read that I’d definitely recommend if you're in the mood for something emotional with heart. show less

Fenna Vos works on-stage as the assistant to an unruly escape artist-behind the curtain as the mastermind of their act. After all, her honed ability to control her surroundings and elude entrapments, physical or otherwise, reliably suppresses the trauma and tragedy of her youth. Fenna neglects to foresee being called upon by British Intelligence. Tasked with creating escape tools to thwart the Germans, MI9 seeks those with specialized skills .

Kristina McMorris writes unforgettable novels of historical fiction, which means a lot to me since I read so much that I forget a good many books. But not hers.

This well-researched story begins in 1942 in Brooklyn, New York, when we get introduced to Fenna Vos, who is working as an assistant and behind-the-scenes manager of a magic act. It flashes back to 1928 in Michigan when Fenna is just shy of 11, and then ends up in 1943 London with Fenna working for the Allies in the war effort.

We show more learn that in 1943 Fenna has been recruited by Christopher Clayton Hutton, a real person who was responsible for helping prisoners of war by “tricking out Monopoly games and designing countless other escape-and evasion ‘toys’ for MI9.”

[MI9, as Wikipedia explains, was the the British Directorate of Military Intelligence Section 9, a highly secret department of the British War Office during WWII. It had two principal tasks: (1) assisting in the escape of Allied prisoners of war (POWs) held by the Axis countries, especially Nazi Germany; and (2) helping Allied military personnel, especially downed airmen, evade capture after they were shot down or trapped behind enemy lines in Axis-occupied countries. To this end, the department devised a number of - in effect - magic tricks to give to soldiers as equipment, such as compasses hidden inside buttons, hollow boots in shoes that were filled with dried food, or maps concealed in playing cards. McMorris tells us in her Author’s Note that MI9 used the services of former magician Jasper Maskelyne to design some of these devices, and it is thus she got the idea to add Fenna as an assistant to Hutton.]

McMorris also adds a strong romance element to her stories, and this one is no exception. Fenna, orphaned young, grew up with the family of Arie Jansen, one year older than Fenna, and like her, the offspring of a Dutch family who had come to America to work in the copper mines. She and Arie had always been close, and it was Arie who gave Fenna a book, Houdini’s Big Little Book of Magic & Stunts to help distract her from nightmares. Fenna buried herself in learning magic and tricks:

“The art of escape became more than a tool to rein in my fears and reduce my nightmares. It was an all-out obsession.”

It served her well during WWII, not only during her stint with the British War Service, but after she was sent into enemy territory and came under mortal danger.

Thereafter the tension escalates exponentially, as Fenna has to muster the courage to use her skills to orchestrate the ultimate escape.

Evaluation: As with the other novels by McMorris, you find yourself swept up in the historical events and romance she depicts, and you can’t turn the pages fast enough. Afterwards, you find yourself haunted by the story she has told, and grateful for the opportunity to have read it. show less

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 show more 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. show less