Sold on a Monday

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. 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.

I am drawn to books set in the Great Depression, my mother and father told me about their experiences which were very different. My mother grew up on a farm and had plenty to eat but could not buy anything. My father grew up in a small town and his father deserted his family of four, his mother had to send the children to live with different relatives for survival.

Ellis Reed, a society page reporter, who wants the opportunity too report real news, goes into the county with his camera seeking solace in nature, He stumbles up a pair of young boys beside a sign, children for sale! He thought about the future of the boys if they were sold and then thought what would the brother died young, be like had he survived. He took a picture of the show more boys and the sign without even thinking about it. The picture was developed by Lillian Palmer, who also worked for the paper but was never given a chance to write because she was a woman. The picture gets noticed and a story behind it is requested and sets off an explosion of interest across the country.

I loved learning more details about the Great Depression and I was immediately drawn into the story which turned into a mystery, and two people drawn together to find some lost children and the relationship that evolves between the two.

I loved this book, it was the first one that I have read by Kristina McMorris and now I want to read all of her books! show less

After reading an excerpt from Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris my interest was caught and I requested the ARC. First, there was the setting, 1931 Philadelphia. The main characters work for a Philadelphia newspaper. And most of all, that opening scene when Ellis Reed notices the sign "2 children for sale" next to young brothers.

With vivid descriptions and great characterization, the story takes readers into the harsh realities of the Depression, a time when a widowed and ailing mother is pushed to a desperate choice, hoping to provide for her children.

The story is a heart-breaker, with a touch of romance and a threat of prohibition era gangsters, and a whole lotta of reclamation for Ellis and Lily. I enjoyed this historical fiction show more read not only for its storytelling but also for its relevance to issues that we still face today: poverty, lack of affordable medical care, separation of families, human trafficking, mental illness, and journalistic standards.

McMorris was inspired by an actual 1948 photograph and the story of what happened to the children in the photo.

I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review. show less

Great writing happens when a book is capable of evoking strong emotions, even if they are quiet, strong emotions. Kristina McMorris has proven her genius in creating an interesting story about troubled people and times which packs a powerful punch.

As McMorris states in the Author’s Notes, the premise of the book begs a question; “Specifically, what if a reporter’s seemingly harmless choice to stage a photo led to unintended consequences for everyone involved?” But is staging a photo or stretching the truth ever an excuse for honesty? The characters in “Sold On A Monday” have to grapple with these issues and come to terms with faulty judgments, decisions and actions.

The story starts in August, 1931, in a small town in show more Pennsylvania. It was a time when men wore starched collars, suits and fedoras, women wore skirts and dresses and always gloves. The effects of the Market crash of 1929 were still being felt. It was a hard time for so many, the breadlines were long, people were always hungry, not many jobs to be had. Newspapers ruled the world of communication.

I loved the characters. Ellis Reed who can’t stop stumbling as he strives for the newspaper career he has always wanted. Lillian Palmer, bright, strong, secretary to the Editor of the Philadelphia Examiner, holds her secrets close. Both of their families are integral to the story and the importance of family strife and support is subtlety evident throughout. The parts attributed to Geraldine Dillard and her children Ruby and Calvin may just rip out your heart with sorrow and anger. This story has so many moving parts but they all coalesce to make a well constructed story. Heart wrenching and uplifting. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks for a copy show less

"4 CHILDREN FOR SALE"
“ Inspired by an actual newspaper photograph that stunned the nation”

The book tells a vivid and heart breaking story that is set against the harsh landscape of the Great Depression. First we learn of the photo and then the story unfolds into something so much deeper. The sign is a last resort. It sits on a farmhouse porch in 1931…but it could have been found anywhere in an era of breadlines…bank runs… and broken people with 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…never meaning it for publication. But when it leads to his show more big break, the consequences are more devastating than he ever imagined. They say “A picture is worth a thousand words” but maybe the truth of the story behind the picture is worth a thousand or so more.


Actual photograph that appeared on the porch and inspired this book. show less

As a general rule, I enjoy historical fiction. I like imagining what life was like in a prior era. As I read more of it, I am finding two basic types. The first feels like an immersion in a time and place, whereas the second feels like a contemporary novel set in a historical time. Unfortunately, this book falls into the latter category.

First, the positives: the storyline is based on a real photo of children for sale. The author used it as a starting point to imagine what could have happened to these children if they were, in fact, sold. She sets the novel during the Great Depression, a time when it would be plausible that people were in such dire straits that they could not provide for their children.

Next, the negatives: it is too show more melodramatic for my taste and the author’s puppet strings show too much. The two protagonists encounter a series of increasingly difficult obstacles in order to resolve their guilt over the photo. They want to ensure the children are safe. For each obstacle, there are at least three impediments to overcome. The expected romantic triangle is included. Almost everyone in the story seems to have a job, at a time when most people were out of work, and somehow still have plenty of time to investigate what happened to the children. At one point, a mobster arrives on the scene. The denouement does not seem organic to the story. It is as if the author is employing a formula.

I selected this book based on prior positive experience with this author. I had read and very much enjoyed The Edge of Lost. Regrettably, Sold on a Monday suffers by comparison. I enjoyed parts of it, though, and was never tempted to abandon it, so I am giving it a solid middle-of-the-road rating. show less

Brilliant!

Against the background of the 1931 Philadelphia, during the Prohibition and the depths of the Great Depression, hardship is but a moment away. That moment is captured by newspaper man Ellis Reed. Accidentally really. Ellis had taken the photograph of two young children huddled under a sign "2 children" for sale whilst covering a a quilting exhibition.
Newspaper secretary, Lily Palmer, had seen the photo and shown it to her boss. Ellis' career was launched. The accidental destruction of the photo just prior to publication called for a hurried intervention. The picture was reconstructed using a different family, and from this comes a story that spans counties and opens the door on medical misdiagnosis, the separation of families, show more the "selling" of children, the complicity of children's homes and related social issues that persist even today. The question of what lengths parents are willing to go to in the hope of ensuring a better life for them, over against those who really do only care for themselves.
Sensitively told, this story of how two children came to be separated from their mother, and of the two newspaper people who made choices that opened up a veritable pandora's box, blends fact and fiction into an overwhelmingly brilliant story with heart!
Powerful reading!

A NetGalley ARC show less