A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A USA TODAY BESTSELLER A PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BESTSELLER A NATIONAL INDIEBOUND BESTSELLER An unforgettable novel by Kristina McMorris, inspired by a stunning piece of history. 2 CHILDREN FOR SALEThe 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 … 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.
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.
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.
more
So very unlikely…by maybe. In a world before internet, so much deviant behavior was easier to conceal.
“Sold on a Monday” is a sweet, convenient, moderate-paced depression era historical fiction with a touch of clean romance. Given the heart-breaking photo on the cover I was expecting something grittier and more intense and was hoping for a more powerful story of “Before We Were Yours” caliber. I don’t regret reading it, but I was disappointed.
The book brings up some interesting discussion points on tough decisions and personal morals, but the delivery is underwhelming – convenient wrap ups + side-story love triangle (ugh). The characters and story are disappointingly two dimensional. It’s YA appropriate and is consistent with what I’d expect from typical YA historical fiction though I think it’s intended for adults.
I thought the story line in this book just kept dragging on until about three fourths of the way through. I only read this book because of the true story it was based on. Really did not enjoy it. Was hoping for more of the true story included in this book. Disappointed.
I read most of the book but it wasn’t really what the title implied. I had enjoyed “Before We Were Yours” which is about selling children. This book is really about a journalist and the morality of the stories he writes in terms of journalistic ethics. I found the main character difficult to appreciate and somewhat flat.
I loved this cover, but it doesn’t reflect the photo that the main character Ellis describes taking in the book. Its close though, the idea of children being sold was the reason I wanted to read this book – it’s a really interesting premise. The beginning of the book dragged for a bit, and then settled into the story. While I enjoyed it, I wasn’t desperate to finish it and figured out the ending (though how they’d get there was a bit more uncertain). The writing was good, I liked the characters, and I liked reading about this time period. The story of Ellis trying to make it as a reporter, women in the newsroom, and the effects of the Great Depression on children were particularly interesting. I recommend it, it’s a good fairly quick read.*Received free through NetGalley, opinions are my own*
Sold on Monday by Kristina McMorris is the first book I have read by this author. I was drawn in by the awesome cover. The cover just made me want to find out more about the child. I enjoyed this book but it was not what I was expecting to read about. I was expecting the story to be about the two children for sale but that was not what it was about it was more about the Great Depression . The story was well written and heart breaking and also heartwarming. It was a quick enjoyable read.
Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris is an engaging story about life during the Great Depression with an interesting premise: a mother is forced to sell the children to improve the whole family’s chances for economic survival, thus destroying the family in the process. Geraldine, the widowed mother, later finds her health circumstance was not so dire, and regrets what she has done. With the aid of the two main characters Ellis and Lily (a reporter and newspaper secretary involved in the original reporting of such dire circumstance) readers are taken on a wild ride in their efforts to reunite Geraldine with daughter Ruby and son Clayton. The reunion possibility and associated search is full of action, twists, and turns that kept my engagement throughout. This, in and of itself, is enough to make Sold on a Monday a worthwhile read.
Nonetheless, I felt the book did not live up to the potential of its premise. Two key shortcomings for me were in the areas of historical reference and character development. For historical fiction, I was disappointed with the lack of historical context. The story would have benefitted from more exploration of examples of hardship and desperation that occurred during the period. Instead, we only get minimal reference to prohibition, the Mob, and the Lindbergh kidnapping. Coverage of the time period and backdrop is almost non-existent and disappointing. I would have enjoyed descriptions of and references to the Philadelphia, New York, and New Jersey during that era to build out the settings in the story.
On character development, author McMorris does an excellent job detailing the difficult relationship with between Ellis and his father. Her writing shines here. On the other hand, the eventual romantic relationship between Ellis and Lily is poorly developed…enough to appear haphazard and coincidental. Their emotional connection is left to the imagination save for their shared desire to make the Geraldine’s family whole again.
In sum, the premise and the pace make this book a worthwhile read, but one that did not live up to its potential. For me, better historical context and more depth to the Lily/Ellis romantic relationship would have taken it over the top.
So I give this 3 1/2 stars. The first half of this book is kind of slow and doesn’t have much to do with the 2 children in the picture. The second half is a lot more fast paced and has everything to do with the children. This is a sad story about 2 children sold in 1931. The story is fiction but the reality is that it really did happen because people were struggling with the Great Wars. It was interesting to read but hard to imagine because this time period is so different from then.
*I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.*