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.
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Kristina McMorris never fails to deliver emotionally gripping, thought-provoking stories based upon actual historical events. Her latest book, Sold on a Monday, was inspired by a 1948 photo that appeared in a newspaper of a mother and her 4 children who were sitting next to a sign that read “4 children for sale; inquire within.” That photo inspired McMorris, herself a mother, to ponder just how desperate a woman would have to be in order to offer her children up for sale.
In the book, a similar sign, “2 children for sale,” is seen on a farmhouse porch in 1931 by a reporter. He snaps a photo, never intending for it to be published. However, through the intervention of a well-meaning coworker, it is published. And the sensational newspaper story provides the big break that Ellis Reed has been hoping for. He moves up in the world of journalism, but cannot forget the children he saw that day or their mother. America is in the throes of the Great Depression. Just two years earlier, the stock market crash brought runs on banks, unemployment, suicides, and desperation to a once-prosperous nation. Ellis is haunted by his own past, as well as what the publication of his photo may have done to an innocent family.
Lillian Palmer played a role in what transpired. She contends with her own past — the choices she made, the secrets she keeps. It falls to her and Ellis to learn what really happened to the children in that photo — and whether they have the strength of character and resilience to do what is right.
From the very first page, McMorris transports readers back to the grim realities of Depression-era America. Employing her signature style, she utilizes events and the circumstances in which her characters find themselves to challenge readers to ponder what they would do if presented with similar obstacles. Sold on a Monday is nothing less than a morality play about choices made, the consequences thereof, and the human need for redemption. McMorris is a master at breaking readers’ hearts and Sold on a Monday is no exception. However, she is also adept at crafting moral dilemmas that test the very fiber of her characters, who often rise to the occasion.
Sold on a Monday takes readers on just such a journey from despair to forgiveness and new beginnings. It has rightly been called “a masterpiece” and “stunningly moving.” The praise is deserved. McMorris again delivers a poignant, moving story that will resonate and remain with readers long after they finish reading the last page.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader’s Copy of the book.
Wonderful read!
Sold on a Monday is the first book I have read by Kristina McMorris. It is a serious story of hard times during the American Great Depression. Today we cannot even begin to imagine the desperation you are going through to have to sell your children to live and give them a better life. This is a fantastic story that pulls you in and keeps you reading to the end. I highly recommend this book! You won’t be disappointed!
Not a huge fan of books set in this time frame, usually. But I was so wrong about this one! It kept my interest from the beginning! The story about the family dynamics in the depression era farming community and how the media plays an integral part in the story of mending a family. I wholeheartedly recommend it!
This is a historical look at what happened during the great Depression. It’s an inside look at how hard life was during this time and the heart breaking decisions that people would do to survive. It provided a glimpse into organized crime in cities and the lengths people would do to get a head. There is the struggle that females endured to be able to have the same rights as men in the work place. The one thing that really stuck out through out the book in all facets is that family is #1.
5 Gripping Story Stars!!!
I’ve been wanting to read this book for a long time now and I was finally able to sit down and devote some time to this amazing story. This is actually my first book by Ms. McMorris and what a tremendous introduction to her writing. This story is compelling and filled with moments that had me crying and wondering out loud, how could this happen and who would do this? I’m certainly not going to give you any hints at these spoilers.
Ellis and Lily are two people that are struggling for different reasons in 1931. This is only 3 years after the Great Crash of 1928 and the actions of so many people are driven by this financial crisis. In the middle of this, there’s Ellis who’s trying to make a name for himself in the newspaper business and just when he thinks he has the story that will put him on the map, something goes wrong. He rectifies it, at least he thinks of it this way, and it definitely gets his name known in the publishing world, but it’s not necessarily how he wanted to earn it. There’s a cycle of events that lead to some major devastation and irreparable consequences…. Or what seems like it anyway.
Then there’s Lily, the secretary for the Chief of the Philadelphia newspaper and she’s young and hungry to move beyond what is an accepted “norm for a woman” in 1931. But there’s things that Lily is hiding and as she lets Ellis into her life, along with a potential love interest, life turns a little topsy turvy for those that she loves!
Once I started this book I was hard pressed to put it down. The story drew me in. Living in the Philadelphia area, I was fascinated with what the city was like eighty years ago. The amount of detail that is in this story is extraordinary. I actually felt like I was in Ellis’ Model T and driving on those county roads with him. I could hear the characters voices in my head! I fell in love with what Ellis and Lily were doing. As I neared the end of the book, my heart was in full-on palpitations because of the tension that was building as with each turn of a page I got closer to what was a very exciting and uncertain culmination of the entire story. Needless to say, I was left gasping and needed a few days to center myself again to write this review.
I’m 100% certain I will be reading all of Ms. McMorris’ previous books and will be on board for all future books she publishes!!
Well written. I recommend this book.
Sold on a Monday was an engaging story. The kind that when the book must be set down to do a task you’re compelled to tell anyone near about the scene just read.
The cast and multi layers deepen this story, creating such a satisfying read. It opened my eyes to issues experienced by those living during the depression.
3D characters. Vivid settings. Dialogue that moves the story. Themes. Oh the themes….heart wrenching themes. Honesty. Sacrifice. True Love. Greed. Dedication. Persistence. and much more.
I read a copy from the library and highly recommend this book.
I am a fan of historical fiction and had heard a lot of good things about this book. I must admit it started off slowly for me, but once I got into the story I couldn’t put it down. The story was inspired by a real newspaper photo. Ellis Reed, a newspaper reporter, happens upon two children on a porch next to a sign that says “2 children for sale”. He takes a photo of the startling scene. The photo wasn’t intended for publication but it ends up jump starting Ellis’ career. It also sets off a series of unintended events. Lillian Palmer must come to grips with her role in the events and tries to help Ellis fix what happened.
An actual news story was the inspiration for this book. A woman gives up her children but not for the reasons and not with the results one would think. A lot of twists and turns
Good characters, heart wrenching situations. Good read
I enjoyed reading this book. Easy to read.
Sold on a Monday: A Novel by Kristina McMorris was inspired by an actual newspaper photograph that stunned the nation. Set in New Jersey during the Depression Era of 1931, the story is a stark reminder of the desperation felt during those bleak years.
Ellis Reed, a struggling Examiner reporter, aimlessly wanders around while his over-heated car engine cools. He spots a board with a handwritten sign propped on the step of a run-down porch:
2 children
for sale
He takes a photograph of the sign along with two children he sees playing in the yard. It’s a gut-wrenching scene, but not all that uncommon. Times were cruel in America. People were out of work, banks were closing. Families with children often couldn’t afford to feed them. Some parents sent their children to farms where they could work for food. Others gave up their children thinking they would have a better life.
Ellis writes a story to go with the picture and it’s picked up by national newspapers. But the story backfires and spins out of control.
Lily Palmer also works for the Examiner. Not many people know it, but she has a small son who lives with her parents in a nearby town. She’s the boss’s secretary, but hopes one day to have a column of her own. She gets involved in the story of the children for sale and, together with Ellis Reed, tries to salvage the wreck his article has wrought.
Sold on a Monday is a powerful novel that not only shows the desperation many people experienced during the Depression, but also conveys the power of love and of family. Author Kristina McMorris’s research is impressive as it delves into the mind-set of the era and the fortitude and grace it took to survive those years.
This excellent historical novel revolves around a photo taken by a reporter of two young children with a sign that read 2 children for sale. During the Depression people were desparate to survive and this photo touched Ellis Reed. Unexpectedly a co-worker submitted the photo to the newspaper editor with a suggestion that he write a story about it. Unfotunately, when it was time to run the story, the photo and negatives are destroyed. He is sent to get another photo, but the family is gone. Desparate to use this opportunity to further his career, he finds two other children for the photo and unknowingly captures their mother in the background. That is the photo that goes with the article. Months later he decides to do a follow up and finds out that the children were sold. His co-worker Lillian is devastated and they decide to investigate and reunite the family.
This was a learning experience. I haven’t read too much about the depression so I was a little surprised that children were sold and for so little. Children suffer through all the ages.
Enjoyable story with likable characters. Set during the depression, the main character, a newspaper reporter, lets down his principals to meet a deadline. The result boosts his career. But, in his heart, he regrets his actions and seeks to right the wrong. It’s a quest to find the facts with some danger thrown in. There’s also a lovely, capable woman who passionately believes in his cause. Will there be a happy resolution in the end?
Great, well written story
Enjoyed reading this book. Great escapism
Great read. Heart warming.
Interesting