Sold on a Monday: A Novel

The story is about how a reporter makes things right after his actions puts a couple of kids in harms way. The sense of urgency and hope in the story kept me glued till the end.

I picked up this book because the blurb told of story that could turn out to be completely unique and I was not disappointed.The book is based on an actual newspaper photograph that showed children put up for sale by their mother during the time of depression in 1930s. In the book, the story is told from the perspective of the photographer who takes the picture and his female colleague who was incidental in getting the news printed.Both the main characters, Ellis and Lily, were expertly developed through the course of the story and their complexity added to the beauty of this book. I especially loved reading about Lily, a woman aspiring to break into the world of journalism, dominated by men at that time, while being a single mom. It was inspiring to read about a woman striving to make a name for herself and all her struggle during that period of time.The story itself was a compelling page-turner. It did start off slow but gradually the pace picked up and by the middle of it, the story had sunk its hook into me so deeply that I found it difficult to put it down even for eating 😅.This book has a little bit of everything. Its a human interest story, a story of desperate times where people are driven to do the unthinkable for the lack of sustenance, a romance, a thriller and also a great historical fiction which manages to transport you fully into the America of 1930s.Its rare to find a book with well etched characters and a gripping plot but this book delivers on both counts. If you are a fan of thrillers or historical fiction, then this book is definitely the one for you.Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really enjoyed this book. Would recommend

There were pages that I trudged through mixed in with page turners until I got further into the story. At one point, the paced picked up, and I couldn't put the book down until I found out more. That carried me right in to shore.In a couple of spots, my chest tightened, and tears sprung to my eyes. I still feel a little emotional thinking back over the words.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Sold On A Monday exceeded my expectations and I enjoyed it so thoroughly I could not put it down! I loved the character’s connectivity through their kindness and concern for the children’s well being. The twists & turns in the story brought a reality to a troubled time in America’s history. The desperation of people to have to resort to selling their children was perfectly described through the eyes of all the characters including their mother who never gave up hope. And the fact that it was based in a true story made it very authentic and believable. I enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to all readers. Ten out of ten!

McMorris writes a poignant tale based on a sign spotted by a young reporter: "2 children for sale."He snaps a picture of the two children playing on a decrepit property in rural 1931 Pennsylvania. He returns to his Philadelpia newspaper, pens a poignant story but somehow the picture is lost. His editor demands a new photo but when he returns, he find the house abandoned. He sees two children in apparently similar circumstances in a house across the road, and before he can think it through, he poses the two children on their own porch with the sign from across the street, persuading their reluctant mother with a few dollars.From this bit of happenstance unfurls a gripping story with well depicted characters and timeless themes. A young female reporter from his paper is drawn into the story. Together these two young people, with unresolved issues of their own, gradually become aware of the tragic consequences for the family featured in the story and set out to right the wrongs suffered.The journey takes us into the smoke-filled newsrooms of the era, into mob-infiltrated urban activities spawnedf by Prohibition, into the pain of a couple haunted by the death of a child, back into the protagonists' own troubled families complicated by an out if wedlock pregnancy, and highlights the plight of children in those difficult economic settings whether in orphanages or bought as slave labor by struggling farming families (evoking similar trafficking of children today for baser purposes.)In short this is a compelling, well researched, many layered journey through far different times than most readers experiencd. The author captures the flavor of this bygone time, most amusingly by the young reporter's repeated use of the word "swell." An author's note at the book's conclusion reveals the genesis of this novel in a similar, haunting children for sale sign she saw in 1948. All in all, the novel is an insightful glimpse into how people in a difficult time dealt with eternally human struggles.