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There are currently 35 member reviews
for Sold on a Monday
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Kate G. (Bronx, NY)
Does the picture tell the story?
Ellis Reed is a Society reporter looking to become an above the fold breaking news reporter, when he takes a photo of two boys with a sign behind them saying "2 children for sale." Based on a real photograph, author Kristina McMorris has written an engaging novel that crosses genres. Set during the depression, almost every character has a secret and is intent on keeping them. The repercussions of Ellis' article, published with the photograph reach across the United States and he is helped by Lily Palmer, the editor's secretary, whose secrets push her to help Ellis. Part mystery, part romance, this historical novel brings a small piece of the 1930s to life with its portrayal of working class people trying as best they can under at times, harsh circumstances.
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Kathy W. (Tybee Island, GA)
Sold on a Monday
Great read for historical fiction fans. Ellis Reed and Lillian Palmer, characters in Sold on a Monday, are newspaper employees whose personal demons don't stop them from attempting to right wrongs they inadvertently set in motion with the publication of a photo that captured the desperation of a family suffering from depression era poverty. McMorris captures the mood of an era as well as the morality of the times. It's a great story, with fascinating characters that I hope she revisits in further novels.
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Barbara P. (Hixson, TN)
Historical novel with suspense and romance
To think that people would actually sell their children! The Great Depression brought on poverty and many were pushed to do this in order for those children to survive. This story shows what happens when those that are impoverished and those that are wealthy handle their different problems. Of course, the children are the ones that suffer.
The newspaper reporter and the editors assistant seek to find out exactly what happens. A thoroughly enjoyable page turner, I would recommend this novel to those interested in a mystery taking place during the Depression.
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Shawna (TX)
Ever Wondered About an Old Photograph?
We've all seen newspaper photographs from the 1930's and 40's, but to take that photo and create a backstory is brilliant! McMorris creates a captivating story based on a photograph she saw. What led a woman to create a sign stating 2 children for sale? Are they sold? What happens next? If you enjoy Christina Baker Kline Orphan Train or A Piece of the World, read Sold on a Monday. There are several topics for book clubs to discuss including what would you do in desperate circumstances and the responsibility and integrity of the press.
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Melissa S. (Rowland, NC)
Redemptive Love
"Sold On A Monday" starts as a story of depression and desperation. During a time in our country's history when jobs, money, and food are extremely scarce, especially in rural areas, the desperation of a family so poor they're feeling forced to sell their children weighs extremely heavy on the reader. As a mother, my heart stopped when I read the sign "2 children for sale." McMorris quickly takes her reader from the heavy weight of poverty and its very sad consequences to a page- turning harrowing adventure that proves Henrik Ibsen's words, "A thousand words will not leave so deep an impression as one deed." These words ring true over and over again throughout the novel. Ellis, a creator of words, shifts the whole focus of his life to undo one deed that his words cannot fix.
Throughout the novel, the reader witnesses, not only the perseverance of human nature, but also how good intentions can make, destroy, and rebuild lives. McMorris takes a group of people who, for the most part, are just skating through life and drops a "deed" so pivotal amongst them, they are forever changed. McMorris wins the hard-fought battle to give voice to those who have no voice – the poor, the unwed mothers, and cast away children. Through a harrowing adventure, that keeps the reader turning the pages well into the late-night hours, Ellis and Lily manage undo a horrible injustice and by acting solely for the benefit of others, they earn the emotional rewards of a deed well done.
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Kay D. (Strongsville, OH)
Thought Provoking on Multiple Layers
Desperate times spawn desperate acts in a variety of ways. "Sold on a Monday" by Kristina McMorris explores a single act and how it impacts various individuals and their related lives and secrets. A young reporter "creates" a photograph to replace one that was destroyed using different kids, a different location and includes a fleeting glimpse of their mother along with a "children for sale" sign taken in the early 1930s. When the image gets major exposure in multiple papers, the reporter's career takes off, however, there are negative consequences for the kids and their mom, as well as for the reporter. Ms. McMorris spins a story that is a quick read with several storylines wound together. Themes of secrets and truths abound in this quick moving novel and provide a satisfying read.
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Pamela B. (Fallston, MD)
Sold on a Sunday
I found myself quickly invested in the main characters in the book, and cared what happened to them. This empathy for the characters compelled me to keep reading at a faster pace.
The use of sensory adjectives and descriptions was well done and I often felt as though I was right there, in the depression with the characters.
The author did a fine job of describing the bleak circumstances that many faced during the depression, from poverty, hunger and disease.
This book has enough moral conundrums to make it a good candidate for book club discussions. What kept me from giving the book a higher rating was the predictability of the endings.
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