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Book Summary and Reviews of Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris

Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris

Sold on a Monday

by Kristina McMorris

  • Critics' Consensus (4):
  • Readers' Rating (44):
  • Published:
  • Aug 2018, 352 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

From New York Times bestselling author Kristina McMorris comes another unforgettable novel inspired by a stunning piece of history.

CHILDREN FOR SALE

The 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 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.

At the paper, Lillian Palmer is haunted by her role in all that happened. She is far too familiar with the heartbreak of children deemed unwanted. As the bonds of motherhood are tested, she and Ellis must decide how much they are willing to risk to mend a fractured family.

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.


Reading Guide


Read the Author Note explaining the backstory to Sold on a Monday

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Set against the hardscrabble backdrop of the Great Depression, McMorris's altruistic and sometimes damaged characters have moral compasses that realistically waver. A tender love story enriches a complex plot, giving readers a story with grit, substance, and rich historical detail." - Publishers Weekly

"Despite the sensitivity of the subject of missing children, McMorris' latest is touching and never maudlin. This book may appeal to fans of Lisa Wingate's Before We Were Yours (2017)." - Library Journal

"McMorris does what few writers can - transport me right into the middle of the story." - Sara Gruen, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Water for Elephants

"A masterpiece…heartfelt and heartbreaking." - Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Orphan's Tale

"A story never to be forgotten." - Sarah McCoy, New York Times and international bestselling author

"McMorris evokes such a strong sense of place in her writing that to open one of her books feels less like reading and more like traveling." - Bookpage

This information about Sold on a Monday was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

Write your own reviewwrite your own review

Jean Gaydos

Sold on Monday
Wonderful read.

Mona Fucci

Not what I thought
Not what I thought it would be, another poor waif makes good. Great story line and well developed characters.

Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews

Sold On A Monday
Good and bad things seemed to happen on Mondays for Ellis Reed, but more bad.

The day Ellis was biding time until a scheduled meeting, happened to be the day his career changed, but it also was the day that would change his life and the life of the Dillard family.

Ellis’s story about a family who had their children for sale turned out to be something more than a story. It really happened, and when Ellis found out, he couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Meanwhile Lily worked at the paper as a secretary and had a part in this story even though she didn’t write the story. Lily had a secret about the story and her personal life that she hoped would never be revealed, but you know how things work with secrets.

Ellis wanted to be successful, but once he was, he still held back because he felt his success was based on the misfortunes of the family he had taken a photo of and had written a story about.

Ellis and Lily worked together once they found out what happened to the Dillard’s after the publication of the story and the sign that said: 2 Children for Sale.

They both felt responsible for the outcome, and it haunted both of them. Neither Lily or Ellis wanted to rest until they found out where the children were and what happened to their mother.

Set during the depression, you can feel the troubles and worries families had and the desperate measures some of them took.

SOLD ON A MONDAY has wonderful, lovable characters. Ms. McMorris marvelously portrayed characters you would want to know. You will be with them in their pain, their indecisions, their decisions, their love for each other, and their feelings.

Ms. McMorris knows how to tell a story and keep you interested. SOLD ON A MONDAY is a beautiful story about caring and compassion.

SOLD ON A MONDAY was heartwarming as well as heartbreaking.

It is a book women’s fiction fans won’t want to miss. 5/5

This book was given to me as an ARC by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Barbara fraser

Sold on monday
It is time people realize what it is. Like for many people! I think it should be a movie!

Susan L. (Alexandria, VA)

Righting Wrongs
It's impossible not to care for the characters in this book. To watch them make mistakes, then work to make it right. The premise of a fateful photo that doomed two children was compelling and kept me turning pages. Beautifully done.

JW

Compelling Read
Was fortunate to receive an advanced copy of this wonderful book. Sold On A Monday, story of people selling their children because they can't afford to feed them. Once you start with book, you will not be able to put it down.

...38 more reader reviews

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Author Information

Kristina McMorris Author Biography

Kristina McMorris is a New York Times bestselling author of two novellas and six novels, including the runaway bestseller Sold on a Monday. Initially inspired by her grandparents' WWII courtship letters, her works of fiction have garnered more than twenty national literary awards. Prior to her writing career, she owned a wedding-and-event planning company until she had far surpassed her limit of YMCA and chicken dances. She also worked as a weekly TV-show host for Warner Bros. and an ABC affiliate, beginning at age nine with an Emmy Award-winning program. A graduate of Pepperdine University, she lives near Portland, Oregon, where (ironically) she's entirely deficient of a green thumb and doesn't own a single umbrella.

Author Interview
Link to Kristina McMorris's Website

Other books by Kristina McMorris at BookBrowse
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