Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris

2 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.

I would have to say that this book had my full attention from the very beginning to the end and Ellis was very strong character in the book from being brave taking Ruby and Calvin's picture in the first chapter to being shot at from a mother who lose her child in accident that caused her to think that Ruby was her own child and she changed the name to Victoria. If it wasn't for Claire the housemaid god knows what would happened to the kids if she didn't speak up and letting Lilly know where Calvin ended up in a home and sent to another family who had him tied up in a barn if it wasn't for Lilly and Ellis for finding him. I gave this a 5 stars because of Ellis and Lilly

This book does a good job of exploring a time in history during which Americans struggled to survive in a difficult economic climate. It delves into a horrible choice that some poor parents made to sell their children. It shows both sides of the circumstances. The writing is strong and the themes are impactful. I enjoyed it.

The main character is a journalist who takes a picture one afternoon of a sign that reads “Two Children for Sale.” When he is offered a feature article in the paper for the story, he makes a decision that snowballs into an outcome that he never predicted. He and a female colleague spend the rest of the book trying to fix the mistake that was caused by his story and to reunite a family. Along the way they discover things about themselves and their own families.

The characters are very likable. The journalist, Ellis Reed, has his faults, but he is overall an honest man who wants to do right and have a positive impact on the world. He errs in judgement, but he spends the majority of the book trying to make things right. Lily Palmer, who works at the newspaper also, is a young mother who takes the plight of the children personally and is determined to see them returned to their mother.

The author portrays the time period of the depression with sensitivity and compassion. The actions of the struggling families is not demonized. The author explores the reasons for their choices and creates sympathy for them.

Overall, this is a very good read. The story is told well, and the pacing is just right. It has many sad moments, but it also has some uplifting ones.

I gave this book three stars because the pace of the story was extremely slow and it took me longer than usual to finish but the ending was its saving grace.

Ellis is a green journalist who is trying to make a name for himself at the Philadelphia Examiner. When he stumbles upon two boys sitting on their porch with a “For Sale” sign he snaps a photo. Little does Ellis know but this photo will forever change the course of his career and of his fellow co-worker Lilly. When Ellis is asked to do an article about the children for sale he realizes his photos have been accidentally destroyed, his boss says no worries just go take another. When Ellis arrives at the home of the boys the house is vacant, he meets Ruby from down the street and an idea strikes him. He'll pay Ruby's mom to take a photo of both her children with the “For Sale” sign, no harm no foul. Unfortunately for Ruby and her brother Calvin life will never be the same after this. Ellis and Lilly are thrust into a story of children lost and a mother's never ending love. Ruby and Calvin need to be saved and Ellis and Lilly are the only two who know the true story and how to save them.

I loved the ending of this story, and loved that although this story is fiction the idea comes from a famous photo of a mother standing with her four children who are for sale. I felt the story dragged and I lost interest with the character development, it was thorough but played no real part in the bulk of the story. This book took me almost a month to complete and was overall a very easy read, love what the author was aiming for but felt it fell short.