Helpful Score: 3
A wonderful read! A devastating series of events caused by an innocent photo taken by a reporter. When I believe I would have assumed things were alright (as they seemed on the surface) I was so pleased that the characters took the steps to find the truth and make things right at all costs. This tale puts the reader in the place and time so well, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Helpful Score: 1
I thought I was going to be totally enthralled with this book because of the title. But....the title has absolutely nothing to do with the story. The journalist who took a picture of two boys holding a for sale sign was going to be used in his article but something happened to the paperwork and they needed a reprint of the picture. Well he didnt have one so was now working to get another.....it just did not hold my attention and was basically a bore to get through
Helpful Score: 1
As many other one- and two-star Amazon reviewers have noted, the cover and the beginning of the book lead the reader to believe that the story will be about the children who apparently were sold. However, it's not too far into the book before it becomes a rather ridiculous story about replacing a photo (and negative) that were accidentally destroyed. Ellis, the lead character, is an aspiring reporter who wants to do more than the society column. He has a gift for photography. Unbeknownst to him, the photo of the two kids for sale is shown to the publisher (or it might be editor) of the paper. Ellis is given the opportunity to write a column to go with the picture but then the picture is destroyed. Ellis then decides to go back to the farm where the kids lived but when he does so, they are no longer there so he takes a staged photo using neighbor children. Ellis then becomes extremely guilty (I never quite understood the lengths of his guilt), "acts out," and then finally seems to get his life back on track.
SPOILER ALERT: Lily is the other main character and is secretary to the publisher (or some other management person--don't recall the title). She has a secret of her own--she has a four-year old illegitimate son who lives in another town with her parents. Lily goes home every weekend to see her son. Interestingly, this is during the Depression so times were pretty conservative when it comes to children out of wedlock. Lily's son apparently has the run of the grandparents' deli while living with them. Yet, there's no indication that there was ever any backlash or gossip by the customers or citizens. Ellis falls for Lily and when he eventually finds out about her son, it doesn't bother him in the least. Lily starts a relationship with a Clayton, a reporter from the paper and a genuinely nice guy. His feelings run stronger for her than hers are for him. He doesn't blink an eye when he learns about Lily's son. END OF SPOILERS
I quickly developed a dislike for Lily. Ellis, even though he has taken a position with another paper, often puts off assignments and is frequently absent from work because he's made the kids' case his priority. Yet, he still manages to hang on to his job. The mob involvement was weakly developed and really added nothing to the story.
It was a quick read--that's about the best thing I can say about the book.
SPOILER ALERT: Lily is the other main character and is secretary to the publisher (or some other management person--don't recall the title). She has a secret of her own--she has a four-year old illegitimate son who lives in another town with her parents. Lily goes home every weekend to see her son. Interestingly, this is during the Depression so times were pretty conservative when it comes to children out of wedlock. Lily's son apparently has the run of the grandparents' deli while living with them. Yet, there's no indication that there was ever any backlash or gossip by the customers or citizens. Ellis falls for Lily and when he eventually finds out about her son, it doesn't bother him in the least. Lily starts a relationship with a Clayton, a reporter from the paper and a genuinely nice guy. His feelings run stronger for her than hers are for him. He doesn't blink an eye when he learns about Lily's son. END OF SPOILERS
I quickly developed a dislike for Lily. Ellis, even though he has taken a position with another paper, often puts off assignments and is frequently absent from work because he's made the kids' case his priority. Yet, he still manages to hang on to his job. The mob involvement was weakly developed and really added nothing to the story.
It was a quick read--that's about the best thing I can say about the book.
I was so excited to buy this book and get it home, that I dove right in. As a lover of historical fiction, the Amazon reviews and the book excerpt really led me to believe this would be a great read. How disappointed I was. The premise could have been very interesting however the characters were not that well developed, the writing was not captivating, and the story lines were immaturely written/developed. In fact, I found myself not caring at all about any of the characters in this book. The premise of kids being up for sale in the depression took a backseat to what this book ended up being about.
"To every action there is always opposed an equal reaction."
â Isaac Newton
âAct as if what you do makes a difference. It does.â
â William James
"Actions speak louder than words"
â Abraham Lincoln
When reading this story, these quotes came to mind. The story takes place during the depression, an era of breadlines, bank runs and broken dreams. Ellis Reed, a struggling reporter, is on his way to work when he sees 2 young boys playing in front of a farmhouse where there is a sign that says 'Children For Sale '. He snaps a picture because it reminds him of certain memories from his childhood, not meaning to publish it. When it accidentally leads to a break for him, he writes a story for the newspaper. But when the story and picture begin to eat away at him, he tries to find out what happened to the children and thus starts to right the wrong that was initiated by publishing that picture.
â Isaac Newton
âAct as if what you do makes a difference. It does.â
â William James
"Actions speak louder than words"
â Abraham Lincoln
When reading this story, these quotes came to mind. The story takes place during the depression, an era of breadlines, bank runs and broken dreams. Ellis Reed, a struggling reporter, is on his way to work when he sees 2 young boys playing in front of a farmhouse where there is a sign that says 'Children For Sale '. He snaps a picture because it reminds him of certain memories from his childhood, not meaning to publish it. When it accidentally leads to a break for him, he writes a story for the newspaper. But when the story and picture begin to eat away at him, he tries to find out what happened to the children and thus starts to right the wrong that was initiated by publishing that picture.
So disappointed. Tho the remise was interesting the book was very poorly written with little character deeopment and way too many coincidences.
I was looking forward to reading this book. In the end, I can say that I wasn't impressed. Unfortunately, I think it could be my fault since I was expecting certain story in which this book didn't offer.
From the start, I was excited to read this book. After finding it was based on the old famous picture of the four kids for sale and the mother who hid her face from the camera, I was very intrigued. I thought a story based on that picture or one very similar would be very interesting. Instead, it veered off in a very different direction from what I was expecting. I didn't enjoy that direction and had a very hard time picking up the book to finish it. I'm so glad others have found the book entertaining. Sadly, I cannot say that I did.
From the start, I was excited to read this book. After finding it was based on the old famous picture of the four kids for sale and the mother who hid her face from the camera, I was very intrigued. I thought a story based on that picture or one very similar would be very interesting. Instead, it veered off in a very different direction from what I was expecting. I didn't enjoy that direction and had a very hard time picking up the book to finish it. I'm so glad others have found the book entertaining. Sadly, I cannot say that I did.
I would like to thank NetGalley and the Publisher, Sourcebooks, for a copy of this book for an honest review.
"Sometimes we have to make sacrifices for the ones we love."
When I read this quote from the book, Sold on a Monday, by Kristina McMorris, it seemed to convey to me the essence of this story which started with a picture of two children sitting on a porch in a rural area of Laurel Township, Pennsylvania with a sign reading, "2 children for Sale." Ellis Reed, a photographer for the Philadelphia Examiner newspaper, took the picture and wrote a story about Geraldine Dillard having to sell her children out of desperation in 1931. The story was a catalyst for promotion to a New York newspaper for Ellis Reed when it made headlines across the nation and changed the lives of the children. Ellis and his friend, Lily, spend the rest of the novel trying to right the irreversible wrongs caused by the article in the paper.
Kristina McMorris has written a book based on an actual newspaper photo that appeared in a Chicago newspaper in 1948 which shook the nation. It is a story of ambition, love, family and the far reaching effects of our actions. The characters are drawn in such a way that you find yourself caring about what happens to them. There is a strong sense of place in the novel and you can feel yourself in the streets of Philadelphia and the surrounding area trying to help find where the children are and who has them. There are lots of historical references to the Italian and Irish mob, prohibition, speakeasies and the affects of corruption on the characters.
I found this book to be a fascinating read and look forward to reading more of McMorris' novels. I would highly recommend this book to those who love historical novels that tug at your heartstrings.
"Sometimes we have to make sacrifices for the ones we love."
When I read this quote from the book, Sold on a Monday, by Kristina McMorris, it seemed to convey to me the essence of this story which started with a picture of two children sitting on a porch in a rural area of Laurel Township, Pennsylvania with a sign reading, "2 children for Sale." Ellis Reed, a photographer for the Philadelphia Examiner newspaper, took the picture and wrote a story about Geraldine Dillard having to sell her children out of desperation in 1931. The story was a catalyst for promotion to a New York newspaper for Ellis Reed when it made headlines across the nation and changed the lives of the children. Ellis and his friend, Lily, spend the rest of the novel trying to right the irreversible wrongs caused by the article in the paper.
Kristina McMorris has written a book based on an actual newspaper photo that appeared in a Chicago newspaper in 1948 which shook the nation. It is a story of ambition, love, family and the far reaching effects of our actions. The characters are drawn in such a way that you find yourself caring about what happens to them. There is a strong sense of place in the novel and you can feel yourself in the streets of Philadelphia and the surrounding area trying to help find where the children are and who has them. There are lots of historical references to the Italian and Irish mob, prohibition, speakeasies and the affects of corruption on the characters.
I found this book to be a fascinating read and look forward to reading more of McMorris' novels. I would highly recommend this book to those who love historical novels that tug at your heartstrings.
In 1948, The Vidette-Messanger published a tragic image - four children on the front steps of a home with a sign that read, "4 children for sale. Inquire within." Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris takes inspiration from this history and creates a fiction about a similar image - this one picturing two young children. This book really becomes more the story of the reporter, speaking to his guilty conscience but not the broader reaction to his choices. At the end, the book is an interesting story but one that leaves potential unexplored.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2019/05/sold-on-monday.html
Reviewed for NetGalley
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2019/05/sold-on-monday.html
Reviewed for NetGalley
First of all, I thought this book was centered around an interesting topic of children being sold during tough times. Although I have heard of parents having to give up their children to relatives or orphanages for a time, I am not so sure that many children really were sold. This was a book that should have pulled a lot of heart strings but I felt that the characters were lacking development making it difficult to understand their feelings. I think that some deeper historical content might have made it easier for readers to put the story into perspective as well. I found this to be a lightweight read with a satisfying although predictable ending.
Good book. Story was good and the conflicts felt by the main characters was well written. But the ending felt a little rushed.
