Sold on a Monday: A Novel
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER WITH MORE THAN A MILLION COPIES SOLD--Sold on a Monday is the unforgettable book-club phenomenon, inspired by a stunning piece of Depression-era history.
"A masterpiece that poignantly echoes universal themes of loss and redemption...both heartfelt and heartbreaking."--Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Orphan's Tale
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.
Inspired by an actual newspaper photograph that stunned the nation, Sold on a Monday has celebrated five months on the New York Times bestsellers list and continues to especially captivate fans of Lisa Wingate's Before We Were Yours and Kristin Hannah's The Four Winds.
Look for the new novel by Kristina McMorris, The Ways We Hide, a sweeping World War II tale of an illusionist whose recruitment by British intelligence sets her on a perilous, heartrending path.
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Community Reviews
In the book, a similar sign, "2 children for sale," is seen on a farmhouse porch in 1931 by a reporter. He snaps a photo, never intending for it to be published. However, through the intervention of a well-meaning coworker, it is published. And the sensational newspaper story provides the big break that Ellis Reed has been hoping for. He moves up in the world of journalism, but cannot forget the children he saw that day or their mother. America is in the throes of the Great Depression. Just two years earlier, the stock market crash brought runs on banks, unemployment, suicides, and desperation to a once-prosperous nation. Ellis is haunted by his own past, as well as what the publication of his photo may have done to an innocent family.
Lillian Palmer played a role in what transpired. She contends with her own past -- the choices she made, the secrets she keeps. It falls to her and Ellis to learn what really happened to the children in that photo -- and whether they have the strength of character and resilience to do what is right.
From the very first page, McMorris transports readers back to the grim realities of Depression-era America. Employing her signature style, she utilizes events and the circumstances in which her characters find themselves to challenge readers to ponder what they would do if presented with similar obstacles. Sold on a Monday is nothing less than a morality play about choices made, the consequences thereof, and the human need for redemption. McMorris is a master at breaking readers' hearts and Sold on a Monday is no exception. However, she is also adept at crafting moral dilemmas that test the very fiber of her characters, who often rise to the occasion.
Sold on a Monday takes readers on just such a journey from despair to forgiveness and new beginnings. It has rightly been called "a masterpiece" and "stunningly moving." The praise is deserved. McMorris again delivers a poignant, moving story that will resonate and remain with readers long after they finish reading the last page.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book.
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