August 2018
SOLD ON A MONDAY
by Kristina McMorris
Sourcebooks / August 2018
Historical Fiction
Paperback, 352 pages
2 CHILDREN FOR SALE: In 1931, for struggling reporter Ellis Reed, the gut-wrenching sign posted beside young siblings on a farmhouse porch 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 photo that stunned the nation, Sold on a Monday is a powerful novel of love, redemption, and the unexpected paths that bring us home.
Dear Reader,

For the characters in this story, their journey all started with a picture—and the same can rightly be said of my endeavor to write this book. When I first stumbled upon an old newspaper photograph of four young siblings huddled on the steps of an apartment building, their mother shielding her face from the camera, the sign in the foreground stunned me.
4 CHILDREN FOR SALE,  it read.  INQUIRE WITHIN.

The photo had first appeared in The Vidette-Messenger  in 1948 and, in a brief caption, claimed to exhibit the desperation of a family in Chicago. As a mom myself, I wondered what could have possibly pushed a parent to that point. In the direst of times, I could fathom perhaps having to give up my children for the sake of their well-being. But why on earth ask for money in return? Possible answers to that question soon became the foundation of  Sold on a Monday . I hope you'll enjoy my latest novel.

Warm wishes,

Kristina McMorris


"Kristina McMorris does what few writers can -- transport me right into the middle of the story." 
—Sara Gruen, author of Water for Elephants

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