Sold on a Monday

June 25, 2018
The sale of two young children leads to devastating consequences in this historical tearjerker from McMorris (The Christmas Collector). In 1931, struggling society writer Ellis Reed spots two children on the porch of a farmhouse in Laurel Township, Penn., with a sign that says “2 Children for Sale.” Ellis snaps their picture before developing it in his newspaper’s darkroom, where it’s found by Lillian Palmer, an editor’s secretary. Lily shows the photograph to her boss, who then orders Ellis to write a story to accompany the photograph. The photograph and negative, though, are inadvertently destroyed before the story runs, forcing Ellis to shoot a staged photograph with different children. Ellis’s story creates a sensation that launches his career, but when the children in the staged photograph are actually sold by their mother after she receives an incorrect terminal diagnosis, Ellis and Lily feel responsible and set out to reunite the family. 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. Agent: Elisabeth Weed, the Book Group.

August 1, 2018
In Depression-era Pennsylvania, a romance develops between two lonely people fighting for the rights of an impoverished family. When reporter Ellis Reed sees two children up for sale, he is reminded of his own difficult childhood, and he snaps a photo. His editor publishes the photo unexpectedly and assigns Ellis, who has no idea what happened to the children, to write a feature article. Secretary Lily Palmer volunteers to help Ellis with his assignment but won't talk about her own family. Their relationship is shaky at first, but as the children remain unfound, concern for their welfare trumps Ellis and Lily's budding love story. The pair must fight ignorance, prejudice, and criminal activity to unravel the network of lies that hold the children prisoner, all to reunite them with their mother. Despite the sensitivity of the subject of missing children, McMorris' (Letters from Home, 2011) latest is touching and never maudlin. This book may appeal to fans of Lisa Wingate's Before We Were Yours (2017).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)