I really enjoyed the book Yellow Wife by this author so I was extremely excited to read this book because I knew it would be amazing….and it was!

I finished this book a couple of weeks ago and I am still thinking about it today. Not many books/authors can do that, but Sadeqa Johnson writes in such a compelling way and her books are so well-researched that they do it to me every time!! Make sure to read the author’s notes at the end for a more detailed description of her research methods.

Dual timelines, The story alternates between the lives of Ruby, a high school sophomore in Philadelphia, and Eleanor a sophomore at Howard University, in DC both African American women in the 1950s.

Both women have humble upbringings and are aspiring to make something of themselves. Johnson writes strong likable MCs and I was fully immersed in the story.

The women find themselves in taboo relationships that don’t fit the social norms of the times and their decisions will shape the trajectory of their lives.

The story shows the struggles and the ugliness of racism/classism that the characters faced. I found myself reflecting on life today for black women and women of all races/colors and how far we have come, and yet in some instances, how much further we still need to go.

This book deals with many heavy themes and at times is heartbreaking, but that is also the reason why it’s a story that will stick with you long after you have read the last page. If unwed mothers, motherhood, racism or taboo relationships are a TW for you, you may want to pass on this read.

Johnson writes stories with well-developed characters and thorough research. Her books are both thought-provoking and heartbreaking. This story revolves around racism, but it is so much more….it is also a story of love, motherhood, courage/ambition and the heartache of forbidden love. The ending is magical and well worth reading just for that!

I savored reading this book. Johnson’s books are like wine, ingested with flavor and highly memorable.
I thought I had figured out the connection between Ruby and Eleanor but then doubt it, only to have it confirmed.
Both women found themselves in the same predicament that many women prior to 1973 did: pregnant and unmarried. The description of treatment the girls received at the “home”is appalling, but sadly not surprising.
The author details their journeys in a compelling manner. There is a connection to Johnson’s previous book, but I won’t reveal what it is.
I read the book the author references in her historical note many years ago and I’ve never forgotten it.
I’m eager to read her next book to see if she picks up the thread of some of the characters from this book.

The House of Eve is a dual narrative story which takes place during the 1950's against the backdrop of racial prejudice. Ruby is a teenager living in Philadelphia. She is in the We Rise Program, which offers the chance of a college scholarship and the start to a better life after a world of struggle. Eleanor is the first member of her family to attend college. She is hard working, going to school and working two jobs to make ends meet. She meets and falls in love with William Pride, a black medical student and the son of wealthy parents.

Both women are working hard for brighter futures, forbidden love and unplanned pregnancies present obstacles to their futures.

The author did a great job in creating compelling characters that you were able to connect with and found yourself rooting for them to succeed.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this fascinating story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own!

After reading Yellow Wife last year I am so thankful that I was able to read an advanced copy of this story! I really love this author writing, and this story was no exception. Hard to read at times, this is just a reminder how far women have come and still how far we have left to go!

January 27, 2023

I loved The Yellow Wife and was so excited to read her newest! I was not disappointed, The House of Eve is a wonderful bittersweet tale of two very strong African American women trying to make their lives better than their ancestors in the 1950's America. They long for an education and a chance in life to be someone.
Fifteen year old Ruby Pearsall is working as hard as she can to get the scholarship only offered to the two top students. Without it she will never be able to attend a University. No one in her family has an education and they are all counting on her. She wants to be an ophthalmologist and to escape from the circle of poverty. She was on the right track till she met Shimmy, the green eyed Jewish boy who makes her smile and who she is warned will bring her nothing but trouble.
Eleanor Quarles has plenty of ambition and is working three jobs just to pay for her college when she meets Dr. William Pride. A man well above her raisings as she's been told. William see's something in her that no one else does though and soon she can't imagine life without him.
About halfway through I was wondering how these two women come together? The final chapters wrapped it up in an ending that was so totally satisfying that you hope it was true! Now I want to know more about Ruby, Eleanor and Wilhelmina.
This is an author to watch!!! Such wonderful and real characters!

Thank you to Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for an e-arc of this book.

Historical fiction that takes place in the 1950's. We meet Ruby, a young girl struggling to get through school and be the first in her family to go to college. She was raised by her grandmother who is blind due to health issues with her eyes. Ruby wants to find a cure. Ruby is tossed about and mistreated by her own mom and finds herself living with her Aunt Marie. She meets and falls in love with a Jewish boy in the neighborhood and even though they knew it was against the social norms of the time, they did not care, putting them both in danger.

Next we get the perspective of Eleanor who is attending Howard College. Her family from Ohio has had to work and struggle to get her in to college and even now, Eleanor is needing to work two jobs to try and make payments for school. She meets and falls for a man who is studying to become a dr. He comes from a well off family in D.C. Eleanor does not meet the requirements set by his family yet, that does not stop the two of them from falling in love.

I liked the story line for both with people from different economic classes to find and fall for one another. The romance is sweet.

This book centers around race but it is so much more than that. The two story lines will intersect near the end and as we see there is much to learn about what it looked like for unwed, pregnant girls in the 1950's. Add on to that social and economic and racial differences and we see the difficulty many young women faced in this time in history.

Overall, this was well written. It kept me interested and turning pages. I learned more about a time in history I didn't know a lot about. There were at times some key phrases that I just didn't like, but when I put it in perspective it seemed fitting. Certain things that Ruby would say did not really sit well with me, but thinking of her situation at her particular age, it made a lot of sense. It really helped to see things through her eyes.

If you struggle with infertility/adoption/teen pregnancy this book may be difficult for you to read but it also may be just the thing you need.

This was such a great book! Yellow Wife is one of my favorite historical fiction novels, so naturally I was very excited to read The House of Eve, and it did not disappoint. Johnson pulls the reader in and holds on til her last word. I couldn't read this fast enough.

Ruby and Eleanor live very different lives, and yet they're paralleled in so many ways. I loved the dual narratives and how one perspective was first person and the other third. I loved how distinct each character was - their individual personalities jumped off the page. There was so much going on in each story, and yet I never once felt lost. Johnson writes with an easy-to-follow simplicity that I find refreshing.

The House of Eve really explores the nuances of motherhood, especially within Black families in the 1950s. This book deals with many heavy themes, but is told with care. These are important stories that need to be told, and I'm so glad Johnson told them.

While Yellow Wife remains my favorite by this author (it's a hard one to top), The House of Eve was a close second!

Definitely recommend!
4.5 rounded to 5 stars

Thank you kindly NetGalley and S&S for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest review. A full review with summary will be posted on my IG prior to pub day.

Wow! This book was absolutely amazing! It's only Jan 2023, but this might be my favorite all year! I could not put this book down. The House of Eve is a historical fiction set in late 1940's between D.C. and Philly. The story is told in alternating point of views of one young Black girl and a young Black woman attending Howard University. The subjects of classism, racism, colorism are all explored between the two main characters.

Their stories of growing up and making difficult decisions are similar, yet end quite differently. Their stories collide due to infertility and forced adoption.
The ending of this amazing story was the icing on the cake for me! Was unexpected, and yet perfect!

Can't wait for it's release so I have someone to talk about it with! LOL
Already ordered for my bookstore and can't wait to tell my customers about it!

Wow, a terrific, moving story of two very different, yet ultimately very similar girls. The book was incredibly written, moving, yet not over the top and emotional for no reason. I could feel the anguish of the characters and cared what happened to them - I didn't just want to get to the end. While the ending was perfect, I would selfishly would have loved for the book to be longer, or have a sequel in the future.

I loved the other work I read from this author (Yellow Wife), but I think this one was perhaps even better.

Firstly I wanna thank the author, publishers, and netgalley for this arc! I gave this 5 stars! It was so good! I love that the novel centers around a black woman in the 1950s that's forced to make choices that would change their lives forever. Ruby the pool girl feels so unloved and unwanted most of her life that it really touched me. She just wants to better herself so she won't have to live under her family's thumb. Eleanors parents sacrificed everything just to send her to college. I love that they both ended up pregnant, I'm a sucker for pregnancy Trope. But their lives take very different paths only for their paths to cross years later. This novel is meticulously researched and well wrote. I loved this brilliant novel about love, courage, secrets, and sacrifice. If you loved Yellowwife you won't want to miss The House of Eve. It's Johnson at her best. Great character development. Story was fast paced and I never lost interest. No plot holes. I loved that a character in this story is a descendant from Pheby in Yellow Wife!

The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson was a heartbreaking but beautiful story. Ruby Pearsall, 15 years old and determined to escape her underprivileged life in Philadelphia, is working hard in a high school program to get admitted to college and become a doctor. Eleanor Quarles is a college student at Howard University in Washington D.C., where she is quickly swept off her feet by a dashing medical student whose wealthy family is not eager to accept her humble background.

Their lives will intersect at a pivotal moment for both women. They are each faced with difficult decisions that they make with the best of intentions and must live with for the rest of their lives. I loved both narratives and both characters, who showed grace and courage as they overcame obstacles and stood up for themselves in world that didn't make it any easier. The writing was beautiful and made me want to read more by this author.

I will recommend this to readers who like historical about family issues.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley and Simon & Schuster. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating: 5/5 Stars
Publishing: February 7, 2023
Series: N/A
Pages: 384

After reading “Yellow Wife”, I knew requesting a copy of “The House of Eve” was not going to be a disappointment when reading. As a matter of fact, it was just as wonderful as the first book I’ve read by this author. Not only does this author put you in a time place where you just gravitate into the lives of the characters on page as will as them leaving a mark in your mind that is unforgettable. The story takes place in the 1950s and alternates between the lives of Ruby a high school sophomore in Philadelphia and Eleanor a sophomore at Howard University. Both black women aspire to make something of their lives during a time where racism is at a height inside and outside of their own race.

Ms. Johnson presents very likeable characters and weaves their stories, emotions, heartbreak and bittersweet journey beautifully on the pages. Such as well-written historical fiction that engages you to the very end. Looking forward to the audiobook version and highly recommend this wonderful and enjoyable book.

After reading The Yellow Wife, which I loved, I was eager to read this new novel by the same author. Not only does Sadeqa Johnson immerse you in the time period, she also creates characters who stick in your mind long after closing the book. Set in the 1950s, this book alternates between two women, one in Philadelphia and the other in Washington, D.C., who are both very determined. They each have goals to better their life through education, but are faced with challenges and difficult decisions. Each of the two storylines were interesting and I liked how they intertwined. A captivating and insightful work of historical fiction.

Ruby Pearsall is a 15 year old girl in 1950’s Philadelphia. An excellent student, Ruby was chosen to be part of the WE RISE program - to assist underprivileged students with post high school plans. Ruby dreams of becoming an Ophthalmologist so she can help her beloved grandma get her sight back. Her mother has kicked her out again, and she is staying with Aunt Marie who is a tough gal with a loving heart. Laser focused on studying Ruby is rarely sidetracked but when she meets Shimmy, the landlords white, Jewish son she experiences butterflies she never felt before. History repeats itself when Ruby, like her own mother becomes a pregnant teenager. Mortified, Shimmy’s mother arranges for Ruby to go to a home for unwed mothers in DC, promising her the WE RISE scholarship when she returns. In DC we meet Eleanor and William, both students at Howard University. Lovely, smart and hardworking, they meet in the library and quickly fall head over heels. But Eleanor is not good enough for William Pride’s snooty parents. Professionals and leaders of the Washington elite Black families, William’s mother does everything in her power to break the couple apart while Eleanor tries her best to fit in. Two young women find themselves desperately trying to succeed in a world that often seems determined to destroy them. Filled with poverty, adoption, abuse, and discrimination - it is clear that 70 years later we still battle these very same challenges. This powerful, heartbreaking story of motherhood will be with you long after the last page.

Sadeqa Johnson is becoming a major name in African American historical fiction. I loved The Yellow Wife and the House of Eve is equally good. It’s the late 1940s. Ruby is a high school sophomore in North Philadelphia. Eleanor is a sophomore at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Both women are ambitious and have big dreams but run into major obstacles. Eventually their stories intersect. Sadeqa Johnson does a great job of providing historical context for African American women during this time period. I found the descriptions of how the black families were divided into caste-like groups especially interesting. This was a great read and I highly recommend it. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

As I’m in the thick of raising littles, stories of motherhood continue to strike a chord with me. THE HOUSE OF EVE is a unique story of motherhood that follows two Black women in 1950s Philadelphia how their lives become forever intertwined with the birth of a baby.

Understated but powerful, Sadeqa Johnson's writing has an unputdownable quality to it. She draws you into the characters' lives in a way that you can’t help but feel deeply invested in their stories. Although set in the past, the themes of the story are incredibly timely. The role of social class within the Black community was fascinating and raised many questions about standards of beauty and the worth of a woman that still persist today.

The novel takes on heavy topics but they are handled with great care. Infertility and infant loss are a cornerstone of the story but readers aren’t left in the depths of despair. This heartbreaking but hopeful story is sure to be broadly adored by readers. Pick up THE HOUSE OF EVE if you are drawn to the sacrifices of motherhood and the fortitude of women throughout history.

RATING: 4.5/5 (rounded up to 5 stars)
PUB DATE: 2/7

Many thanks to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review. Review will be posted to www.kellyhook.readsbooks in advance of publication date

The story centers around racism that occurs in the Black community and social class. It follows Ruby and Florence, women from different backgrounds and tragedies and eventual triumphed of both.
I loved this book and everyone should read it !
I want to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC of The House of Eve.

Pub date: Feb 7, 2023

I couldn't put down this book. I wanted to keep reading and find out more about Ruby and Eleanor's story. Sadeqa Johnson is a masterful storyteller and immerses the reader into the world of her characters. If you haven't read the Yellow Wife by her, i strongly recommend it.

The book takes place in the 1950s and follows the lives of two young black girls. Ruby is on the path to being the first person in her family to attend college, but when she meets Shimmy and falls in love, her path becomes compromised. Eleanor is a student at Howard and falls in love with William who comes from a wealthy family. She has trouble fitting into his family and is devastated when building a family becomes complicated.

#bookstagram #bookreview #bookrecommendation #historicalfiction #netgalley #netgalleyreads #netgalleyrecommendation

A fabulously written historical fiction. I found both Ruby and Eleanor to be likable characters. Each story line was very engaging.

Historical fiction at it's very best! Sadeqa Johnson weaves a tale of love, horrific loss and redemption. This is beautifully written, emotionally honest and so bittersweet. Sadeqa Johnson brings to light times in history that I know little about and paints stories that cant help but touch the deepest places of my heart. Thank you to #NetGalley and #SimonandSchuster for this advanced copy. Published very soon on February 7th, 2023