I was extremely excited to get an ARC of The House Of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson and it did not disappoint. Yellow Wife was an all time favorite of mine by the same author.

It is loosely based on the authors family. It tells the story of two black women trying to make their lives better in the late 1940’s, early 1950’s. Ruby and Eleanor are both strong willed, black women who need to balance getting an education, love, money and happiness while deciding which is most important to them. I loved both women and both their stories equally.

The story is very realistic, something that for sure happened to black women during that time. I am hoping there is a sequel to this book and even a movie!

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book really just took me for a ride. I loved the build up, the character development, and the writing. I would definitely read more from this author!

This was an excellent book and had me hooked from the very beginning. I was so off in how I thought Eleanor and Ruby's lives were going to intersect. This book is about about two young women who lives in different cities and what they are going through a given time. The book starts in 1948. Throughout the book we go through different years with each character and how they are progressing through life. Each of their stories are very interesting.

This book is also full of history I didnt know. I kept looking things up to find out more information about the things I read. I had no idea Frederick Douglas' son founded a beach community, that still exists (though it doesnt seem to be open to outsiders lol no B&B's or anythings which is kind of funny considering WIlliams family) and also Lane Bryant has been around since 1904!. These are just to name a few.


So far this is the 2nd book by this author and I loved both. I loved this one even more than Yellow Wife. Also there are so many possibilities of other characters. If this author were to write other books in this same world I would love to read about Aunt Marie and what her life was like especially during that time period! That would be interesting. Nene was also a mystery. As a character she was just there but there was something about the brief moments she was that made me curious about more. She had to be a young grandmother. Her personality (the little shared) didnt match with how she ended up. She seemed like the type that would have still been doing what she wanted not holed up in a room but I digress. I would also wouldnt even mind a sequel to see what happens after but the story had a satisfying ending.

I would definitely recommend this book. I liked it so much I will probably even buy a hard copy to add to the collection. (less

5 Stars. Thank you to Net Galley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read and review an advance release copy of “The House of Eve” by Sadeqa Johnson.

I really enjoyed this well researched work of historical fiction. Sadeqa Johnson does a marvelous job of weaving together the experiences of two young black women as they navigate difficult life circumstances.

“The House of Eve” follows, in alternating chapters, the lives of two young “negro” girls in the 1950’s in Philadelphia and Washington D.C.. Ruby is a talented high school student who aspires to be the first in her family to attend college but comes from a family that makes that dream hard to imagine. Eleanor is a second year student from Ohio who attends Howard University. Her parents have sacrificed a great deal to allow her that opportunity. Both girls work very hard toward their goals.

Both girls find themselves in loving relationships that don’t fit into societal norms and dealing with inconvenient pregnancies. Marriage for Ruby would have meant a move to California. Marriage for Eleanor meant striving for acceptance in a family of affluence that could have passed for white.

Woven into the story are issues of class, race, family relationships, infertility and the experience of girls who were sent to homes for unwed mothers.

I highly recommend this heart warming book for anyone who thrives on learning more about life circumstances and experiences of other people in other times. This would make for excellent book club discussion. Sadeqa Johnson is a talented story teller and I will be going back to read her previous books.

This book was amazing! So captivating! Sadeqa Johnson is a genius at storytelling. I was moved and captivated by every word of this story. I truly did not want it to end. Kudos to Ms. Johnson! Very well written!

After reading and loving YELLOW WIFE by Sadeqa Johnson, I knew I needed to read this one, and I loved it too! Set during the 1950s, this is the story of two young black women, Ruby and Eleanor. Told through alternating POV. Both of them are trying to make their way in a world and time that is full of discrimination, racism and poverty. They both end up pregnant, and this is definitely frowned upon. They now have to navigate the role of motherhood and both their lives take an unexpected path, and in the end, they connect with eachother. I loved reading about both of these driven characters. It was heartbreaking to read about how black women struggled back then. Such a beautiful book.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own. My review will be posted on Instagram, Bookbub, goodreads, and Amazon once it publishes on Feb. 7.

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC. Loved this new historical fiction tale set in the early 50’s. The story of Ruby Pearsall and Eleanor Quarles unfolds in alternating chapters. Two young black women trying to get ahead. The women must deal with poverty , racism, forbidden love, Unplanned pregnancy, and motherhood. This is both heartfelt and heartbreaking. I also highly recommend the author’s book The Yellow Wife.

What a beautiful, yet heartbreaking story! This book follows the stories of two young and wonderful African American women…both of whom find themselves pregnant in the days when this was absolutely not acceptable. Their lives will follow such different path, each path full of determination and pain. I completely enjoyed reading this book!

Sadeqa Johnson is officially an auto-read author for me.

Set in 1950s Philadelphia, the House of Eve tells the stories of two characters, Ruby and Eleanor. Despite leading different lives, both women possess immense academic ambition and strive for a better future. When unplanned pregnancies, taboo romances, and complicated family dynamics get in the way, however, Ruby and Eleanor are faced with difficult decisions, and their stories will come together in a powerful way.

I absolutely LOVED The Yellow Wife, so I was beyond excited when Sadeqa Johnson came out of with another book. This book, although historical fiction, also has elements of women's fiction: resilience, themes of motherhood, and the struggles Black women experience surrounding education and opportunity. Additionally, she writes about the privilege of "lighter" Black families, and she addresses the resulting tensions among Black people head on. Finally, the way that she briefly brought in Pheby from the Yellow Wife at the end really highlights the skill Johnson has.

Thank you Atria and Book Club Favorites for the ARC!

Two for two with this author. 5 brilliant stars for Ruby and Eleanor. This author writes characters that stay with me long after turning the last page. I will read anything she writes and be singing its praises all year long.

Absouletly phenomenal.
As someone who has a heart this storyline hits close to, I will say, the writing and the care in which the story is told with feeling and merit is absolutely breathtaking.

I loved Yellow White, but man, Sadeqa, you hit another home run here!

🏡The House of Eve🏡

“Knowing about racism and being abused by its wrath were two different things.”

“I turned my fork over on my plate wondering why it was always my responsibility to worry over what grown men might be thinking.”

Ruby and Eleanor are both young, smart, resilient, and determined Black women in the 1950’s. Told in alternating view points, their lives take unexpected turns and beautifully intersect at the end.

Yellow Wife was an incredible historical fiction book and quickly made me a fan of @sadeqasays! The House of Eve is another beautiful, heartbreaking story that shines a light on the sacrifices Black women were forced to make. Themes of resilience and sacrifice throughout. It reminded me a bit of The Cradles of the Reich with the similar positions the pregnant women were put into. I really loved the nod to The Yellow Wife (I love when authors make connections to their previous books). The ending pleasantly surprised me and I love how it all came together ❤️

The House of Eve is out February 7th and I recommend adding it to your list! Thank you @netgalley and @simonandschuster for the ARC!

This was such a beautiful and heartbreaking follow-up to The Yellow Wife. I couldn’t stop reading. I enjoyed the shift between first person for Ruby’s perspective and third for Eleanor’s. The cast of characters as rich and multifaceted. I went in without checking trigger warnings, and as someone who has suffered miscarriages, was grateful for how carefully Johnson handled those scenes without being gratuitous.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
The House of Eve is another beautiful book about Black women’s history, this one set in the 1950s. However, with it set in the not-so-distant past, it also focuses on an issue that has once again become relevant in political conversation today: women's reproductive choices. The narrative follows two Black women: one of whom ends up pregnant out of wedlock, potentially jeopardizing her promising future: the other, who wants a child with her husband, but is unable to carry one to term.
It can be hard to make a story with two separate narratives that don’t intersect for most of the book work, but Sadeqa Johnson makes it work by remembering to set up the thematic elements, and to establish what each respective woman needs that the other has. I expected more intersection between them than just a bit at the end, but ultimately respected the choice to keep things ambiguous, simply highlighting the nature of how most traditional closed adoption processes work.
And it also helps that both Ruby and Eleanor are compelling and easy to root for. I wanted Ruby to succeed academically and get the career she wanted, even if it meant making the ultimate sacrifice. And I truly felt for Eleanor, marrying into an upper crust world and struggling to belong, feeling a child would provide that, and then not being able to have a child.
This is a beautiful book highlighting elements of history that remain relevant today. If you’re interested in Black or women’s history, I recommend picking this one up!

I was so excited to read the newest title from the author of Yellow Wife and The House of Eve didn’t disappoint. Set in the 1950s in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C, main characters Ruby and Eleanor are women with goals and struggles with their families and careers.

Ruby could be the first woman in her family to attend college but her first love with a white, Jewish boy could derail her plans. Eleanor has moved to Washington for a fresh start when she meets and falls in love at Howard University. William Pride is from a different class of elite, rich, black families and Eleanor is desperate to be accepted.

Sadeqa Johnson’s historical writing will keep the reader engaged from the beginning. The women’s journeys were inspired by events that happened in the author’s life. The female characters are smart, relatable and likable. You will be rooting for these women’s happiness. The House of Eve is a coming of age story, a reflection of 1950s America and a story about motherhood. Told with compassion and intelligence, this one shouldn’t be missed!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to review this ARC before its release.

When I saw that NetGalley had The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson the author of the Yellow Wife (which I loved) I immediately requested it. I love her style of writing, it immediately grabs my attention. This story takes place in the 1950'sand it is about 2 black girls & what they go through in order to survive in a "white world". Both girls fall in love and go through a lot with the boys they love. Ruby falls in love with a Jewish boy & Eleanor falls in love with a black boy the is more light skin but of high society. Ruby gets pregnant and her boyfriends mom send her to a home for unwed moms. Eleanor gets pregnant and her & her boyfriend plan the wedding but she ends up having a miscarriage, they still get married. Ruby and Eleanor go through a lot, I highly recommend reading this book.

I loved Johnson’s Yellow Wife, but this one just didn’t grip me in the same way. I loved Eleanor and Ruby and seeing the differences in their lives during the same time period, but the pacing was a little slow and the plot a little predictable. I think it will still be a hit for fans of historical fiction.

In Philadelphia, Ruby is on track to be the first to go to college in her family. Until she falls in love with the wrong boy and has a taboo love affair. In DC, Eleanor starts Howard University with her own dreams but quickly becomes enamored by wealthy William Pride. Ruby and Eleanor’s stories collide in unexpected ways.

This is a profound story that will keep you
entertained from the beginning. I loved the time period (1950’s) and the look at two young African American women trying to get ahead at that time in America. They both are very similar, but have different paths. I enjoyed that the story was not about their romances, but more about their direction in life.

“Crammed together like pigs in a stall so tight, it was impossible to dream or breathe. Every single day we had to fight for food, for carfare. And this trip downtown had showed me that we even had to fight for what should have been free: our dignity.”

The House of Eve comes out 2/7.

This book provided a glimpse into a horrific part of US history. I enjoyed getting to know both Eleanor and Ruby and learning about this not well-known piece of history. The story was a bit slow at times, but it was beautifully and empathetically written. The two stories were tied together nicely, although through sad circumstances. I haven't yet read The Yellow Wife, but I now plan to read it and any future historical fiction novels from Johnson.

This is a moving and heartfelt story inspired by events that occurred in the author’s family. Set in the 1950’s when there were limited options for both affluent infertile couples (via Howard University alumni William and Eleanor) and girl/single women’s unplanned pregnancies (via teenaged Ruby). Johnson explores the popular paths for resolution layering in and all the societal condemnation, religious shaming, manipulation/exploitation, and coercion that accompanied these “solutions.” Reading this in a contemporary era where mental and physical health are on equal footing: I can only imagine the lifelong mental trauma and stress of yesteryear’s affected mothers who suffer(-ed) for decades burdened by unnecessary guilt, embarrassment, and angst – when there was no need for it.

The characters are smart, likable, and relatable; the scenarios are realistic and convey the appropriate layers of empathy, sympathy, and anger. Society’s moral compass is front and center for the era, and the shaming antics and condemning tones are historically accurate – which had me questioning how much “progress” has really been made since then. This is a quick and informative offering on a lesser known segment of the African American community.

Thanks to the publisher, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for an opportunity to review.