Eleanor and Ruby are Black women of the 1950s who are willing to work and sacrifice for better lives. Eleanor comes from a working class family in Ohio and is a student at Howard University. Ruby is a teenage high school student in Philadelphia. She is barely surviving, yet determined to go to college. Each woman faces obstacles and make difficult choices to achieve her goal.

Sadeqa Johnson writes of a time when being a woman meant you were inferior. Add to that the major challenge of being Black. The characters are finely drawn. The writing is beautiful. The plot is believable. I was enthralled, heartbroken, and lifted up.. I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Set in 1950, the dual narratives focus on two young Black women. The first is Eleanor, a student at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Bright and hardworking, Eleanor works part-time at the university library and hopes to become an archivist. Sending Eleanor to Howard has been a bit of a financial stretch for her working-class family in Ohio, but Eleanor is determined to get her degree. When she falls in love William Pride, a medical student from a socially prominent Black family, Eleanor discovers a elite social circle she never knew existed, one that looks down on her because of her modest background. Will William's family, especially his haughty mother, ever accept her?

In Philadelphia, high school student Ruby also has big dreams. She wants to be the first in her family to attend college. It won't be easy though. Born to a single, Black, teen mother with seemingly no maternal instincts, Ruby was raised by her grandmother until the older woman went blind. Ruby's only hope of getting to college is to earn a full-ride scholarship through an enrichment program called "We Rise." But when Ruby falls in love with a Jewish boy named Shimmy and becomes pregnant, her future is in jeopardy.

Johnson's compelling novel deftly explores issues of racism and classism through likeable characters who are determined to better themselves through education and chart their own courses. Without giving too much away, I will say that Ruby's stay in a home for unwed mothers is especially heartbreaking. A short epilogue ties up most of the loose ends nicely.

This book is an excellent choice for fans of historical fiction, especially those looking for historical fiction featuring Black characters.

I really enjoyed Sadeqa Johnson's book, The Yellow Wife, and was excited to read her newest book, The House of Eve. I love her use of vivid details that reach the reader's senses and bring the story to life. The House of Eve is beautifully written with strong characters who are easy to connect with and about an interesting and informative topic. Thank you, Simon and Schuster and NetGalley, for providing me an ebook version of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Fast paced plot with likeable characters.
I am glad that I read The House of Eve. The story that is told here is a story that has unfortunately been told by many in different ages and races throughout time. It honestly reminded me in ways of the modern movie "Juno". As a foster parent, this story of forced adoption had additional relevance and ideas to ponder.
While somewhat predictable, I just really enjoyed spending time with Ruby and Eleanor. I loved that Eleanor was a librarian. Ruby's backstory gave me a lot to contemplate about how each individual's definition of a parent is uniquely their own.
I would recommend the story to other readers, with a warning that it does include language and sensuality.
Thank you so much NetGalley for allowing me to read this pre release!!!

The House of Eve is a delightful book. It is a cast of predominantly African American characters. It is the story of two females: Eleanor and Ruby. Eleanor is a college student at Howard University where she meets her soon to be husband, William. Ruby is a high school student working toward a college scholarship. She wants to be an ophthalmologist.

Eleanor and William live in Washington DC, where William is an intern. They desperately want children. When Eleanor becomes pregnant before the marriage, Rose, William's mother rushes them to the altar. Eleanor knows Rose doesn't like her. Rose considers her some back woods person, which isn't far from the truth. William's family is very well to do, his father being a doctor. Eleanor comes from a blue collar family, her father being a factory worker. Not long into the pregnancy Eleanor loses the baby. She gets pregnant again and loses that baby at five months.

Ruby comes from a family where her mother. Inez, doesn't want her. One day her she is in the house with her mother's boyfriend. She needs bus fair to get to school and the boyfriend says he'll give it to her for a kiss. He takes the kiss too far and her mother walks in and catches them. Inez takes her to her Aunt Marie and tells her not to come back. Ruby meets a Jewish boy, Shimmy, and they end up in a relationship. But they have to keep it a secret because in the 1940s, such a relationship is deeply frowned upon. This is in Philadelphia. Eventually Ruby gets pregnant. Shimmy's mother finds out about it and offers to take Ruby to a home for unwed mothers. She promises her that if she goes, gives up the baby and stays away from Shimmy that she will see to it that she gets her scholarship.

Rose and William go behind Eleanor's back and arrange for an adoption with a nun. When she is in the hospital after her second miscarriage, a nun, Mother Margaret, visits her and suggests adoption. Of course Eleanor knows nothing about what William and his mother have done. Eleanor presents the proposition to her husband and he whole heatedly agrees.

Ruby is at the home and it turns out to be a work camp where the girls are constantly bombarded with scripture against fornication and condemnation. The four Black girls are made to live in the attic while the white girls get to live downstairs. They are worked like slaves and the girls are required to give their babies up for adoption. William and Eleanor want a mixed race baby. They want mixed race because William's family are all very light skinned.

Eleanor has agreed to wear a prosthesis to implement pregnancy. And then the wait is over. Ruby has been forced to give birth. She has five days with her little girl and doesn't want to give her up, but she has no choice. Mother Margaret phones Eleanor and William to inform the them that they have a little girl, Ruby's little girl. They name her Willamina.

In the end, 15 years later, Eleanor goes to the hospital to meet William for brunch. In his office sits Ruby, a new doctor at the hospital. An after thought: Rose has decided to accept Eleanor as her daughter-in-law, and they live happily ever after.

The drama in this book kept me coming back for more. The characters were well developed and I had no problem following the story line. I give it five stars and would recommend it for book club.

This book had so many layers of topics that apply to life in 1950 and now. Beautifully written! So much imagery. Sadeqa Johnson is an automatic read for any books she has.

Wow. What a book.

There are so many powerful elements to this story, but I also just have to first take a moment to acknowledge Sadeqa Johnson’s writing in this book— it’s incredible. I felt like I was with Ruby & Eleanor in every single moment. I could see the room, smell the scents, feel the grit- it was fantastic.

Now the story— what a tale of the trials women have had to face over the years. While the subjects covered in the book are still taboo in a sense, Johnson’s story reminds us just how far we have come. It also served as a stark reminder for me— that for every hurdle placed in front of women in the past, Black women had extra, taller, hurdles of their own to face as well.

There were so many subplots and side characters that were all so well done— but I don’t have enough room to go through them all. Just know, I was gripped by this story from start to finish, and I never questioned that I’d be giving it 5⭐️ for a single moment. Thank you to much to @naesreadingnook and @_shebereadin for buddy reading this with me, and for the thoughtful and meaningful discussion along the way.

Lastly, Johnson’s Author’s Notes are always must-read material. I love that she explains her ideas and how she researched her material. It’s all so eye opening.
You definitely want to check this out .

The House of Eve
By Sadeqa Johnson
Release Date: Feb. 7, 2023
Genre: Historical Fiction

💫 Synopsis
1950s Philadelphia: fifteen-year-old Ruby is working to be the first in her family to attend college. Her dream is jeopardized by a forbidden affair. 

1950s Washington, DC: Eleanor meets William Pride at Howard University and they fall love. William comes from a wealthy Black family with protective parents.­ Eleanor hopes that a baby will help her solidify her place with her new family. 

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I thoroughly enjoyed The Yellow Wife and was looking forward to reading The House of Eve.

The chapters in this book are alternately narrated and I could clearly picture each of the characters. Both women sacrifice, grow, and persevere throughout the story. Even though I knew that Ruby’s and Eleanor’s paths were destined to cross, the ending was still unexpected.

Just like The Yellow Wife, Sadeqa shares the inspiration for this book and this makes me appreciate her work even more.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is an exceptional book by a very talented author highlighting a part of history that needs to be told. Through the voices of two black women in the 1940’s we witness a harrowing tale of being pregnant out of wedlock. We experience the devastating and horrific details as these young girls enter a home for the unwed. This story talks of prejudice, strength, faith, resilience and strength of women. Ruby and Eleanor, the main characters of the book, are two completely different women who had to fight for themselves and their beliefs in order to fulfill their dreams. A very important and timely tale! #TheHouseOfEve #SadeqaJohnson #NetGalley

I would like to thank Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for providing me with an electronic ARC of this book.. This book was a historical fiction novel told in the voices of two young women. Ruby is a disadvantaged high schooler who is forced to grow up too soon. Her mother had her out of wedlock, and she is forced to live with several relatives and largely fend for herself. As her forbidden friendship with a young Jewish boy deepens, she is forced to make a life-altering decision that could either bring her closer to the lifelong dream for her future she has so carefully nurtured or drive her back into the struggles of the life she has known growing up, possibly trapping her forever. Eleanor is a college student with big dreams and big secrets. Her family in Ohio has sacrificed, scrimped and saved to get her into Howard University, but while there, she learns that even among people of the same race, there is class stratification. She falls in love with a wonderful man with a bright future, but will his family drive them apart, and will her infertility problems make a happy union impossible? The reader learns that choices for women who become pregnant out of wedlock, particularly black women during the years the story takes place, were extremely limited. The shame of family members, the heavy-handed role of religion, and the abandonment of the male partners and their families, play a big role in the book. I felt this book was especially timely given the recent Supreme Court decision regarding a woman’s abortion rights, because we see what can happen when the only option for many in Ruby’s position was to go through with the pregnancy no matter what the physical and emotional cost. Sadequa Johnson tells the facts through strong female characters, and while the raw honesty was often painful to read, it is welcomed by this reader. This book was a phenomenal story told by a rising star in the literary world. I so appreciate the chance to have read it before it’s formal publication.

I had high hopes for this book after the last one, The Yellow Wife. Sadly this one wasnt up to par and i couldnt finish.

The House of Eve...let me start by saying I loved how Pheby and her girls from The Yellow Wife were weaved into the mix...I did not see that coming at all, but what a clever idea.
I enjoyed this book and I was able to picture each of the characters in my mind while reading. as well as feel the turmoil and decisions they had to reckon with. From the beginning, you knew or at least could guess that Ruby and Eleanor's stories would intertwine, but the wat they intertwined at the end never occurred to me (although it probably should have.) This ending leaves the door open for a sequel and I certainly hope it's in the works. Another good job by Sadeqa Johnson.

With a page taken out of the own author's history, a story of motherhood, teenage pregnancy, poverty and ambition leap through the pages. Two young girls, one 15(Ruby) and another a sophomore in college( Eleanor) become involved with men leading to pregnancy in the early 1950's. Ruby's love is a sweet earnest white Jewish boy whose family and the world outside do not condone interracial relationships. Eleanor, at Howard University, falls in love with a medical student who wants to become a physician. However he is from a different social class than what she grew up with and she incurs the wrath of his elite pretentious mother. Issues of the varying shades of skin color, worlds broken by pregnancies, planned or unplanned, motherhood, and shame illuminate this novel which has shades of relevance today. With abortion rights denied in many states, this book spotlights what might happen if one is forced to give birth and hand over the baby for adoption. Told with passion, intensity and heartfelt prose, this novel would be a good choice for book clubs in this current day and age.

Tho a sobering portrayal of the harsh realities & enforced choices thrust upon women in the '50's, unfortunately I found the story & events predictable--especially disappointing tremendously enjoying the author's last book The Yellow Wife.
The author's note was fascinating in detailing the roots of the various story threads.

With great thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this e-ARC!

The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson was a book that I could not put down! In the 1940's there were plenty of rules to follow especially if you were a young woman of color. Getting a good education was not something that everyone had a chance to get. The story is about Eleanor and Ruby both striving to better themselves and get a chance to do something with their lives. The novel alternates with stories of the two women - their families, their jobs, their dreams for the future and most of all who they fall in love with. How the author brings these two stories together is just amazing! Highly recommend this fantastic book!

Thanks to Simon & Schuster for the advanced copy of this book.

Oh my goodness, my heart. If you read Sadeqa’s previous book, The Yellow Wife, you know she can pack an emotional punch, and also write a very compelling story. I devoured this book despite the hard content and already know it’ll be on my top historical fiction list for 2023.

Told in dual perspective from Eleanor and Ruby, we find out what it’s like to get pregnant unexpectedly as a teenager and college student, and what it’s like to not be able to live up to the expectations of an elite Black family in 1950s Philadelphia. If you read The Girls Who Went Away, one storyline closely follows the experiences described in that book about women who were sent away to “quietly” have their babies - in other words, pay penance for their sins and be forced to give up their babies. The other storyline follows the dynamic of classism amongst Black people in this era. The two stories intertwine perfectly, and also tie back back into The Yellow Wife that ends up being the cherry on top. Sadeqa is an auto-buy author for me at this point, and this is an excellent and important read.

The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson is a breathtaking story! When you read a book and it's hard to get the characters out of your head because you feel such emotion for them, you know the writing is excellent! A must read for your new release 2023 stack.

Set in 1950s Philadelphia the story follows two courageous women. Both have big dreams for their futures. Ruby Pearsall longs to break the mold in her family and become the first to go to college to become a doctor. Growing up with a young mother who values her relationships with men over her own daughter, Ruby has to fight for every opportunity that comes her way. Determined to break the cycle, she perseveres until forbidden love sneaks it's way into her life.

Eleanor Quarles grew up with loving parents who saved every penny to send her to college. When she arrives on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C. she is harboring a secret. Aside from her studies, working at the library is her true passion and calling. It's there she meets William Pride and falls head over heels in love with him. As their relationship blossoms she discovers it is becoming increasingly difficult to hide her secret and fit in with William's prominent, wealthy family who will go to any length to protect their son. Eleanor believes a baby will solve the problems budding in their new found love, but will it be enough?

Ruby and Eleanor's lives come together in a beautiful, yet unexpected way causing them to make decisions that change the course of their lives. A book to savor with beautiful heroines who discover the true meaning of sacrifice.

If I could give this book more than five stars, I would! A new personal favorite!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an ARC. I read this book voluntarily in exchange for an honest review.

This book was incredible! The writing is exquisite. I was reading this on an airplane ride and was so caught up in the story that I was jolted when we landed- I had no idea we were landing and thought we were still in the air! I couldn't put this book down. The characters were amazing. The author confronts historical truths, as painful and shocking as they are, and weaves them with stories of kindness and love. It’s the juxtaposition that absolutely makes this book shine. This was a beautiful book!

I read this book in one sitting and loved it!!

Set in the late 1940s, House of Eve alternates between the perspectives of Eleanor and Ruby, two young and intelligent black woman who are both looking for a brighter future. However, when forbidden love and unplanned pregnancies present an obstacle, these women are forced to make decisions that will shape their future and possibly impede their dreams. With that, Eleanor and Ruby’s stories collide in the most unexpected of ways.

I went into this book blind after loving The Yellow Wife. While it was not what I expected at all (maybe I should read plot synopses), I was blown away. Sadeqa Johnson is a fabulous storyteller, and I loved how this story highlighted the strength of women, their resilience, themes of motherhood and the sacrifices Black women made for education. I was not expecting the cameo of Pheby from Yellow Wife at the end, but it made the book!

Read if you like:
-US 1950s historical fiction
-Black representation
-DC and Philadelphia settings
-Women’s rights
-Stories about motherhood
-Diane Chamberlain books

Thank you Atria and Book Club Favorites for the ARC!

It’s about women’s choices and rights. We must open books like this to help us understand the dark and hidden parts of our past so we can move forward in a more positive direction.

The first half of the book alternates between the lives of Ruby in Philadelphia and Eleanor in DC. Both of these Black women are exceptionally brilliant and headed towards a bright future with a few obstacles. It’s the obstacles that make us pause.

Ruby’s mother gave birth to her when she was 15 years old. She was raised by her grandmother and later taken care of by her Aunt Marie. She was enrolled in a special scholarship program in high school that could allow her to go to college – her only way out of the difficult world for Black women in the early 50s. Then she met the landlord’s son, Shimmy, a Jewish boy who touched her heart like no other man has ever done.

Eleanor started as an English major at Howard University in DC. It was her goal to be a teacher until she met Mrs. Porter who changed her life with the love of being an archivist for books. And that’s where she met the handsome William Pride, third year medical student. His family was wealthy and when he invited her on a date to the Lincoln Theater, she was elated. But what would she even wear to impress him? She was from a hard-working family without a lot of money or choices. How could a girl like her fit into his world?

The plot thickens with the second half when the reader finds out how Ruby and Eleanor are connected with an overwhelming list of emotional complications. It’s well researched and written with the local dialect that was used by a few of the characters. While it’s a quick read, the story makes you pause and reflect about the sadness which was pushed aside until the early 70s when the laws started to change for women. I was totally absorbed in the story and didn't want it to end. The Author Notes are stimulating.

My thanks to Sadeqa Johnson, Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with the expected release date of February 7, 2023.