This was a beautiful, heartfelt, and heartbreaking story set in the late 40’s. It gives a glimpse both at the awful houses for unwed mothers were being run, shows yet another dark side to adoption facilitation, and how racism and discrimination even between light and dark skinned black people, let alone white and black individuals, was so entrenched and commonplace.

The book follows one poor, black teenage girl in an impossible relationship with a white Jewish boy, and a black college student finding herself in love and married to a rich, light-skinned black doctor whose family was trying to make a place for themselves in between two worlds, in 1948. The difficulties both of them faced in their own circumstances and the parallels in both their lives even though their environments were so different. Not just the houses for unwed mother, but the market for adoption, greed for those facilitating it, and awful practices I’ve read here and elsewhere is unbelievable.

I admire so much the tenacity to overcome and find a better situation for themselves and their children was for both women despite such an enormously uphill battle, and I loved the grace and humility that Eleanor and her family eventually found with each other.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine.

Ebook received for free through NetGalley

A poignant historical fiction book that gets you hooked and is so tough to put down. A look into history that needs to be told. So glad I came across it and had the opportunity to read it.

Amazing. Simply amazing. A passionate, delicate tale. Heartbreaking, heart wrenching, and enlightening. Sadeqa is a passionate and dedicated researcher and her care of sensitive topics always shows in her eloquence. I highly recommend. This would be a great novel to read in an English or Social Studies classroom

This is such a powerful story of two young women, Eleanor and Ruby, as they pursue their dreams and find their way at a time (1950's and '60's) when society gave little value to the education and careers of women, especially black women. The book is beautifully written, and well researched, with characters that are just so memorable and unforgettable. It is narrated in alternate chapters by Eleanor and Ruby, each telling their own story, and the courage and determination of each, to overcome obstacles that neither should ever have had to face. Sadeqa Johnson brings the two stories together brilliantly for a wonderful, emotional ending! I just loved this book for so many reasons! Thank you to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for my advanced copy. The opinions of my review are my own.

When Sadeqa Johnson writes a new book, there’s only one thing you can do…devour it. The House of Eve is a historical fiction novel about two young black girls in the 1950’s trying to traverse a world where blacks were looked upon as lesser than whites and where the moneyed folk were revered.

Ruby is a high school girl who wants nothing more than to be the first in her family to go to college. She dreams of being an ophthalmologist and must earn a scholarship in order to achieve her dreams. When she falls in love with a Jewish boy, she knows she is walking a perilous path. Blacks and whites don’t mix, and if they are found out, it could ruin her future. But she can’t stay away from Shimmy and she eventually finds herself pregnant and scared. In order to see her dreams realized, she must make some very difficult decisions.

Eleanor is a young woman working in a library where she meets, William, a man born into wealth who is expected to marry a girl who runs in his own social circles. She falls in love with William and must learn to navigate a world where she feels unwanted and shunned. She hopes that having his baby will cement her place in his family.

Each girls’ story is heart wrenching and compelling. Ms. Johnson writes beautifully and effortlessly and brings the story full circle.

I give this book a well-deserved 5 stars and I eagerly anticipate the next book by this author. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.

I was introduced to Sadeqa Johnson when I read and reviewed “Yellow Wife” so was excited for a chance to review her sophomore effort, “The House of Eve.”

The focus of this novel is on two different women. First, there is Eleanor who meets William while working in the university library. William’s life is very different from Eleanor. Does finding the love of a wealthy man mean changing who you are and what drives you? Second, we meet Ruby, who desires to go to college to an ophthalmologist. But then she becomes pregnant by the landlord’s son? Does this mean she must say goodbye to her dreams?

What makes these women’s stories memorable is that Johnson has taken the time to develop and nurture her characters. Yes, she wants her reader to understand and appreciate issues such as racism, education, poverty and pregnancy. But what matters more is that you care about the Eleanor and Ruby—the learning part is only secondary.

My thanks to the publisher, Sadeqa Johnson and Net Galley for this memorable book.

I really enjoyed this book and learned a lot of African American history along the way. I was really touched with the events that take place in the book. Another great book by Sadega Johnson.

Ruby and Eleanor both endure unplanned pregnancies in an unforgiving world full of prejudice in the US during the 1950's.

The book is full of emotional ups and downs. I found myself crying at times and full of rage at others.

We gave come a long way in our country, but gave a ling way to go.

Highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher, Simon and Schuster, for granting me an advance digital copy of this awesome book in return for my honest opinions. Publication: February 7, 2023

This is the second novel by Sadeqa Johnson I have read and won’t be the last! I was immediately hooked. I absolutely LOVED the epilogue!

Sadeqa Johnson's latest historical fiction The House of Eve is yet another inspiring look at women's roles in history. I count this author's The Yellow Wife as one of my favorite works of historical fiction, and this new effort did not disappoint. The writing is superb, with dialogue that snaps and a setting that perfectly evokes the period, I was immediately drawn into the story of these two women as they struggle to overcome barriers, expectations, racism, and misogyny just to have a family, a life, and a meaningful future. A captivating, often disturbing story that offers a valuable perspective on reproductive rights for women with its haunting picture of the girls who were sent away. These characters ripped at my heart and I was amazed that the author so deftly managed to include so much history, so many themes and so much emotion in a story that succeeds on so many levels. I loved it.

Sadeqa Johnson has written another fabulous book. She has crafted a beautifully woven story of two black girls set in the late 1940s to early 1950s. Ruby was a high school girl from Philadelphia with ambitions of becoming an ophthalmologist. Eleanor was a Howard University student in Washington, DC with dreams of becoming an archivist at a library. Ruby fell for the Jewish landlord's son and ended up pregnant. Eleanor met a medical student that she fell in love with, married, but no hopes of a baby. The author builds the story of these two women, their families and their day to day lives. How she blended the two story lines was masterful. I loved the main characters, as well as the supporting characters, and the stories behind each one. There were so many topics that weren't talked about between people and families during this time in history, such as adoption and teenage pregnancy, and I am glad that the author chose to tell those stories in this book. The author's note shared at the end explains that the story seed came from her grandmother having a baby at fifteen in 1955. I loved the details of her family connection and all of the research that went into developing this story. If you enjoy historical fiction, I highly recommend this book.

Thank you Net Galley for an ARC of The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson in exchange for an honest review.

Reading 2022
Book 160: The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson

Thank you to #NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my review. Had to read this book after I loved The Yellow Wife (one of my favorite books of the year) earlier this year.

Synopsis: From the award-winning author of Yellow Wife, a daring, beautiful, and redemptive novel that explores what it means to be a woman and a mother, and how much one is willing to sacrifice to achieve her greatest goal.

Review: Two stories, told in each woman’s own voice. Sacrifice, love, and motherhood are at the center of this story. Another great novel from Sadeqa Johnson. I will be reading anything she writes going forward. Grief seems to be a theme in my reading this month. In House of Eve, grief plays a role in the lives of both ladies. Such a well written narrative, one that touches at the heart of intelligent women trying to get ahead, yet at their core fear what love can bring into their lives. The book was a page turner, though not as intensely as Yellow Wife. Another well researched book by Johnson. My rating 4.5 stars.

“The House of Eve” is a historical fiction book by Sadeqa Johnson. This book is inspired by Ms. Johnson’s own family history and explores the topic of pregnancy, adoption, and race during the 1950s in the US. In this book, the chapters are told by either Ruby, a teenager who wants to go to college to become an eye doctor, and Eleanor, currently going to college. The two stories take a while to connect, but Ms. Johnson weaves them together effectively. There is a mention of a character from Ms. Johnson’s previous book - which was an unexpected pleasure. What I liked about this book is the research, again, that Ms. Johnson did into this topic - unwed mothers had few options available to them (and their child) in the 1950s. It’s heartbreaking to read through either historical fiction books or news reports what happened to the women/girls in those places. This book was a quick read for me, although I do agree with another reviewer about the pacing being a bit slow at times with both main characters’ stories being dragged out a little. I can see this book becoming a Book Club favourite as there are a number of topics to discuss - and I think a Reader’s Circle list of questions at the back would be a good addition.

This is another wonderful book by Sadeqa Johnson. I was glued to the story. Like "Yellow Wife", it is a book about resilience and the choices women make for themselves and their families. Inspired by her own family history, this author takes on the topics of race, education, and pregnancy in the 1950s in the U.S.

Two smart, sweet, hardworking, young ladies, Ruby and Eleanor, find themselves in forbidden love situations: one by family social status and one by skin color. They both struggle to maneuver early adulthood while facing poverty, prejudice, and mean people in their lives and having to deal with unplanned pregnancies.

This book will tear your heart out at times and make you angry and sad, all at the same time. This is a great book for lovers of historical fiction and Book Clubs alike.

My very sincere thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Simon and Schuster, for giving me the opportunity to read a digital ARC of this awesome book. Publication: February 7, 2023.

This is the second book I have read by this author. It was as good as the first. This tells the story of an unwed mother and how unwed mothers were treated in the l950's. very good read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sadeqa Johnson has done it again! She does not shy away from the uncomfortable topics of history. Instead she choses to share these trials of American history through her novels.

In The House of Eve, the story of two women are followed. Ruby is a young, bright student in a poor area of Philadelphia during the early 1950s. She has the opportunity to be the first in her family to go to college thanks to a gifted program. However, she must first work through her unplanned pregnancy with the son of the Jewish landlord. To avoid losing her college prospects, she agrees to go to a Catholic home for unwed mothers. The work is hard and the environment is anything but uplifting.

Eleanor is from a blue collar town in Ohio and meets her beau, William, while working in the library at her university in Washington DC. William is from a prominant and wealthy local family. Eleanor and William's mother get off to a rocky start. Eleanor must learn how to fight for what she believes in, like her work archiving in the library, while being introduced into the new world of William's family.

Johnson brings topics of race, class, religion, and marital status into this book in a heart breaking and beautiful way. I was also Very happy to see Pheby briefly pop into the book (Yellow Wife fans). I think Sadeqa Johnson has earned her place on to my auto read authors list.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Publication: February 7, 2023

I loved Johnson's first book Yellow Wife so when I saw this in the Netgalley catalog, I requested it right away! This book sucks you in with the characters and their stories set in the 1950's. I loved all the historical detail that was put into this book.

The biggest thing that didn't jive with me as a reader was the pacing. I felt that it was very drawn out which made the stories seem to move slowly. Her previous book was a quick read and had a lot more "edge of your seat" aspects to the plot. This book felt slower in that aspect but I think it readers should give this one a shot, especially historical fiction lovers.

THE HOUSE OF EVE is an engaging and well-written historical novel with a vivid sense of characterization and what feels like an insider look at the time period.

The author has a sensitive hand when examining the societal and racial issues that Ruby and Eleanor faced, and the novel never comes across as preachy.

The dual timelines are also nicely balanced; Ruby and Eleanor are easy to keep apart and they have equally engaging narratives.

I especially appreciated how the author so deftly incorporates historical research into the story, which is plotted superbly and reaches a satisfying conclusion.

Highly recommended for fans of historical and book club fiction.

This book portrays the things women must do for love. Although the book is set in the 1950s there are many similarities to how women are sometimes treated in this day and age. The author clearly did a lot of research prior to writing this book, and her depiction of the time is done very well. I recommend this book to any woman. I received an arc of this book from NetGalley and the author. All opinions expressed are my own.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Simon & Schuster and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

This one grabbed me immediately. Well drawn characters and a solid story.