See full review on Atlanta Journal-Constitution website:

Virginia author Sadeqa Johnson’s second work of historical fiction, “The House of Eve,” is a provocative and heartrending tale about two young women forced to face the limitations of their reproductive choices in 1950s America. Ripping open the complex intersection of classism, colorism and gender inequality, Johnson has delivered a powerful statement on the cost of suppressing female autonomy that’s stunning to experience and impossible to forget.

Ruby Pearsall is a character born from Johnson’s family’s history. In the author’s note she reveals that her grandmother became pregnant at age 15 in 1955. Her grandfather was light-skinned and affluent while her grandmother was “mahogany brown and from the lower-class section of North Philadelphia.” Taking these kernels from her origin story, Johnson expands the narrative to explore the experiences of a handful of women who battle not just poverty and unwed pregnancy but discrimination from within their own community...

https://www.ajc.com/things-to-do/sadeqa-johnson-explores-classism-colorism-in-house-of-eve/W2R55JPCVBCHHNGHMLWED3LT5Q/

Amazing! The House of Eve is a book that will capture your heart and attention from the first to the last page.

This book deals with so much! Racism and how it affects so many in Philadelphia in the 50s. Two different perspectives, but both equaling dealing with struggles. Amazing book!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for an ARC of this book. I was not compensated for this review.

I devoured this story! Like her previous novel, The Yellow Wife, Sadeqa Johnson has a way of placing in you the timeline of history with her characters. Also, note that the connection between the two novels is brilliantly connected. The harsh reality of the times for young women and especially young black women is powerfully conveyed through the situations that both protagonists are faced with. At first, I didn't understand why one character's point of view was told in the first person and the other in the third person, but Johnson tied it together beautifully by the end. There's a juxtaposition of wanting each of these characters to succeed in their own story but also knowing that they both have to endure sacrifices to get there. The novel is compellingly moving and wonderfully written. Capable of evoking the heartbreaking emotions of young love, impossible choices, and difficult loss The House of Eve has been one of the best novels I've read this year!

I was so excited to get approved for The House of Eve after reading and loving The Yellow Wife. Sadly, this one didn’t deliver and I was a little let down. I’ll definitely check out more from the author.

Intersectionality: the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender as they apply to a given individual or group, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage. (Definition provided by Dictionary.com)

It’s fair to say that any challenging situation for a woman is much harder for a woman of color. While there are many historical fiction novels about white women who got pregnant before Roe v. Wade, there aren’t many books available about what this time period was like for Black women. In her latest novel, The House of Eve, Sadeqa Johnson offers an important look at this traumatic experience through the eyes of two young Black women in the 1950s whose burdens include more than unplanned pregnancy.

For the complete review, click on the link below.

This is really 3.5 stars rounded up. This book was touching, emotional, and at times, poignant. It straddles two women’s lives in the 1940s and early 1950s. Unfortunately, I felt this took a little too long to get to the meat of the story. I was intrigued with the history and settings of the book, but I wish this moved a bit quicker. I will be looking forward to all of this author’s work though as she does an amazing job of weaving in-depth and touching historical narratives.

The House of Eve is a thought provoking, moving work by Sadeqa Johnson.

It is 1948. Ruby is a smart, determined black high school student in Philadelphia. She she has the goal to be the first person to attend college in her family. In eighth grade she qualified for the "We Rise" program which provided tutoring as well mandatory enrichment classes on Saturdays. She was one of twelve selected who now have the carrot of competing for two full scholarships for college dangling in front of them.

She has no support from her mother, who throws Ruby out when her lech of a boyfriend makes Ruby kiss him on the mouth and gropes her while offering her a quarter for the bus to class. She moves in with her aunt, who had little to offer, but was willing to share.

Eleanor is a a student at Howard University, a HBCU in Washington, D.C. She is studying to become an Archivist. She has worked hard to get to Howard and wants to be involved in all of it, beginning with the Alpha Beta Chi sorority. She is crushed when they reject her. He roommate tells her "Honey, everyone knows they only pick girls with hair as straight as a ruler and skin paler than a paper bag."

The House Of Eve follows these two women as they pursue their dreams, fall in love and search for themselves. You would think these paths would not be so very different from each other. In some ways they are not - choices and sacrifices are made, relationships and bonds tested, determination and strength forged by the scorching fires of life. But they live in a world where provenance matters. Their choices result in different consequences.

I loved this book. The characters are very well developed - there are flaws and redeeming values in each of them. I would love to read a sequel to this novel as I so want to know what happens next in each of their lives. I will be following Sadeqa Johnson in anticipation of her next work and welcome her as a breath of fresh air and new perspectives to my bookshelves.

My thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the DRC of this book.

Is there a better case scenario than receiving an ARC that turns out to be a 5-star read? I think not. Thank you so much to @booksparks and @sadeqasays for the opportunity to receive and review one of the best books I’ve read so far this year. This Reese’s Book Club pick is set in 1950s Philadelphia and Washington, DC, and explores what it means to be a woman and a mother, and how much one is willing to sacrifice to achieve her greatest goal.

Very well written. This story captivates you as you hear two different young women’s viewpoints. Set in the 1950s when racial prejudice is widespread. Compelling and heartbreaking, this book is a must-read. I have already recommended it to several people. Thank you Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for arc!
I look forward to reading more from Sadeqa Johnson.

The House of Eve is a true look at race within race and what it means to be a woman and a mother in the 1950’s. The characters all felt extremely real and so easy to like. I loved Yellow Wife and The House of Eve did not disappoint.

The House Of Eve was sheer perfection. The characters, the storyline, and the writing were all exquisite. The two main character in this book are both women who will stay with you for a very long time. I don’t typically read historical fiction but this book is a must read for all. Im in awe of this book. All the stars. Many thanks to the author and the publisher for the ARC.

I wasn't really sure at the beginning how the parallels of the two main characters would tie into each other. Ruby's story echoed in a familiar trauma survival that is still present in young women of color from all demographics steeped in over sexualized rhetoric reflects the innocence of a teenager equates her success or failures to the amount of love she can expect from her family. In contrast Elanor who is somewhat living the life Ruby is fighting so hard to get to, yet her story and experiences delve into the stigma of black elitism while touching on other sensitive subjects including colorism, expectations of gender roles and mental health. Sadeqa did a great job of bringing together the lives of Ruby and Eleanor without overshadowing either character with the others narrative.

This was a great read! The story of two women who's lives are intertwined by unlikely circumstances. This book introduces you to true events that some women went through during this, at times, heart wrenching story. I have fallen into the historical fiction genre with force and glad I was able to read this ARC through NetGalley. I almost didn't request it and a coworker said it was a must read, so I did. I am so glad she told me about this book and will recommend to family, friends and patrons. I look forward and will look for more by Sadeqa Johnson.

I loved this book and I’ll never forget this story or the characters. I was so emotional while reading but when I’m crying while reading I know a book will be a forever fav.

When I tell you that I just absolutely devoured this book. It is incredibly well-written and the story is heartbreaking and moving. It was also incredibly eye-opening to me as to what America was like in the 1940s. I loved both Ruby and Eleanor and my heart just broke for them at times. Not loved by her mother, and coming from a poor family has Ruby working hard to change her circumstances. Until she falls in love that is, and not just in love, but in love with a white boy. This could change her life forever. Eleanor is working hard to earn her degree from Howard and when she meets William Pride they fall madly in love. Eleanor doesn’t quite fit in with his family, but she hopes a baby will change that.

This was such a well written, thought provoking, and moving book all around. The characters were so vividly crafted I felt as if I knew each of them intimately. Thank you so much for telling the stories and experiences of girls and women who once upon a time weren't able to share their journeys openly and unashamedly.

In The House of Eve, we follow the perspectives of two young women during the late 1940s and early 1950s. One is Ruby, who is trying desperately to earn a college scholarship and lift herself out of poverty. The other woman is Eleanor, who is a student trying to fit in at Howard University.

Both women are similar in that they fall in love with someone that is unacceptable to the people in their lives. The characters are well-developed, and the author does a great job in showing their growth. I also appreciated the detail in the descriptions making the book accurate to the time period.

The House of Eve was definitely a book I did not want to put down. I’ll be checking out other books by the author in the future for sure.

What a book! I loved this story, the characters, the setting, and the writing is lovely and easy to sink into.

Ruby and Eleanor are both strong women striving for success. I also especially loved Ruby's Aunt Marie, who took her in and helped Ruby through the toughest decision of her life.

An excellent historical fiction with a fresh perspective and important story.

The House of Eve, by Sadeqa Johnson, is an insightful look into the realities of racism, inequalities, and disregard for human kind while growing up in the 1950's, America. The story is thought provoking, emotionally triggering, and at some points, simply disgraceful in terms of human respect and treatment. It is hard to phantom that not only did this obscene and unacceptable behavior exist less than 100yrs ago, it is harder yet to understand why we are still seeing these same distasteful traces of existence here and now today.

In summary we follow two young ladies as they are faced with serious challenges and are forced to make life altering decisions with little life experience to extract upon. The story lines are written from the POV of each of the characters separately, yet twist to eventually become one. Issues include race, relationships, sex, pregnancy, abortion, money, deceit, secrets, family, death, and religion. Everyone has hopes, dreams, and aspirations of a happy and successful future.. Unfortunately hard work does not guarantee the achievement of ones' goals. Love is not a promise of happily ever after. Certainly we are responsible for our own actions and must face the consequences. However, too often the thoughts and actions of others are forced upon us. It seems that too often people are willing to make decisions with little care as to what is best for you. and the future you must endure. We become vulnerable and fearful that people are not who they seem to be. Sometimes we are even surprised by our own reactions when faced with harsh realities. Ultimately we decide or decisions get made. For better or worse, we survive, we carry on.

Thank you to #simonandschuster, #netgalley, and #sadeqajohnson for allowing me to read and express my feelings in review of #thehouseofeve. I encourage others to read and give thought to the many complicated i issues that surface within this novel. It is not an easily forgettable story.