I am a fan of Sadeqa Johnson having read her debut, Yellow Wife and loving it. In her follow up novel she offers an important look at a point in time where 2 young black women have unplanned pregnancies pre- Roe V. Wade.

From the blurb: "1950s Philadelphia: fifteen-year-old Ruby Pearsall is on track to becoming the first in her family to attend college, in spite of having a mother more interested in keeping a man than raising a daughter. But a taboo love affair threatens to pull her back down into the poverty and desperation that has been passed on to her like a birthright.

Eleanor Quarles arrives in Washington, DC, with ambition and secrets. When she meets the handsome William Pride at Howard University, they fall madly in love. But William hails from one of DC’s elite wealthy Black families, and his par­ents don’t let just anyone into their fold. Eleanor hopes that a baby will make her finally feel at home in William’s family and grant her the life she’s been searching for. But having a baby—and fitting in—is easier said than done."

While their situations may be different, both these women have dreams and are disappointed by what life throws their way. Both face decisions of class, shame, prejudice, and forbidden love. My heart went out to these young women. House of Eve takes you through loss, love, hope, courage, discrimination, adoption and more. And Johnson has given us 2 women we cant help but love and want the best for.

Read the book and then stay for the author's note at the end. That's where you will learn Johnson's personal story of how her grandmother became pregnant with her mother when she was only 14 years old. I find it fascinating when a story resonants with the times and then you discover the author has a direct link to the story shes telling. It makes it all ring so very true!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster and Sadeqa Johnson for an opportunity to be transported back in time. Sadeqa Johnson is a master of real books, with real characters living real lives - ones you just feel so close to! I am secretly hoping theres a book #2 for these characters.

The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson had me hooked from the very beginning and I couldn't wait to really enjoy the story. This story is told from altering perspectives and it's set in Philadelphia in the 1950's. I might suggest this book to my bookclub because you will think about this story long after reading the book plus it will lead to some great conversations. I highly recommend this to anyone.

The story of both Ruby and Eleanor will stick with me for a very long time. These are characters that you can't stop thinking about. You immediately feel immersed in their stories of trying to find their way while also trying to fit certain society norms. This is one of my new favorite historical fiction novels and I will be recommending it to everyone I know.

The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson is a book that drew me in right from the start and had me coming back for more whenever possible. It is a story told in alternating chapters by the two main characters, Ruby Pearsall and Eleanor Quarles. The settings are Philadelphia and Washington DC in the 1950s. Both young ladies come from humble backgrounds, one quite a bit more than the other; they both yearn for an education and love. This is a story that will permeate your heart and have you thinking about it long after you finish reading. I can't say much more without giving things away, so I recommend adding it to your TBR list and reading it sooner rather than later. My book club will be reading this book in a couple of months and I can't wait to discuss it with everyone!

Fantastic!! Sadeqa has done it again! This novel was absolutely captivating and I could not put it down.

The House of Eve is the story of two black women who dream to be someone, who dream to be bigger than their family’s history. The history of women getting pregnant before marriage and being sent away to have their babies is not something new. In the 1940’s there were not many places that would take black women who were “soiled.” It is also not new that some women struggle to get pregnant. This is that story, a story of heartbreak, love, social status, social shame, and family.



It broke my heart how Ruby was treated by society. I wanted people to see that she was destined to be someone important. She had dreams, motivation, and the will to get what she wanted. She saw a path for her and made difficult decisions to get there. Eleanor was also following her dreams. She was in college working towards the life she wanted. The she met “Mr. Back” and things changed. Her life took a different path but I really liked that she kept on with her dreams and did not let society dictate what path her life should be.



Sadeqa Johnson wrote a book that I could not put down. I am a fan for life and will read everything she writes. The research and the emotions come through in her writing. She writes real books, with real characters living real lives.

4 stars. Emotional. Moved nicely. I enjoyed both Eleanor and Ruby's stories. I thought it took a minute to get to the intersect but then it became clear it was intentional and the point. Brava

Sadeqa Johnson knows how to tell a story, but I always find myself wanting more! I don’t know if that’s good or bad. I very much enjoyed this story with relatable characters and storylines. There were moments of joy and pain and it was all handled with class. I think what gets me is that the author gave us a few scenes that sorta peeked in but weren’t explored and I feel that if they had been, for me, this would have made a much better read over all.

I loved this!

There are 2 narrators, Ruby from Philadelphia and Eleanor from Ohio who is studying at Howard University in D.C.
Both narrators with have you rooting unabashedly for them as they move into the next phase of their lives.

Sadeqa Johnson is a phenomenal writer. Her 2021 novel, The Yellow Wife, was the book that inspired me to start my Bookstagram. The House of Eve immediately ushers you in to the world of the story.

Another amazing and eye opening read from Sadeqa Johnson. Two girls, two different lives fighting for the same chances in a world that sees color over intelligence, bravery, and worth. The book is based in Philadelphia where I grew up in the 70’s and 80’s. I grew up with diversity and I’m so grateful that I did. With that said, I never understood and never will understand what it was like for my friends of color. This is such an important read, but also an amazing one with such beautiful writing and powerful character development that I was there feeling those emotions every step of the way. Ms Johnson is an incredible writer. Don’t miss out on this as you will be missing something great. Thank you to Netgalley for a chance to read this.

The award-winning author Sadeqa Johnson returns following Yellow Wife with a meticulously researched, heartfelt, tragic, and moving tale —HOUSE OF EVE —two courageous black women in the 1950s whose lives connect in unexpected ways, inspired by a true story.

Set in the 1950s, we meet two intelligent young black women, Ruby and Eleanor, from different worlds. Told from Ruby and Eleanor's POVs.

Meet 15-year-old Ruby in Philadephia. She is smart and on track to be the first in her family to attend college. She hopes to win a scholarship to attend university and become an ophthalmologist. Her mother is not supportive and she moves in with her Aunt Marie. There she meets a young white Jewish boy, Shimmy. She becomes pregnant. His family (the mother) is unhappy and makes arrangements for her to go to a home for unwed girls to get her scholarship.

Meet Eleanor, from a small town in Ohio, who arrives in Washington, DC, with ambition and secrets. She wants to major in history and become a library archivist. At Howard University, she meets and falls in love with a wealthy medical student, William. With an unexpected pregnancy, she hopes that she will fit in. However, they do not let just anyone into their family.

Both these women have dreams and are disappointed by what life throws their way. Both face life-altering decisions of motherhood, class, ambition, shame, prejudice, and forbidden love.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!

Your heart will go out to these young women, especially Ruby, in the horrible home that treated all the girls badly and offered them little choice about their lives, babies, and bodies. Unlike the brochures advertised.

Eleanor was desperate to have a baby and loved her tenacity at the end, which was quite humorous. I loved how the two stories connected.

Sadeqa Johnson is a master storyteller, and I believe I loved this one even more than her last book. She grabs you from the first page and holds you until the satisfying conclusion. Her characters come alive on the page. They will linger long after the book ends.

Fully immersive, I enjoyed reading the AUTHOR'S NOTE, her personal story (the inspiration for the book), and how her grandmother became pregnant with her mother when she was only 14 years old. The reimaging and what if there were homes for unwed mothers for Black girls like her grandmother.

HOUSE OF EVE is a timely, redemptive, powerful, beautifully written yet haunting novel of resilience and sacrifices women make for themselves and their families.

I highly recommend—Top Books of 2023. For fans of the author Diane Chamberlain.

Thank you to #SimonandSchuster and #NetGalley for a gifted e-ARC. I also purchased the hardcover copy.

Blog Review posted @
www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustRead Books
My Rating: 5 Stars ++
Pub Date: Feb 7, 2023
Feb 2023 Must-Read Books
Top Books of 2023

This novel was beautifully written and very engaging. A dramatic depiction of race/class/women's issues set during the 1950s. A page turning story that packs a punch. Definitely a memorable and thought provoking read.

Wow! After reading Yellow Wife, I could not wait to get my hands on this authors next book. I won a copy off Goodreads, but have not received it yet, so Audible to the rescue. The author lets us know right away she used the terms from the 50’s because she wanted it to be authentic. I cannot imagine having to write the words of prejudices that still remain in society.

Philadelphia in the 50’s where fifteen-year-old Rudy is wanting to go to college. Her single mother is not the best role model, which can be a challenge. They live in poverty. Ruby is intelligent and her future is bright. Ruby’s dream is to be an ophthalmologist. Then Ruby falls for a boy which can jeopardizes her future, a white Jewish boy.

D.C. in the 50’s Eleanor has a vastly different life than Ruby. Her parents are working class and have saved their entire lives so their daughter can go to Howard University. She meets William Pride, a medical student. His mother is a snob and is not accepting of Eleanor. Will a pregnancy change her tune?

Both ladies have a path that will have you reading non-stop to find out what comes next. I was absolutely captivated and invested in both their stories.

1948 America. Ruby is a young Black woman struggling to beat the odds and get to college. Eleanor has beaten the odds and is attending Howard University but struggling to maintain her grades and pay for her education. Neither of them expected to have a man show up that might threaten their plans. But this isn't really a romance. This is more about choices, or lack of choices for people who are both female and Black in our society, and how each of them faced their challenges. I spent a lot of time wondering when and how the two women's paths would cross. I also spent a lot of time knowing that there was heartbreak ahead for at least one of them. Society doesn't make life easy for many, and some more than others. But even though this is fiction, I think it is important for us to stand witness to stories like this and know that just because this is fiction, it really does continue to happen. In her acknowledgements the author included information about how she came to tell this story and the historical roots of the characters and situations included. Despite the heavy themes included, this was an incredibly delightful and enjoyable read! I cherished the characters and treasured every moment spent reading this book!

I was NOT a fan of the yellow Wife. But something about the description of this one prompted me to give a Sadeqa Johnson book another chance.

I'm glad I did.

Using alternating chapters, we learn the stories of Ruby and Eleanor. Ruby is a high school sophomore in Philadelphia who has been accepted into a college prep program that could lead to a desperately needed scholarship so she can become an ophthalmologist. Eleanor is a sophomore at Howard University in Washington DC, working in the university research library where she catches the eye of pre-med student from a powerful Black family.

Growing up in DC, the book had already hooked me with descriptions of my city and my alma mater ( HU!).

But it was the stories of Evelyn AND Ruby that kept me reading.

Both fall in love with men outside their race/class/ethnicity - Ruby with a young Jewish boy Shimmy, and Eleanor with wealthy and light-skinned William(a part of society that Eleanor knows will never welcome her willingly)

This book is a great look at class, motherhood, privilege, and colorism in the black community.
I definitely recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

The House of Eve
✨Out 2/7 ✨

Listen. I will always sign up to have Sadeqa Johnson break my heart through her beautiful writing. It always proves worth it.

The House of Eve is a tribute to womanhood. Black womanhood and motherhood in particular. The expectations put on women, and the way they must pick up the pieces when things fall apart around them.

Taking place in the 1950’s between Philly and DC, Eleanor and Ruby are two young women on separate, but connected paths. Both of these characters will stay with me long after I finished this read. I hope you love them, and this book as much as I did!

TW: Loss of pregnancy

Thanks #NetGalley for the advanced reader copy!

Rating: 4.5/5⭐️
Pub day: Tomorrow!

It’s 1948 and we’re introduced to Ruby in Philadelphia and Eleanor in DC. We follow these two young black women as their lives change due to similar scholastic motivations and their choices when it comes to matters of the heart.

Johnson has such a knack for writing powerful stories while making you feel like you’re walking alongside the characters as their lives unfold. This is an incredible story that will stick with me for a very long time.

Historical Fiction lovers should definitely add this to the list. And if you haven’t read Yellow Wife, read that one first so you get the incredible connection between the two stories!

This is such a beautiful heart wrenching story. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of reading Eleanor and Ruby’s stories. This book makes you feel like you are apart of both woman’s lives and shows such a different story of how really life’s circumstances can truly change how one deals with life. Both women go through their own struggles. They both are trying to find out where they fit in the world they are living in. Ruby wants to ignore her feelings because she knows they can come to nothing, yet when she allows love to override what she knows is right her life’s path is forever changed. Her time in the House of Eve truly broke my heart. Yet I am so glad that her story ends the way it does. Eleanor is just raw and honest with knowing that she doesn’t fit into the world her husband comes from. That she fights to try and find a space within it, yet still struggles with her demons is just so real. It is important that we hear both Ruby and Eleanor’s stories. This is a book I will highly be recommending, but honestly, I think it is just going to take off on its own.
Thank you so very much to Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

4.5 starts for the House of Eve! I never had a chance to read Sadeqa Johnson's well-loved novel Yellow Wife, but after reading the House of Eve, I definitely need to go back and read it this year! The House of Eve is such a compelling yet heartbreaking story of two black women navigating their futures in vastly different ways in 1950s America.

In alternating chapters, we learn the stories of Ruby and Eleanor. Ruby is a high school sophomore in Philadelphia who has been accepted into a college prep program with high hopes for a college education so she can become an ophthalmologist. Eleanor is a sophomore at Howard University in Washington DC, working in the university research library where she catches the eye of pre-med student from a powerful Black family.

Both women come from humble beginnings, especially Ruby who is living with her aunt after being kicked out of the house by her mother. Eleanor is from a working-class family in northeast Ohio. But both fall in love with men outside their race/class/ethnicity - Ruby with a young Jewish boy Shimmy, and Eleanor with the light skinned Black man, William.

Both women are strong and resilient as they face down the racism and classism they encounter. Their stories are equal parts heartbreaking and hopeful, and I loved both of them for it. Johnson writes about their stories from personal experience and extensive research. Be sure to read her author's notes - always one of my favorite parts of historical fiction - which help illuminate the story even further.

The House Of Eve takes place in the 1950s and alternates between the narrative of Ruby and Eleanor who are both young, intellectual, black women working for a brighter future for themselves. As the book goes on their stories begin to intersect.
Sadeqa Johnson did it again - this book dealt with tough topics. Parts were heartbreaking and other parts were heartwarming. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it's characters. Thank you net galley for the ARC.