The House of Eve

Author: Sadeqa Johnson
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2023
Pages: 384
Rating: Highly Recommend

Synopsis: 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 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 hales 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.

With their stories colliding in the most unexpected of ways, Ruby and Eleanor will both make decisions that shape the trajectory of their lives.

Review: This was a tough read, but so good. The characters felt very real, and their stories believable. Johnson fleshes out many themes in one cohesive novel. The House of Eve will stay with me for a long time.