Reviews with content warning for Blood - The House of Eve

Title: The House of Eve
Author: Sadeqa Johnson
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 5.00
Pub Date: February 7, 2023

T H R E E • W O R D S

Redemptive • Haunting • Luminous

📖 S Y N O P S I S

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.

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

💭 T H O U G H T S

As a lover of historical fiction, it will come as no surprise that The House of Eve was one of my most anticipated 2023 winter releases, so when it was chosen as an Aardvark selection for February, it was an easy choice. I went in without having read the synopsis, and I was blown away by this novel.

The writing provides everything the reader needs to know without being excessively detailed, making this novel highly readable. I honestly could not put it down! Sadeqa Johnson managed to bring the story to life through her memorable characters, and by hooking my attention from the very first page, straight through to the satisfying end. She explores many themes - womanhood and women's rights, motherhood and ambition, poverty and classism, race and colourism, as well as a snippet of wealthy Black history. And she does all of it with great knowledge and care.

Historical fiction is genre I typically gravitate towards because learning about new aspects of the past while reading is something I absolutely love. And this book certainly opened my eyes (and my mind) to an area of Black history I have very seldom encountered in my reading life. Even though it is a more of fiction, it's very important to read the author's note at the end. Sadeqa details her family history and the authenticity of the content.

I must say The House of Eve was the historical fiction novel I needed to get out of a streak of mediocre reads. Ruby and Eleanor, combined with the exploration of the price women pay for love, completely enraptured me, and I know this story will stay with me for a long time. It was a book that reminded me why I love reading so much - to find stories that need telling, to learn and have my perspectives broadened. I've definitely moved Yellow Wife up my priority list, and am already anticipating whatever Sadeqa publishes next.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of dual timeline/dual perspective
• readers looking for women's right historical fiction
• bookclubs

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"Knowing about racism and being abused by its wrath were two different things."

"And this trip downtown had shown me that we even had to fight for what should have been free: our dignity."

Content Warnings

shawnna_reads2's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

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