Scan barcode
Reviews tagging 'Infertility'
The House of Eve: Totally heartbreaking and unputdownable historical fiction by Sadeqa Johnson
86 reviews
mamaofperfectpayton's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
fast-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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Medical trauma, and Racism
catalie07's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
An excellent read!! I love the author’s writing style. Two stories following two women with completely different upbringings and experiences, face a similar life event that eventually connects them beautifully. Based in the 1950s.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Racism, Classism, and Miscarriage
Moderate: Child abuse and Infertility
Minor: Cursing and Rape
jackie1324's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Infertility, and Racism
Minor: Rape
mrsloudlibrarian's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy and Infertility
awbuford's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Racial slurs, Racism, Infertility, and Religious bigotry
rachelkreadsbookz's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Infertility
Moderate: Racial slurs
torlee's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-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
3.75
I wanted to like this book so much more than I did. I kept waiting for the two main characters’ lives to intersect much earlier on than they do, and in a more impactful way than they do . I had hopes that Eleanor would grow to want to learn more about “The House of Eve” and how she could better help the women who lived there. But alas, that is a modern day wish for a 1950s society when segregation was prevalent and races rarely mixed. Despite what I had hoped the story would become, it was an enjoyable read. I ended up buying a copy because my library hold ended two days earlier than the pace of my reading would allow me to finish by. So that speaks to wanting to keep reading so I could learn more about the characters. Overall, there is good character development and a consistent parallel storyline to follow.
Content Warnings
Minor: Miscarriage, Forced institutionalization, Child death, Pregnancy, Racism, and Infertility
kelly_e's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
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."
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
Graphic: Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Forced institutionalization, Pregnancy, Infertility, Racism, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, and Medical content
Moderate: Grief, Blood, Alcoholism, Classism, and Sexual assault
Minor: Abortion, Rape, and Emotional abuse
colourism, adoption, povertycozy_pnw_bibliophile's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
5.0
I was so excited to read The House of Eve after hearing so much about it. I found myself both wanting to devour it and taking it slow to savor every sentence. I found it to be profoundly moving and emotional. Johnston's storytelling and writing are beautiful. I became so attached to Ruby and Eleanor; they are characters that will stay with me.
The House of Eve tells the story of two Black women in 1950s America, Ruby, and Eleanor. Ruby, whose story we experience from a first-person narrative, is a teenage girl growing up in Philadelphia. Born to a teenage mother, Inez, and raised by her grandmother, Ruby is fighting to earn a coveted scholarship and fulfill her dream of going to college and becoming an optometrist. When Inez kicks Ruby out of her house, Ruby finds a home with her aunt and soon meets her aunt's landlord's son, Shimmy, a white Jewish teenager, who she falls in love with even though she is told not to. In between Ruby's chapters, we learn about Eleanor's story, from a third-person narrative. Eleanor, a student at Howard University, comes from a small town in Ohio and has loving parents who had to work and save for years to help pay for her education. Eleanor has a passion for history and works in the library as an archivist. In the library, Eleanor meets a medical student, Howard Pride, who comes from a wealthy Black family. Despite his mother's dislike of Eleanor, the two fall in love, and get married with dreams of growing their family, a dream that is heartbreakingly torn apart and derailed by infertility.
In general, I am a huge fan of historical fiction, and the voices, stories, and themes in The House of Eve are powerful and needed. I highly recommend putting this on your TBR if it's not already.
The House of Eve tells the story of two Black women in 1950s America, Ruby, and Eleanor. Ruby, whose story we experience from a first-person narrative, is a teenage girl growing up in Philadelphia. Born to a teenage mother, Inez, and raised by her grandmother, Ruby is fighting to earn a coveted scholarship and fulfill her dream of going to college and becoming an optometrist. When Inez kicks Ruby out of her house, Ruby finds a home with her aunt and soon meets her aunt's landlord's son, Shimmy, a white Jewish teenager, who she falls in love with even though she is told not to. In between Ruby's chapters, we learn about Eleanor's story, from a third-person narrative. Eleanor, a student at Howard University, comes from a small town in Ohio and has loving parents who had to work and save for years to help pay for her education. Eleanor has a passion for history and works in the library as an archivist. In the library, Eleanor meets a medical student, Howard Pride, who comes from a wealthy Black family. Despite his mother's dislike of Eleanor, the two fall in love, and get married with dreams of growing their family, a dream that is heartbreakingly torn apart and derailed by infertility.
In general, I am a huge fan of historical fiction, and the voices, stories, and themes in The House of Eve are powerful and needed. I highly recommend putting this on your TBR if it's not already.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infertility, Abortion, and Miscarriage
odifranco23's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Infertility, Sexual content, and Sexual assault