A review by bakingbookworm
The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson

emotional hopeful 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

4.0

After the success of her book Yellow Wife, Sadeqa Johnson is back with another riveting and emotional read. Inspired by the author's own family experiences, she weaves an interesting story that incorporates the lives of two Black women in 1950's Philadelphia and Washington, DC. 

Ruby and Eleanor come from different backgrounds and social classes, yet both have similar struggles. They are each in relationships that society doesn't approve of, and they struggle with the lack of agency they hold over their own bodies - a power that remains at the mercy of government, society and religion. Through these two characters, Johnson includes important themes and issues of race, class, education, reproductive rights, prejudice, and the role of the Catholic Church's homes for unwed mothers. 

It took me a bit to get invested in the characters, but once their stories firmed up, I was pulled into the lives, struggles, loss and hope of these two women. There is some predictability to the plot, but I liked how Johnson incorporated many important topics. My only issues with the book were that Ruby and Eleanor's lives don't connect until very late in the story and that the long-held rift between Eleanor and another character was rectified too quickly and easily to be wholly satisfying. I encourage readers to be on the lookout for the brief but wonderful connection between characters from Yellow Wife within this story.

We have come a long way with respect to women's reproductive rights - but I fear we have a long way to go since some topics in this book remain issues that today's women continue to face. This is a well-researched and compassionately told story that successfully balances history and emotion within its pages. The issues it raises makes it great fodder for book club discussion and the perfect pick for fans of Heather Marshall's Looking For Jane. 

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada for my advanced copy of this book which was provided in exchange for my honest review. 
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