BOOK OF THE MONTH
The House of Eve
From the award-winning author of Yellow Wife, a daring and redemptive novel set in 1950s Philadelphia and Washington, DC, that explores what it means to be a woman and a mother, and how much one is willing to sacrifice to achieve her greatest goal. Eleanor and Ruby don’t know each other, but their journeys in education, love, and motherhood run parallel lines until they collide in the most unexpected way.
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Community Reviews
What a devastatingly beautiful story! The realness of the plot and the way it all comes together at the end⦠heartbreaking!
Quick summary:
The House of Eve follows the journey of two black women as they navigate racism and segregation in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Ruby is a bright high schooler with strong ambitions to be the first person in her family to go to college and break the cycle of poverty in which they seem to be stuck on. Eleanor is an astute young woman attending Howard University thanks to her parents' back-breaking efforts to give her the education they could never get.
The books goes back and forth both women's POV and the incredibly heartbreaking comes to an end as we jump 13 year forward in time to see both women have achieved their dreams. Although technically a happy ending, you cannot help but feel sad about the way their stories played out.
This book definitely makes the Must-Read list!
Quick summary:
The House of Eve follows the journey of two black women as they navigate racism and segregation in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Ruby is a bright high schooler with strong ambitions to be the first person in her family to go to college and break the cycle of poverty in which they seem to be stuck on. Eleanor is an astute young woman attending Howard University thanks to her parents' back-breaking efforts to give her the education they could never get.
The books goes back and forth both women's POV and the incredibly heartbreaking comes to an end as we jump 13 year forward in time to see both women have achieved their dreams. Although technically a happy ending, you cannot help but feel sad about the way their stories played out.
This book definitely makes the Must-Read list!
Enjoyed the narration. The story and characters were underdeveloped and lacked depth. Appreciated the sentiment to highlight the wounds of black womanhood.
I love a book that takes me to a time I never experienced, but makes me feel like I was there. This was very well written and took me on a journey that I didn’t want to end.
I really enjoyed The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson! Despite it covering very heavy subject matter I found it to be a quick read and easily fell into the world Johnson painted.
I do recommend checking the trigger warnings on this book as it does heavily deal with miscarriage, stillbirth, and infertility. The topics are handled in a compassionate yet realistic and heart wrenching manner and I think that is a testament to Johnsonâs writing.
This book gave me so many things I want from historical fiction: I learned something new, was able to see the world through another personâs eyes, and connected with the characters. I especially loved Ruby and her storyline.
The only reason the book is not a five star read for me is because I wanted more resolution for the characters Iâd come to be so attached to. To me, the ending felt rushed and a little too neatly settled for a book that covered such heavy and heartbreaking topics. Both Ruby and Eleanor experience real grief, pain, and loss - and the ending felt a little too neat and tidy.
But, this is a minor critique from me. Overall, I loved the book and would happily recommend it to others.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an Advanced Readerâs Copy of The House of Eve. All opinions are my own.
I do recommend checking the trigger warnings on this book as it does heavily deal with miscarriage, stillbirth, and infertility. The topics are handled in a compassionate yet realistic and heart wrenching manner and I think that is a testament to Johnsonâs writing.
This book gave me so many things I want from historical fiction: I learned something new, was able to see the world through another personâs eyes, and connected with the characters. I especially loved Ruby and her storyline.
The only reason the book is not a five star read for me is because I wanted more resolution for the characters Iâd come to be so attached to. To me, the ending felt rushed and a little too neatly settled for a book that covered such heavy and heartbreaking topics. Both Ruby and Eleanor experience real grief, pain, and loss - and the ending felt a little too neat and tidy.
But, this is a minor critique from me. Overall, I loved the book and would happily recommend it to others.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an Advanced Readerâs Copy of The House of Eve. All opinions are my own.
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