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Title details for The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson - Wait list

The House of Eve

by Sadeqa Johnson
Ariel Blake
Audiobook
0 of 2 copies available
Wait time: About 6 weeks
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0 of 2 copies available
Wait time: About 6 weeks
"Amazing...I was completely surprised by the ending of this beautifully told and written book." —Reese Witherspoon

"A triumph of historical fiction" (The Washington Post), an instant New York Times bestseller, and a Reese's Book Club pick, 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.
1950s Philadelphia: fifteen-year-old Ruby Pearsall is on track to becoming the first in her family to attend college. 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.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    February 7, 2023

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781797153353
      • File size: 306100 KB
      • Duration: 10:37:42

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      December 5, 2022
      Johnson’s suspenseful and thought-provoking latest (after The Yellow Wife) follows two young Black women as they separately navigate mid-20th century America. In the fall of 1948, Ruby is a high school junior in Philadelphia who attends Saturday enrichment classes in hopes of winning a college scholarship and becoming an ophthalmologist. Eleanor, from a Cleveland suburb, is a sophomore at Howard University who is surprised by the campus’s social hierarchy, which is based on wealth and skin color. The lives of both women change when they find love: Ruby with the sweet, bright son of her Jewish landlord; and Eleanor with a medical student who belongs to an upper-class Black family. Unexpected pregnancies threaten the plans and dreams of both women, and heighten the tensions caused by the gulfs between them and their lovers’ families. Johnson methodically develops the women’s worlds and draws subtle hints at the similarities in their experiences, and after their pregnancies, they’re brought together in a bittersweet denouement. This well-crafted work is bound to provoke discussion among readers about the conflicts women face regarding pregnancy.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Ariel Blake and Nicole Lewis provide an excellent dual narration of this fascinating look at two young Black women who confront racial, class, and gender inequities in the 1950s. Blake captivates as 15-year-old Rosa, who is striving for a college scholarship to escape her poor Philadelphia neighborhood and her mother, who chooses her boyfriends over her. Lewis superbly portrays Eleanor, originally from small-town Ohio, who navigates Howard University's competitive environment, as well as a fraught relationship with her mother-in-law, whose condescending views are unsettling. Both narrators excel at conveying the dialogue of the large supporting cast, with Blake's portrayal of Rosa's Aunt Marie's tough yet tender personality a standout. Listeners will be fully engaged as Rosa and Eleanor face their many challenges. M.J. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      June 10, 2024

      Johnson's (Yellow Wife) latest explores the ramifications of unplanned pregnancy as experienced by two young Black women in the 1950s. Eleanor Quarles, a student at Howard University, must work two jobs to make ends meet. She meets and falls in love with graduate student William, but fitting in with his wealthy family proves challenging, especially when Eleanor becomes pregnant. In Philadelphia, brilliant student Ruby Pearsall, the daughter of an unwed mother, has set herself on a path to becoming a doctor when she falls for Shimmy, the son of her Jewish landlord. Eleanor's and Ruby's lives collide in stunning ways, highlighting tensions of race, class, colorism, and reproductive rights. Narrators Ariel Blake and Nicole Lewis provide masterly performances with full-bodied characterizations of Ruby, Eleanor, and their respective family members. The novel is somewhat predictable, but Blake's and Lewis's performances will keep listeners invested until the end. VERDICT Johnson's depiction of the triumphs and challenges encountered by both women should be a hit with book groups and listeners interested in timely historical fiction. Suggest to fans of Brit Bennett's The Vanishing Half and Dolen Perkins-Valdez's Take My Hand.--Danielle Arpin

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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