THE HOUSE OF EVE: The Lives of Ruby and Eleanor

TW: Infertility

"The House of Eve" introduces us to two central characters, Ruby Pearsall and Eleanor Quarles.

Ruby is determined to be the first in her family to attend college and hopes of becoming an optometrist, even though her mom has other plans. However, Ruby’s life takes a turn when she falls in love with a white Jewish boy, leading to an unplanned pregnancy. Set in a society where their union is not accepted, Ruby's dreams of higher education start slipping away, and she must grapple with the consequences on her own.

On the other hand, Eleanor enrolls at Howard University, where she crosses paths with William Pride, a young man from one of Washington, DC's most affluent Black families. Coming from a more modest background, Eleanor faces difficulties in gaining acceptance within William's privileged community. She believes that having a baby is her pathway to acceptance, but soon discovers that the journey is far more complex than she initially imagined.

This was not my favorite read. I found it to be incredibly slow-paced, and while it does bring to light some important social issues surrounding race and class around this time, I think other books have done so better.