Beginning (twice) ~ in 1948

Ruby's beginning in 1948 (Chapter 1)

My grandma Nene always said that early was on time, on time was late, and late was unacceptable.  Fatty was unacceptably late again.  Knowing full well that I had some place important to be.

Eleanor's beginning in 1948 (Chapter 2)

Eleanor bustled across Howard University's campus, clutching the letter in her right hand.  The return stamp was crested with the Alpha Beta Chi emblem, so she knew it was what she'd been waiting for: a response to her interest letter to join the sorority.

The House of Eve ~ by Sadeqa Johnson, 2023, historical fiction, 384 pages

This was Reese Witherspoon's book club pick for February 2023:  "These two women’s lives intersect in the most wonderful and unlikely of ways.  I was completely surprised by the ending of this beautifully told and written book."  The Washington Post called it a "triumph of historical fiction."  It was a New York Times bestseller.

The book is set in Philadelphia and DC in the 1950s (when I was a teenager).  It explores what it means to be a woman and a mother, and how much one is willing to sacrifice to achieve her greatest goal.

In Philadelphia, 15-year-old Ruby Pearsall is on track to become 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.

Gilion at Rose City Reader hosts Book Beginnings on Fridays.