House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson

This is a 2023 pick by Reese Witherspoon, whose monthly book choices reflect books that are written by women about women, and this certainly fits that bill. It has been hailed as historical fiction, which is true, it is set in post WWII America and focuses on the experience of two black women, one poor, the other working class, and what it was like to be young, black, talented, but with limited resources in a time where there was not much in the way of reproductive options, nor was abortion legal. The problem with reading this in 2025 is that it feels very precarious for women right now, and that all the social dilemmas and prejudices are being invited back at the national level. This is not a disaster driven novel--unfortunate things happen, but the two women are both talented and driven to the point where the reader can see that they will prevail--but others are not so fortunate, and this is somehow a mix between historical fiction and a cautionary tale. I very much enjoyed it--and it is a Good Reads Challenge pick as well.