Reese Witherspoon has picked Sadeqa Johnson’s The House of Eve as the latest selection for her popular book club.
Johnson’s novel, published Tuesday by Simon & Schuster, tells the story of a teenage girl and a young woman in mid-20th century America whose lives collide after both become pregnant. A critic for Kirkus called the book “an empathetic and sobering look at the price women of the 1950s sometimes paid for desire.”
In an interview with Kirkus, Johnson said that “these stories are in my DNA.”
“With House of Eve, I wanted to write about the impossible decisions that women have had to make all throughout history and how they survived,” she said. “I hope this story will give you a perspective on another side of motherhood.”
Witherspoon announced her selection in a video on Instagram, saying, “We have picked an amazing book that I think you’re going to love.…I was completely surprised by the ending, and it is just beautifully told and written by Sadeqa Johnson.”
Johnson reacted to her novel’s selection, also on Instagram, writing, “I’m shaking with gratitude! When God shows up in my life, he completely shows off! This is one of the most amazing moments in my career as a writer.”
Michael Schaub, a journalist and regular contributor to NPR, lives near Austin, Texas.
