First published 2023
Ruby Pearsall has her sights set on college, determined to break her family's cycle of poverty in 1950s Philadelphia. Her mother cares more about chasing men than supporting her daughter's ambitions. When Ruby falls into a forbidden romance, everything she has worked for hangs in the balance. Meanwhile, Eleanor Quarles arrives in Washington, DC with her own secrets and dreams. At Howard University, she meets William Pride and they fall deeply in love. William comes from one of the city's most prominent wealthy Black families, and his parents guard their social circle carefully. Eleanor believes having a baby will secure her place in William's world and give her the belonging she craves. But pregnancy proves more complicated than acceptance. Ruby and Eleanor's lives intersect in ways neither expects. Both women face choices that will determine their futures, forced to weigh their deepest desires against the harsh realities of their circumstances.
Genres: romance, literary-fiction, historical-fiction, contemporary, family-drama, african-american-historical-fiction
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: forbidden-romance, found-family, social-mobility
Setting: Howard University, Philadelphia, Washington DC
Period: 1950s
384 pages · Hardcover · Simon & Schuster
Content warnings: racism, sexism