Women everywhere need to read this book. It will open you eyes, teach you, challenge you, and grow you as a person. Holmes did an amazing job.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love learning about history, especially stories of people (particularly women) that often get overshadowed due to racism, sexism, etc. So this one was an awesome one to pick up.

Thank you for allowing me to read this book. I enjoyed it very much as well as my teenage daughters. I will definitely be adding this to my library. I have always had a thirst for history, especially African-American history. My history!! This book absolutely did not fail to teach me more about my culture.

Carved in Ebony (Young Reader’s Edition) is an excellent resource for middle grade readers who are curious to expand their historical knowledge. Jasmine Holmes weaves the biographies of 10 black women together drawing on themes of activism, faith, and bravery in the face of adversity. Holmes adapted her book Carved in Ebony wonderfully to a younger age group while still maintaining her elegant writing style and engaging biographies of lesser known Black women in Christian history. While this book is faith based, many of the women detailed in this book were also influential in abolitionist and suffragette movements.

There are many things that would make this book excellent for home education. For the purposes of the review I would like to highlight three. Firstly, is Holmes use of primary sources. As a historian myself, I see immense value in introducing primary sources to young readers to prepare them for research projects in future schooling. Holmes also prioritizes the voices of the women she writes about through using text from their speeches and writings.
Second, vocabulary words are bolded throughout the text. This allows for Holmes to use language slightly elevated from the middle grade reader’s vocabulary while still keeping the text accessible overall.
Lastly, each chapter ends with both discussion questions and questions for further research. The questions are deep and insightful and encourage critical thinking. They also allow for young scholars to have a jumping off point to do more research on topics that interest them.

Overall, this book is an excellent resource for young readers and I love that it can be paired with the original Carved in Ebony book for the parent to read alongside the child. (Though the young reader’s edition was a fun an engaging read for me too!)

Very informative book! I actually really enjoyed the "extras" after each historical background. I enjoyed the short and quickness, but also felt the desire to learn more - which I can imagine would be accomplished by reading the original rather than the Young Reader's Edition.

Thank you to Netgalley for an Ebook ARC of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Carved in Ebony
Lessons from the Black Women Who Shape Us
by Jasmine L. Holmes
Pub Date 02 Aug 2022
Bethany House, Bethany House Publishers
Christian | Teens & YA



I am reviewing a copy of Carved In Ebony, Lessons from the Black Women Who Shape Us through Bethany House Publishers and Netgalley:


Elizabeth Freeman, Nannie Helen Burroughs, or Charlotte Forten Grim, do these names sound familiar? Have you heard of Sarah Mapps Douglass, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, or Maria Fearing? What about Sara Griffith Stanley, Amanda Berry Smith, Lucy Craft Laney, and Maria Stewart?


Some of these names may be familiar to you, most may not, but these women lived faithful and influential lives in a world that was filled with injustice. They worked to change laws, built schools, spoke to thousands, and shared the Gospel all around the world. And while history books may have forgotten them, their stories can teach us so much about how we can live today.



I give Carved in Ebony five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

Carved in Ebony (CIE) is a collection of 10 short biographies of black Christian women that were instrumental in American History between the 18th and 20th centuries, primarily centered around the time of the Civil War. CIE is about American history, it’s about amazing black American women, and it’s about how God uses women made in his image for his glory. In this book, Jasmine covers the lives of:

• Elizabeth Freeman, WEB DuBois’ great great grandmother and the first black American woman to sue for her freedom and win, from Massachusetts in 1781. Also called Mumbett, Freeman was an enslaved woman during the American Revolutionary War and born around 1744. In telling Elizabeth’s story, Jasmine explores the theological implications of the institution of slavery, how the Bible and gospel were misrepresented to enslaved people in order to further perpetuate that institution, and the significance of Elizabeth’s actions while the country was being founded.

• Sara G. Stanley, a highly educated woman that was one of the first black women in our country to get a college degree. Sara was the daughter of teachers and the founder of the Stanley School in New Bern, North Carolina, a school dedicated to the education of black children. Sara was an ardent abolitionist and gave an address to the Ladies Antislavery Society of Delaware, Ohio in 1856. You can actually listen to this on Audible, too. I did last year and found it very powerful.

• Nannie Helen Burroughs, a bold, outspoken, single woman who fought against tribalism and the use of black people as tokens to support one’s own ideology. Nannie was a fierce contender that all were created in the image of God, regardless of gender and ethnicity. Though she had harsh criticisms of both black and white Americans, she did so as a push for everyone to strive to do better.

• Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, the first black woman to publish a short story, and often called The Bronze Muse from Baltimore. In addition to her work as an author, Frances often gave captivating public speeches for the cause of abolition. Frances’ work was absolutely fascinating and you can find many of her poems and stories for free or very cheap online.

• Amanda Berry Smith, the book’s namesake and a strong evangelist that did ministry in England, India, and Africa. Her story was such a great picture of God’s faithfulness to use her for the advancement of his kingdom, while caring for her in the day to day monotony in a very comforting way.

• Maria Fearing, a missionary to the Congo who protected children from slavery and served as part of the first integrated Presbyterian mission in the Congo. She was single, childless, and served God well into her 90s. She was born into slavery in 1938 and was freed when she was 27. Maria was ambitious and learned how to read as an adult, eventually even being able to own her own home. At the age of 56, she decided to become a missionary, but was rejected because of her age, so she decided to go on her own. Jasmine notes that “Maria teaches us that nothing should stand in the way of God’s calling in our lives.”

• Maria Stewart, the first American woman to give speeches to both men and women. Maria was born in 1803 and educated by a clergyman growing up. In 1812, she married James Stewart, a veteran of the War of 1812. When he died in 1829, Maria was swindled out of her inheritance. She later went on to write for William Loyd Garrison’s abolitionist paper, The Liberator and started public speaking in 1831.

• Lucy Craft Laney, founder of Haines Normal and Industrial Institute in Atlanta. Lucy was born to David and Louisa Laney in April 1854. Once her parents were freed, her father became a minister and her mother continued to work (with pay) for the master’s family. Lucy was able to attend a school run by the American Missionary Association and that empowered her to be able to educate thousands of black children in Atlanta. One unique part of the school was that it allowed students to be able to get vocational training as well as a liberal arts education, even learning Latin. This was by far my favorite chapter. I loved hearing how determined and courageous Lucy was, while allowing her passion for education to be a conduit for sharing the gospel.

• Charlotte Forten Grimke, teacher, activist, first black woman to graduate from a white school, and founder of the National Association of Colored Women. Charlotte is a great example that you don’t have to wait to get married in order to start your life or serve God, after getting married to presbyterian pastor and NAACP founder Francis Grimke at the age of 41. Her story also serves as a great reminder of God’s faithfulness to families and that he can and often is faithful to allow your children to serve him.

• Sarah Mapps Douglass, a Quaker who often criticized the hypocrisy within the Quakers. Quakers were often known for being outspoken abolitionists; however, this did not mean that they weren’t racist, as many congregations were segregated or didn’t allow black people to participate at all. Unlike all of the other women in CIE, Sarah’s activism was largely focused internally within the church, calling the church to set the standard towards holiness, not merely being better than the world.

While it may seem like the stars of these chapters are the women Jasmine is writing about, the real star is God and how he uses these women (even today), as well as his faithfulness and glory. Jasmine writes about people as people. One of my biggest pet peeves in history writing is when people romanticize their subjects and act as if that person is perfect. This is an error that Jasmine avoids, knowing that acknowledging everyone’s flaws doesn’t dampen God’s glory, but rather, it exemplifies God’s glory. She is direct and honest, painting a full picture of everyone.

I read the adult version of this book earlier this year and the young readers edition is actually a completely different book. It’s shorter, so the chapters are shorter. Most of the personal anecdotes have been taken out and replaced with a bit more historical context, along with some vocabulary words and questions to help guide the reading. The language is also geared more towards a younger audience. This would make a great resource for homeschooling families in particular.

If you’ve read Mother to Son, this book feels like the natural next step to that book. Every page illustrates Jasmine’s love for history and ultimately her love for Jesus. Jasmine weaves research and storytelling seamlessly through this book in a way that shows her passion and excitement on every page. As I was reading it, I found myself thinking “just one more chapter, one more chapter.” In fact, I would even say that I like CIE much more than Mother to Son (which I loved). So much of this book resonated with me and encouraged me, so I can wholeheartedly and happily give Carved in Ebony 5 out of 5 stars.

This felt like a history textbook while it is relevant and important I did not enjoy the reading experience. This is just my opinion I'm not really a history fan

Carved in Ebony was a pleasant surprise. The author gives biographies of Black Christian women mostly during the Civil War era and I genuinely learned a lot.

I am so glad I found this book because it is full of so many inspirational, strong and important women in history and we all need to know their names. I had heard of some of these women but I can honestly say that I felt so uneducated when reading about all of these great women. A must read for everyone who needs to touch up on women who we didn’t learn about in school and history in general.

I loved this! I wasn't really sure of my expectations going in, but I will say that it exceeded them. Not only did I learn so much, it felt encouraging reading about Black women of faith. I mean, I can honestly say that I hadn't heard of any of these women. I am so grateful to have been introduced to them. As a Black woman of faith, this book felt like a warm hug but also as a call to action to be bold women of faith. I will definitely be adding a physical copy of this book as well as the adult version to my library. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book!

History and literature are so important. Jasmine does a great job informing the reader of the history of these women.

Jasmine Holmes does such a great job presenting this collection of biographies by relating facts and also using elements of story. She brings readers along a journey of discovery, helping them to reflect on what they're reading along the way. She encourages them to really consider how these influential women's characters, work, and faith in God can inspire us today. Holmea also gently invites her readers to explore particular topics more deeply. She has a way of asking simple questions that pique the curiosity. I love the chronological presentation of the women, helping younger readers to form a timeline of who they were in the context of history. It's so well done!

Review is for the Young Reader's Edition

A nice introduction to the 10 different Black women in history who shaped how we are today. Many of these women were activists, teachers, missionaries, and mothers who advocated for education and civil rights. After hearing about some of these women, I want to visit some of the historical sights that they were involved in. A great look into civil rights for the young reader that is written on their level, but includes quotes from the women as well. Also has bolded words that can be used as vocabulary words.

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I loved how much insight this book had. Made me recognize the importance of African Struggles even more. Am so thankful i have read this book.

"Carved in Ebony: Young Readers Edition" is the YA version of the popular best-selling book of the same name. In this book, Jasmine Holmes dedicates each chapter to a historical figure who many (including myself) have never heard of. Black women such as Elizabeth Freeman, Amanda Berry Smith, Mamie Till, and others are given their rightful credit. I enjoyed how each chapter focused on a single woman, and was then ended with discussion questions to use in a group study.

This is an excellent resource to use with a younger group. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.