Reviews

Quick Summary: I'll begin by saying that this title was a Women's Book Club read that was highly recommended to me. It had not even been on my radar, prior to now. I'm so glad that it crossed my path, however. I have nothing but good things to say about this compilation of stories about Black women who "did the thing" for the glory of God. The book shares the life stories of ten notable women who faithfully stood up and fought for justice, freedom, and education during a time in history when the odds were stacked against them. Carved in Ebony presented real life accounts of women who boldly dared to face those in power and speak of truth and accountability.

What surprised me the most, upon reading this book, is the fact that I knew nothing about any of these women. I had never even heard of a single one. They did remarkable things and were both successful and accomplished, yet not one of my history classes (from elementary school to college) exposed me to their stories. This book spurred me on to dig deeper into history and into the life accounts of not only these women but also the countless others like them who fought for the more. I am now in research mode, and I am thrilled.

Rating: 4/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: YA/A
Keeper: Yes
Reread: Yes

merryberries's review against another edition

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5.0

The word that I think of most when I think about my reading of this book is "refreshed." Holmes shares the histories of ten Black women who played significant roles in the formation of our faith. While Holmes could have written multiple books on the topic, her choice of these ten women was a stark reminder to me of how many Black women of their time played similar roles - advocates, educators, nurturers, abolitionists, writers, and more - and were not recorded in history.

While it can be tempting when writing about heroes of the past to lionize them and gloss over their failures, I was refreshed to find that Holmes actively reminds the reader that none of these women were perfect. Each had her flaws, and each was mightily used by God for His glory. I also really enjoyed that her own story was intertwined with these legacies, showing how their work is still impacting our faith journeys today. In the introduction, Holmes shares her goals for the book:

My goal in these pages is not to give you a comprehensive look at the ten lives included here, but rather to (1) give you a taste of the dynamic lives of these women and to (2) show you which parts of their stories have inspired me in my own journey toward understanding what it means to be part of the story God is telling so that (3) you are inspired to delve deeper into each of their lives to see God’s handiwork and proclaim his goodness.

Holmes certainly meets and exceeds these goals. I finished this book wanting to know more. Other than a few minor typos and formatting things (which was probably just a result of this being an unformatted advanced copy), the book was well written and compelling. Definitely recommend!

An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

millerwortham's review against another edition

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4.0

Black Christian women’s history? Written by a homeschooled, PCA classical educator? Yes please! These ten stories of exemplary black Christian women in American history are engaging, insightful, and encouraging. Jasmine Holmes neither shies away from the brutal realities of slavery and racism nor downplays the courage, initiative, and accomplishments of these women in the face of adversity. She handles both their incredible talent and character and their flaws with honesty and accuracy. I loved her autobiographical interactions/reflections on black Christian American womanhood within each woman’s story. She also includes excellent primary source quotes and brief historiographical insights into her process. Highly recommend, especially if, like me, you’re looking to start learning more about black history but know very little.

sarah_reading_party's review against another edition

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4.0

What an interesting, well written, and well researched book! Jasmine Holmes' Carved in Ebony is a treat - an excellent way to learn about women, passionate about their faith and culture, who made a difference in the world. These women are all African American women, most of whom lived around the time of the Civil War. They are all lesser known, but the author's in-depth research brings them alive and inspires readers to learn more. I appreciated the author's perspective as she explores her life and heritage through the actions of these remarkable women.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

ferniecosgrove's review against another edition

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3.0

I enjoyed learning about these 10 incredible women and their faithfulness to the Lords calling in their lives and how different it looked for each of them! I am left with a desire to learn more about historical black women and the faithfulness of God. I struggled with the format of each of their stories, but was otherwise captivated by their lives.

haleycarolyne's review against another edition

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challenging hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

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