This book was an absolutely remarkable and amazing read that should be required reading everywhere. Everyone needs to read this book and spread the names of these women to who have been forgotten by history.

Author Jasmine Holmes loves history. It’s easy to tell.

Her writing exudes an enthusiasm to share the discoveries she’s made of the stories of godly Black women and the legacy they left behind. Her research was challenging, as the search for information about these women was limited.

In her upcoming release, Carved in Ebony: Lessons from the Black Women Who Shaped Us, she shares the stories of ten women. Women whose histories were tentatively buried by the passage of time, whose resolve, talents and faith intersected to influence change in the world around them: Women such as Elizabeth Freeman, Amanda Berry Smith, Maria Stewart, and Nannie Hellen Burroughs.

These women stepped courageously into their world - some born as slaves, others in privilege - surrounded by judgement, persecution and hardships, using the gifts given to them for the good of others and ultimately, to the glory of God. They shaped their students, their readers and their communities by teaching relentlessly, advocating for what they knew was right, and traversing oceans to carry out the gospel.

Jasmine writes about how these women “mean so much to me as a young Black woman not because of the supremacy of blackness or Americanness, but because of the faithfulness of God.”

This is a lesson for us all.

As we learn the stories of the saints who’ve gone before us, particularly those who’ve endured suffering and racial injustice, we’re vividly reminded of God’s constant presence and how he worked in their lives for his purposes, whether it was effecting national policy, or a local school. Whatever our sphere of influence, God would have our eyes fixed on him and our hands and feet ready to carry his good news.

What I really appreciate about Jasmine’s writing, is her conversational style and vulnerability. She reflects on the lives of these women, how she’s similar or dissimilar, how their passion inspires her own life and how God’s faithfulness to them motivates her vision.

The biographies of these woman are an encouragement and a challenge for us, to continue persevering in the midst of trials, to engage boldly with the truths of scripture and communicate those to the world around us, in however the Lord has blessed and gifted us.

If you’re looking for a set of short biographies I’d highly recommend this book!

Quick Stats
# of pages: 192
Level of Difficulty: Easy
My Rating: 4 stars

Jasmine L. Holmes intertwines the personal and the historical in this exploration of overlooked Black women throughout history, and how their lives and their faith impacted society.

I particularly enjoyed Holmes’ critique of millennial activism: “As easy as it is to rattle off a tweet about my opinion… am I putting my money where my mouth is? If I critique something, am I working to fix it?” One of the strengths of this book is how Holmes uses her own experiences to illustrate the impact of the women she writes about, not only to her but to society as a whole. Her writing style is accessible and enjoyable, whilst still being very well researched and informative.

As a reader who is not a Christian, but agnostic, I found the inclusion of Bible passages useful as I was relatively unfamiliar with them. It was nice to see them used in a nuanced way, shedding a positive light and motivation behind so many of the women Holmes immortalised in these pages, but it would be interesting if there was an inclusion of other arguments or faiths considering more than one perspective. Having said that, Holmes is unapologetic about her faith and it is interesting to read. Throughout the main chapters, the inclusion of faith is meaningful and relevant. However, I did struggle to get through the introduction because it was so heavily based in faith, but I respect that Holmes knows her perspective and is committed to it. Sometimes her words and points are repetitive, which to some readers may be more impactful, but for me kind of led to an “okay I get it” fatigue. However, as with Holmes’ critique on Nannie Helen Burroughs: just because I did not agree with everything written here, it does not negate the intention and the good that this work does.

Overall, I found it enlightening to learn the lives of these women that white history has forgotten. I enjoyed this book, it was a fast and informative read, and definitely gave me lots of consider in my own life.

With thanks to Jasmine L. Holmes, Bethany House Publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early in exchange for an honest review.

"What if, instead of putting Uncle Sam in a cape and putting Lady Liberty on a pedestal, we told the story of America as the story of God's faithfulness—and not our own? What if we took a note from the people of Israel, and every time we stood on the precipice of a defining cultural moment, we remind ourselves of God's providential hand protecting us *in spite of* our waywardness? Our selfishness? Our avarice?
What if we put God's glory at the center of our concern for the telling of our story, and left America's glory to fend for herself?"

There is just one of the beautiful reasons we need this book. Holmes has chosen ten fierce, believing Black women to profile in this wonderful collection. She sets each one in context, reminds us of the challenges they faced, and illuminates the encouragement they brought to her own life as she brings their stories to us. It's unlikely you recognize all their names going in; but you'll be glad to know them from here on out.

"I tell you about their plight in our nation not to rub America's nose in her corporate sin, but to proclaim the glory of the God who heard their cries and answered their prayers and used them mightily *in spite of* their country of origin. I tell you about their struggles and their triumphs not to elevate their Blackness, but to elevate God's grace in creating that brown skin in his image. When I tell you the story of dignified Black womanhood, I do so to combat the opposite narrative, yes, but I also do it to point to the inherent dignity and worth of women, whom God created in his image and for his glory. God's image carved in ebony."

These stories are important for all of us; edifying, challenging, and beautiful. I look forward to sharing this book with my own daughter; I highly recommend you pick it up. After all, "[God] put [these women] smack dab in the middle of the story he is telling. By telling their stories, I want to praise the God who wrote them."

This book tells the stories of 10 Black women who made a profound impact in the world around them. Through a variety of vocations, these women lived remarkable lives as they challenged a culture that often overlooked, or even denied, their intrinsic value as Black women. Many of these women may be unknown to most readers, but Holmes takes readers with her as she explores the life of each women and the way that they shaped history.

This is a fairly quick read, but it is a good read. History--church history especially--has generally focused on a white male perspective which has left the diversity in history to quietly fade away. I only recognized one or two of the women featured in this book, so I was grateful to learn more about these women who lived such impactful lives for the glory of God.

Holmes has a conversational tone throughout the book--she pauses in each chapter to explain how she personally connected with each woman's story, and she also added in some tidbits about her research process and how delighted she was to stumble upon new information. I appreciated that she intentionally focused on women who were more unknown even though it must have created some challenges as she researched this book. This book has a lighter feel to it compared to other biographies I've read, but the stories are well researched and I learned a lot.

Overall, I highly recommend this book. I came away so encouraged by each of the stories, and I'm glad that I now know more about these remarkable women.

What a deeply fascinating book about purpose-driven Black women of faith!

I could feel Jasmine’s passion for historical research through every page of her important book. I appreciated how Jasmine was able to highlight the unique stories of courageous Black women throughout history who have influenced society more than we realize. You may not recognize their names at first but you will want to remember their beautiful legacies..

The women I loved reading about most were Frances Ellen Watkins Harper and Amanda Berry Smith but all chapters were worth reading. I would have loved if Jasmine added more of her own stories alongside these featured women, but I understand it wasn’t the focus of this particular book.. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and isn’t the cover stunning?!

the author talks about ten Black Christian women that all of Christendom may learn from and follow in some manner in a deeply moving and profoundly motivating book. Several of these stories drove me to tears, and I immediately discovered amazing kindred souls whose legacies revived my sense of duty inside these pages. Overall, the book offer its readers a hope for the tremendous good could be delighted to do through me if I follow the road diligently and in obedience, as is characteristic of Jasmine's writing style.