*Carved in Ebony by Jasmine Holmes

Carved in Ebony profiles 10 inspiring Black women, looking at their lives, their callings, and their faith.

*Carved in Ebony: Lessons from the Black Women Who Shape Us by Jasmine Holmes. Bethany House, 2021. 190 pages.

Reading Level: Teens, Ages 12-15

Recommended For: Ages 12 and up.

Most of us are familiar with names like Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, and Sojourner Truth. But what about Nannie Burroughs, Maria Fearing, or Lucy Craft Laney? Jasmine Holmes tells the stories of 10 Black women whose lives have shaped all of us, but particularly those of Black women, in ways we may not have realized. Some of these women were teachers. Some were activists. Some worked in other professional capacities. All were Christians—or God-fearing. And all were passionate about their callings.

This book is hard to classify in terms of genre: is it biography? Biblio-memoir? Inspirational literature? All of the above!

We Christians also have to remind ourselves of the story of God’s faithfulness to our people over and over again. Because, like Israel, we are all too easily inclined to forget.

I write this book not as an intellectual or a member of the academy, but as a storyteller…. And I am enraptured by the story that God weaves through the people he chooses to do his work here on earth.

~Holmes, Introduction

Holmes’s tone throughout is personal, vulnerable, hopeful, and insightful. She is honest about her subjects, particularly when she disagrees with them or doesn’t have enough information to make definitive statements about their faith or their motivations. She is also unapologetic in her praise of their efforts to pursue their God-given callings, even as those pursuits challenge her (and our own) comfort levels. Readers will come away feeling like they had a conversation with Holmes about each of the inspiring Black women she profiles. And, depending on their stage of life, readers will resonate with some of the same takeaways that Holmes herself has: how to advocate for the less fortunate, how to prioritize education, how to pursue a calling despite naysayers. Holmes describes her book thus on her website:

THIS BOOK IS AN UNAPOLOGETIC REJOICING IN THE FACT THAT GOD CHOSE TO MAKE EACH WOMAN PROFILED IN THIS BOOK BOTH BLACK AND FEMALE FOR HIS GLORY. AND IT WAS GOOD.

A fascinating book about fascinating women, this will be a good conversation starter particularly for mothers and daughters (or a women’s group at church). A young readers edition is due out Fall of 2022; I’m looking forward to reading it, too. For those who want to keep learning, Holmes created a digital product about 28 nineteenth century Black women that is available in her shop.

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5

• Worldview/Moral Rating: 5 out of 5
• Literary/Artistic Rating: 4 out of 5

Read more about our ratings here. *indicates starred review.

Related Reading From Redeemed Reader

• A Resource: Women in Church History (a book list; Members: you have access to this list as a “pretty printable” in the Printables Database! Not a member? Find out more here.)
• A Review: Give Me Wings by Kathy Lowinger (about a Fisk University Jubilee Singer)
• A Resource: Nonfiction Books for Black History Month (a book list, mostly of picture books)

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