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Maria Mitchell: The Soul of an Astronomer
In the mid-1800s, a turbulent time when women were often thought to be unworthy of higher education, Maria Mitchell rose above the prejudices of the day to become America's first professional woman astronomer. This exciting biography tells the story of Maria Mitchell's life, her amazing achievements, and her faith that saw God's handiwork in the heavens. "Gormley successfully paints a picture of a world that failed to mold Mitchell to its standards, focusing on the telling details that bring the story to life. Inspiring and incisive." -- Kirkus Reviews
137 pages, Paperback
First published July 31, 1995
4 people are currently reading
104 people want to read
About the author
Beatrice Gormley
48 books29 followers Born in Glendale, California, Beatrice grew up in Southern California. After graduating from Pomona College, she worked in publishing near San Francisco. There she met and married Robert Gormley, and they moved to Massachusetts. They have two daughters.
Since age 9 Beatrice had wanted to become a writer. But it wasn't until after her children were born that she really focused on her writing. In 1981 her first book, Mail Order Wings,was published. Since then she's written many popular novels and biographies for young people. Her most recent books are Second Lives, a novel of humans and other animals, and the biography Joe Biden: Our 46th President.
Since age 9 Beatrice had wanted to become a writer. But it wasn't until after her children were born that she really focused on her writing. In 1981 her first book, Mail Order Wings,was published. Since then she's written many popular novels and biographies for young people. Her most recent books are Second Lives, a novel of humans and other animals, and the biography Joe Biden: Our 46th President.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 24, 2012
Not quite done with this, but it's a spectacular book about a woman and her scholarship and contributions in the field of Astronomy. In fact, she was the first woman astronomer (like Rachel Carson was the first woman Marine Biologist). This book is very well written and engaging and also includes interesting historical information about Nantucket and Quakers. Highly recommend, especially to girls who want to pursue science as a career.
May 26, 2020
I love science. It is a field dedicated to discovering new things and ideas as well as gaining a greater understanding the older ones. Science serves to unlock the secrets of the universe by increasing what humans can see and understand. Science has, literally, lead us out of the dark ages.
There are, however, two things about science that pain me. The first is that scientific discoveries have always led to newer and more efficient ways to wage war. The second is that, neglecting its own doctrine of moving forward and discarding erroneous past ideas, science has held women out of scientific education, institutions, and research more than nearly every other discipline.
Maria (pronounced Ma-RYE-ah) Mitchell was the first professional female astronomer in the United States. In 1847, as an amateur astronomer on Nantucket Island, she discovered a comet named 1847 VI, later known as “Miss Mitchell’s Comet”. Her discovery won her international recognition including a gold medal prize awarded by King Christian VIII of Denmark in 1848.
Rather than being the crowning moment of her life, Mitchell used her fame to launch a career that included serving as a librarian, lecturer, astronomer, woman’s rights leader, and college professor. Her intelligence, strength of character, and quest for knowledge forced many leaders of the patriarchal astronomy field to recognize her work and permit the firmly closed doors of scientific societies to be moved slightly ajar.
I think that Mitchell took greatest pride being the first head of the Vassar college’s astronomy department. As a leading figure at America’s first women’s college she pushed back against the prevailing notion that women’s minds couldn’t handle serious study. Indeed, she helped hundreds of young women to fill their heads with knowledge and new ideas. As Beatrice Gormley writes, “Those who claimed that a woman’s brain would collapse under the strain of studying mathematics and science has been refuted by the very existence of Maria Mitchell.”
Mitchell’s life, which spanned from 1818 - 1989, was full of many trials which she met head on with a quiet determinism. She was raised in a deeply religious Quaker community and, rather than feeling there was a conflict between science and religion, she saw her scientific discoveries of the universe as illustrating the wonder of god’s works.
Mitchell’s ideas and efforts went far beyond observing the universe through a telescope. She stated, “I believe in women even more that I do in astronomy.” In 1872 she helped for form the Association for the Advancement of Women and she brought a “who’s who” of feminist leaders to Vassar for “her girls” to hear. Mitchell aimed to push open far more doors than just those of her own field of study.
In Maria Mitchell; The Soul of An Astronomer, Beatrice Gormley has written an excellent book. Aimed at a YA audience, Gormley presents powerful insights into not only Maria Mitchell but science, history, misogyny, Quakerism, and more. The writing is clear and engaging and brings both the times and the woman to life for the reader. For those of you who have never read a book about science or scientists, this book would be a great place to start.
There are, however, two things about science that pain me. The first is that scientific discoveries have always led to newer and more efficient ways to wage war. The second is that, neglecting its own doctrine of moving forward and discarding erroneous past ideas, science has held women out of scientific education, institutions, and research more than nearly every other discipline.
Maria (pronounced Ma-RYE-ah) Mitchell was the first professional female astronomer in the United States. In 1847, as an amateur astronomer on Nantucket Island, she discovered a comet named 1847 VI, later known as “Miss Mitchell’s Comet”. Her discovery won her international recognition including a gold medal prize awarded by King Christian VIII of Denmark in 1848.
Rather than being the crowning moment of her life, Mitchell used her fame to launch a career that included serving as a librarian, lecturer, astronomer, woman’s rights leader, and college professor. Her intelligence, strength of character, and quest for knowledge forced many leaders of the patriarchal astronomy field to recognize her work and permit the firmly closed doors of scientific societies to be moved slightly ajar.
I think that Mitchell took greatest pride being the first head of the Vassar college’s astronomy department. As a leading figure at America’s first women’s college she pushed back against the prevailing notion that women’s minds couldn’t handle serious study. Indeed, she helped hundreds of young women to fill their heads with knowledge and new ideas. As Beatrice Gormley writes, “Those who claimed that a woman’s brain would collapse under the strain of studying mathematics and science has been refuted by the very existence of Maria Mitchell.”
Mitchell’s life, which spanned from 1818 - 1989, was full of many trials which she met head on with a quiet determinism. She was raised in a deeply religious Quaker community and, rather than feeling there was a conflict between science and religion, she saw her scientific discoveries of the universe as illustrating the wonder of god’s works.
Mitchell’s ideas and efforts went far beyond observing the universe through a telescope. She stated, “I believe in women even more that I do in astronomy.” In 1872 she helped for form the Association for the Advancement of Women and she brought a “who’s who” of feminist leaders to Vassar for “her girls” to hear. Mitchell aimed to push open far more doors than just those of her own field of study.
In Maria Mitchell; The Soul of An Astronomer, Beatrice Gormley has written an excellent book. Aimed at a YA audience, Gormley presents powerful insights into not only Maria Mitchell but science, history, misogyny, Quakerism, and more. The writing is clear and engaging and brings both the times and the woman to life for the reader. For those of you who have never read a book about science or scientists, this book would be a great place to start.
May 18, 2022
At 125 pages, it did turn out to be a very interesting read about one of the first female astronomers in the United States. In October 1847 Maria (Ma-RYE-ah) was awarded the the gold prize given by the King of Denmark for being the first to spot the "telescopic" comet. But this book covers much more than her long career as an astronomer. As the title suggests, it also dives into her religious beliefs, which she continually questioned in her search for truth. Born and raised a Quaker in Nantucket, she left the Friends as a 25-year-old woman and started attending the more liberal Unitarian Church. She gave up the language of "thee" and "thou" of the Quakers, but she kept her simple way of dressing and absolute honesty. In her later years, she became one of the biggest advocates for women's rights, especially in the area of equal education opportunities. The Women of Spirit series, of which this is a part, focuses on "the lives of extraordinary women in history who have made remarkable contributions to society through their abiding faith in God." Having access to Maria's personal papers and diaries, the author did a good job of bringing Maria's internal struggles to life. I found it very interesting, and I'm sure it would appeal to young readers interested in the accomplishments of people with a strong faith, as well as those interested in astronomy. This book was reprinted in 2003, but I don't know what, if any, updates were made at that time.
January 12, 2018
I doubt most people are familiar with the name of Maria Mitchell. Not only was she an avid astronomer but she also made discoveries. She came to her interest through her father who was also an astronomer. Though amateurs initially, both worked in the field doing computations which then led to recalibrating sextants. Maria worked as a librarian among other jobs before she was offered the opportunity to share her interests and skills with other young women by becoming a professor at the new Vassar College for women. She was very dedicated, not only to the field of astronomy, but also to her students. She challenged, encouraged and guided them. Maria Mitchell was highly respected in the field of astronomy; even as a woman she was taken seriously and many wanted to be sure she received credit for her work and discoveries. Maria's family were Quakers but being a scientist at heart she questioned many beliefs and practices, eventually leaving that group. Readers interested in the sciences, especially involving the heavens, will find this biography fascinating, especially considering that Maria was a woman living in the time she did. Her life will inspire other young students.
January 14, 2019
I had hoped for a more complete biography but was glad to find Gormley's book at the library. It's written for young readers but still provides a thorough and thoughtful look at Maria Mitchell's life. From starting life on Nantucket Island as a self-taught astronomer and librarian, Mitchell, the well-read professional, later became a professor of mathematics and astronomy at Vassar University for women. But what impressed me most about Mitchell was her reputation among professional colleagues (both men and women) and her time spent traveling around the US and then her year traveling in Europe, both trips happening before the civil war. She was a strong, curious, independent, and kind woman. Check out some quotes attributed to her at https://quotes.thefamouspeople.com/ma....
I am grateful for this opportunity to learn about Maria (pronounced Ma-RYE-ah) Mitchell and look forward to learning more.
I am grateful for this opportunity to learn about Maria (pronounced Ma-RYE-ah) Mitchell and look forward to learning more.
September 20, 2019
I’ll assign this the week Will is supposed to research Maria Mitchell. It’s lengthier than most of our sources, and it’s not like this book is absolutely necessary, but there are a lot of complicated issues in Maria’s life that could be good food for thought for a kid—her religious doubts and struggles throughout her life, leaving the Quaker church and becoming a Universalist, caring for sick parents, lifelong singleness, the women’s movement, and women in the sciences in the 1800s (and many men’s belief that women’s minds were not up to the strain of serious study). Worth the time if a kid has the wiggle room in their schedule.
January 11, 2025
Gormley offered a thorough biography suitable for younger readers (and anyone wanting an easier read). I was interested in Mitchell's relationships with other influential women and men of the time, and how her philosophical ideas and doubts about religion contrasted with her peers. I was pleased to learn about such an accomplished scientist who broke barriers for women.
July 7, 2012
This was a great biography. I would recommend it to any level of reader. I love learning new information!
March 30, 2017
An interesting read. Picked it up at the local library and finished it in one sitting albeit with a lot of skimming. Fascinating story about a trailblazing woman well before her time. Her tenacity and strength of character in the face of widespread criticism provides ample inspiration for anyone hoping to shake things up wherever they are. Maria Mitchell's intense spirituality unfettered by ideology or creed shines through in the way she approaches questions about truth and her dislike of forced belief.
April 25, 2017
I read the Young Adult version of this biography of the famous American astronomer and champion of women's education. Mitchell's background and life were extraordinary for her time (1818-1889). The easy read was enough to give me the highlights of her story.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews