Stone Mirrors: The Sculpture and Silence of Edmonia Lewis

by Jeannine Atkins

From critically acclaimed author Jeannine Atkins comes a “memorable, poetic tale” ( Kirkus Reviews , starred review) about a half–Native American, half–African American sculptor working in the years following the Civil War.

A sculptor of historical figures starts with givens but creates her own vision. Edmonia Lewis was just such a sculptor, but she never spoke or wrote much about her past, and the stories that have come down through time are often vague or contradictory. Some facts are Edmonia was the daughter of an Ojibwe woman and an African Haitian man. She had the rare opportunity to study art at Oberlin, one of the first schools to admit women and people of color, but lost her place after being accused of poisoning and theft, despite being acquitted of both. She moved to Boston and eventually Italy, where she became a successful sculptor.

But the historical record is very thin. The open questions about Edmonia’s life seem ideally suited to verse, a form that is compatible with mysteries. Inspired by both the facts and the gaps in history, author Jeannine Atkins imagines her way into a vision of what might have been.

Genres: Poetry, Historical Fiction, Art, Young Adult, Historical, Novel In Verse, Fiction

176 pages, Hardcover

First published January 10, 2017

About the author

Jeannine Atkins is the author of Finding Wonders: Three Girls Who Changed Science, Grasping Mysteries: Girls Who Loved Math, and Little Woman in Blue: A Novel of May Alcott. She teaches in the MFA program at Simmons College. You can learn more on her website at http://www.Jeannineatkins.com.

Reviews

[Terri Gulyas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very quick read due to verse style of writing. Thought it was a book of poetry when I first picked it up. Style was initially off-putting but after reading about Edmonia and the challenges in discovering her life story, I was intrigued. Although this is identified as YA, I can't imagine perceiving the depth of the story at a more tender age. Once again, the value of a book group leading me to read books I wouldn't otherwise choose is reinforced.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd never heard of Edmonia Lewis until I read this novel in verse. She was half Native American and half freed black, and she attended Oberlin College, which was one of the first to allow women. Unfortunately, even though Edmonia was a woman, she still was not an equal of the other women who attended the school because of her race. (That surprised me, though, it really shouldn't have.) Various people tried to steer her into a profession "suitable" for women of the time, but she wanted to be a sculptor, and, good for her, she stuck with her passion. Hers was not an easy life, which makes all the more admirable all that she accomplished. Most of her life is covered in 169 pages, and that's because so little is actually known about her. Atkins provides a little bit of extra information about her at the end of the book, and a list of resources she used, which I will be sure to delve into.

The reason this novel is YA is two-fold, I think. First, there is a rape scene, and second, the wording of the poetry is on a higher level than poetry you would find for middle school and elementary readers. In fact, at times I had to reread sections to be sure I understood what was going on. It reminded me of the kind of poetry popular at the time in which she lived. I do wish Atkins had included a photo of the real Edmonia and pictures of some of the wonderful sculptures mentioned in the book. I had to search the internet to find these pictures so that I could get a fuller picture of the woman I had just read about. Teen readers should be thankful that Atkins has brought this amazing woman back to our attention. Maybe Atkins will write a picture book about Edmonia Lewis next. Highly recommended, especially for black history or women's history months.

[Shauna Yusko · Rating 4 out of 5]

8-12. Interesting in that it makes me want to learn more. Not a fan of the words "biographical novel" but as a novel in verse it works well.

[Kim Tyo-Dickerson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Novel in Verse that provokes the reader to think and read more about Edmonia Lewis' art and legacy, but also highlights concerns about representation of historical Black figures and the romanticization of American Indian life and connections.

In thinking about this work, I read a number of insightful articles and explored known sculptures and photos:

Sculptor Edmonia Lewis Shattered Gender and Race Expectations in 19th-Century America via The Smithsonian

Unforgetting a Forgotten Pioneer: How the 19th-Century Sculptor Edmonia Lewis Blazed the Path for Women of Color in the Fine Arts via Brain Pickings

Virtual Exhibition by Google Arts & Culture

[Erin Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fictionalized novel in verse covers the art and potential life of Edmonia Lewis, a biracial sculptor living after the American Civil War. I loved the speculation and parallels of sculpting, Rome, and mythology. This cover is beautiful and the content is powerful. It's a little mature, so I would put it in hands of my older kids.

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edmonia Lewis was the first professional African-American sculptor. She lived and worked in the period right after the Civil War. This verse novel takes the little information known about Edmonia and fills in the gaps with what may have happened. Edmonia attended Oberlin College, one of the first colleges to accept women and people of color. Half Objibwe and half African-American, Edmonia struggles to find her place at Oberlin. When she is accused by other students of poisoning and theft she is forced to leave college despite being acquitted of all charges. The book follows Edmonia as she moves to Boston and eventually Italy, becoming a successful sculptor.

This is an exceptional verse novel. Each poem reads like a stand-alone poem and yet also fits into Edmonia’s complete story. Atkins uses rich and detailed language to convey the historical times right after the Civil War to the reader. She also works to share the real soul of Edmonia herself on the page, a girl who has given up the freedom of life with the Ojibwe to study art at a prestigious college only to have it all fall apart again and again. It is a lesson in resilience and the power of art that Edmonia continues to strive to become the artist she truly is despite all of the odds.

This book reads like a series of stunning pieces of art, strung together into a larger display. The use of language is so beautifully done, carefully crafted with skill and depth. Atkins uses the few details of Edmonia’s life to craft a real person of flesh, bone and dreams on the page. Throughout the book, care is taken that no one forget the historical times the book takes place during and their impact on Edmonia as a person of color.

Timely and simply amazing, this verse novel is uplifting and deeply moving. Appropriate for ages 13-16.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for Librarian Book Group
This is the story of Edmonia Lewis, an African American and Indian American sculptor who worked in the late 19th century. Lewis' story is told in verse and includes her time at Oberlin College, life in Boston and Italy, and her return as an exhibitor in the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia.

Much of Lewis' story has been lost to history which is why Jeannine Atkins chose to write this story in verse. As we've lost many of the stories of women, I will happily read a novel in verse. Though I do think a well-written historical fiction novel about Edmonia Lewis is just waiting to be written.

[Nadine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written verse novel inspired by the life of Edmonia Lewis, who was a sculptor of Haitian and Ojibwe heritage.

[grieshaber.reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

When writing reviews, I frequently mention how much I learn from reading fiction. In the case of Stone Mirrors: the Sculpture and Silence of Edmonia Lewis, I learned about an artist of whom I had never heard. Edmonia Lewis was a teen during the Civil War. Her mother was a Cherokee and her father was African American. She was orphaned early and spent time at Oberlin College & Conservatory - one of the first schools to fully integrate white, black, male, and female students. After tragic circumstances, she left school and moved to Boston where fate led her on the path to becoming a successful sculptor, earning her way to Rome to further her education in sculpting and continue her art. The struggles she experienced in her early life are evident in her work. Some of her most famous pieces include Hagar, The Death of Cleopatra, and Forever Free. The author of this biographical novel brilliantly incorporates the Biblical story of Hagar and the historical story of Cleopatra into this quick but gorgeous verse telling of the life of Edmonia Lewis. I was excited to learn that one of Lewis’ sculptures, Portrait of a Woman, is on display at the St. Louis Art Museum. I will be visiting it soon! I wish I would have known who she was (or took the time to research her) when she became a Google Doodle on February 1, 2017. I hope some did.

For images of Ms. Lewis' work mentioned here and her Google Doodle, see my review on the LibrariansLitBooks blog: https://www.librarianslitbooks.com/si...

[Kelly Snyder · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a little hard to follow, but it has so much information in it that I was compelled to read it. Edmonia Lewis was a well known sculptor who lived and worked during the mid to late 1800s. The daughter of a former slave and an Ojibwa Indian and raised by her native American aunts, Edmonia was different in many ways. She attended Oberlin College, the first interracial and co-ed college in the United States, but after being accused of poisoning two girls she was asked to leave. A criminal trial found no basis for the charges and there for acquitted her. She found herself working for a woman in Boston where she traded household chores for room and board. It was he time in Boston that she found her love of sculpting. Through the help of others she found herself in Italy learning to sculpt and honing her craft. The book is sparse on information because there is really not much reliable information out there on this artist. The author does a good job of bringing Edmonia to life in poetry and it flows, but I found some parts confusing as I couldn't always tell what was in Edmonia's mind versus what was really happening. Over all it is a good book for teens who want to read about a little know historic figure.

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could win a bet with most people if I asked them to identify Edmonia Lewis. Until reading this book I'd have lost that bet myself. Each section of this novel in verse peels back a layer on her talented but mysterious life: a year in Oberlin at the time of the Civil War, two years in a Boston apprenticeship in sculpture, and ten years in Rome. Not much beyond that is known about her, and many of her widely praised works have been lost to history.
In each phase readers discover not only her challenges but her character, finding connections and inspiration for dealing with timeless adolescent issues: friendships, belonging, trust, frustration, identity. I was drawn to the mystery and tragedy in her life while reading this biographic revelation. Most of the book involves Edmonia's teen years, reaching the middle grade audience well. There was also great satisfaction in reading that she gradually claimed both her talent and her identity as an adult woman of color, living on her own terms, finally memorialized with works at the Smithsonian Art Museum and at Oberlin.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked the poetry in this book. I felt that it was truly a novel in verse, whereas many others I've read that claim to be so are not as classically "poetic". I had come across the name and work of Edmonia Lewis a few weeks ago and I wanted to learn more about her. I couldn't easily access the one adult biography of her that I found, so I read this instead. I'm not sure how much I learned (my original motive), but I certainly was inspired to go and find that adult biography I had originally seen.

A very interesting woman from the art world that I think more Americans should know about, Edmonia Lewis was a pioneer for black and native american female artists. I heartily recommend this to anyone who is looking for a YA biography that won't bore the reader (although it should be known that much of this is fictional because apparently not much was known about a lot of events in Edmonia's life)

[Erin]

“She has only the future now, a place her aunts knew was necessary but dangerous, as they stitched a slow way forward with thin thread…”

“Memory doesn’t follow a straight line. The past changes every time we look back.”

As the afterward states, this novel-in-verse is based on Edmonia Lewis’ life, which is sketchily known at best. Of mixed race, both Indigenous and African American, Edmonia became a well-known sculptor. She grew up during the U.S. Civil War, and shortly afterward made her way to Rome for additional training. Facing both tragedy and opportunity, Edmonia created stunning sculptures. Never married, no children, and both birth and death obscured in mystery, Edmonia is a fascinating subject. I googled some of her sculptures afterward and was suitably impressed.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had never heard of Edmonds Lewis but after reading this biographical novel in verse, it made me want to learn more about her. She was half Obijwe Indian and half African American. Her father was a free black man and the family moved to safety right before the Civil War. Her life was not easy but out of her hardships she became very determined to reach her goals...and she did. This was my first time reading a novel in verse and it was difficult for me to get started but once I did, I could not put it down. Great read!!

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Edmonia Lewis was the first professional African-American sculptor, active in the U.S. and Italy during mid- to late-1800s. This fictionalized biography in verse elaborates on what little is known of the life of this largely unknown and unheralded artist, from her upbringing among the Chippewa and her time at Oberlin College, to studying sculpture in Rome and exhibiting her work at the 1876 World's Fair in Philadelphia. Hers is a life of many question marks, and it is a shame we know so little about her. Readers who are inspired to find out more about her work will not be disappointed.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first it annoyed me to read a made up story about a real person, especially not knowing which parts were true. But somewhere along the way, that fell to the wayside as I got involved with the story. This story has a strong emotional pull, an effect due, at least in part, to the fact that it is written in verse. I appreciated the "Who was Edmonia Lewis?" section at the end that told more about the main character and also clarified fact from fiction.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, written in rhyme, is captivating. A fictional story about sculptor Edmonia Lewis. Atkins handles the combination of Edmonia's internal and external conflicts with concise and vivid diction, which clearly defines Lewis' tenacity and courage.

Reading this book has left me with a new interest in learning more about Lewis and the other real artists mentioned in the book. While this book may not be for everyone, I think it is well worth reading.

[Claire DM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and lovely history of a truly Hidden Figure written in prose form. Tells the life of Ojibwa & African American female sculptor Emonia Lewis. I really appreciated the form, which lends itself well to writing about historical figures of whom very few details of life are known. Sweet but poignant, the poetry stands on it's own, or as a way to get a reader interested in knowing more about Lewis and her work.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

May Alcott (Borrowed Names), Maria Merian, Mary Anning, Maria Mitchell (Finding Wonders: Three Girls Who Changed Science) Laura Ingalls Wilder, Madame C.j. Walker, Marie Curie &Their Daughters (Borrowed Names)

The books above are not all of Jeannine Atkin's stories of women. But they are my favorites, at least they were until I read her most recent telling titled Stone Mirrors about Edmonia Lewis, well known (in the art world?) sculptor from the 19th century. Jeannine's ability to soak the character into us immediately satisfies, and we read on. This story is backed by research, the beginning shows Edmonia, a young woman of color, as a student at Oberlin College that had first begun a program of accepting students of color considered worthy of being educated. There are touches of goodness in those early pages, a chance encounter in the woods with one of the white male students, a supportive roommate, and hints of Edmonia’s love of art. The tension is immediate in these lines describing the true atmosphere of lines drawn at the school between “the good and the better-be-grateful”. Sadly, Edmonia’s “friendship” with two white girls on another floor where she lives becomes her undoing. She thinks of them as friends, but really she’s doing their hair, helping with dressing, “serving them”. One evening, visiting, they ask her to give them tea that’s been brewed. She does and is later accused of poisoning them after they become ill.

There is a trial, and it is thrown out for lack of evidence, but she is not declared innocent and must leave. And there, though tragic, the story really begins, with a sad departure on the train to a connection she was given. She must do chores at Mrs. Child’s home, but she has a room and meals, and Mrs. Child is kind with her demeanor and her advice. And, she helps Edmonia with connections. “Stones live often in the story, showing feelings, offering images, connecting the story to the path Edmonia follows. After a while Mrs. Child urges Edmonia to leave the house, to discover something she might want to do with her life. She says: ‘No one can tell what may happen.’ Edmonia thinks, “’I know’” Memory traps and snares words spoken over teacups, and warns/about the future she means to keep small,/like a stone in her hands.” It takes weeks for her to find work, to find a place of safety and she does with an artist who guides her into her passion, sculpture. One time her voice is tentative, but strong, too: “Can she trust her own two palms/and ten fingers, even through mistakes?” Jeannine weaves the racism, the struggle, and the triumph through this amazing story, as she has done with her others about inspiring women who do not quit.
I would hope others will be sure that this book is read by their children and/or students. It’s a story meant to be applauded.

[WriteTheVision · Rating 3 out of 5]

Always good to learn about someone new, however fictional some of the people/events were. I wasn't aware of Edmonia prior to reading this book, and now I will make it a point to visit a museum during my travels that feature her art. Her name is now known to me and I can speak it. #blackgirlmagicbeenaroundforaverylongtime

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A speculative biographical novel in verse about this Black and Native American sculptor who was accused of poisoning two girls while attending Oberlin College but was found innocent, survived a violent sexual assault, and eventually became an accomplished sculptor whose work can be seen at such institutions as the Art Institute of Chicago and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

[Lorraine Tosiello · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a charming and wonderful book: a fictionalized biography of the sculptor Edmonia Lewis told in verse. The vehicle was amazingly suited to the subject: there are stories and innuendos about Lewis' life, but very few facts. The verse form allows poetry, imagination, emotion to shape the story. Very beautifully done.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Biographical verse novel about sculptor Mary Edmonia Lewis, daughter of a free African-American and a Native American woman, who attended Oberlin College only to be kicked out on suspicion of murder or intent to murder. I want a full-blown biography of this woman.

[Jennybeast · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plus here: learning about the existence and art of Edmonia Lewis. The minus -- well, the verse form leaves a lot to the imagination -- which makes it a reasonable choice for a figure whom much is unknown, but is frustrating in its slender narrative.

[kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quiet, thoughtful, contemplative

[Chelsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

This novel in verse really didn't work for me - the pacing is slow and the fascinating history plods along drearily. I was forcing myself to read from the start, and although it picks up a bit in the latter half, I was already no longer invested.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fictionalized biography in verse about African American/Ojibwa sculptor Edmonia Lewis (1800's). Supported with sources

[Mary Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The poetry of this story is luminescent (which is not a solid enough word for a sculpture metaphor, but there is a glow...).

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book and makes me wish I had gone to the African -american museum in Boston. What a fascinating woman.

[Mary]

I tried but was unable to connect to this novel in verse.