Borrowed Names: Poems About Laura Ingalls Wilder, Madam C.J. Walker, Marie Curie, and Their Daughters

by Jeannine Atkins

As a child, Laura Ingalls Wilder traveled across the prairie in a covered wagon. Her daughter, Rose, thought those stories might make a good book, and the two created the beloved Little House series.

Sara Breedlove, the daughter of former slaves, wanted everything to be different for her own daughter, A'Lelia. Together they built a million-dollar beauty empire for women of color. Marie Curie became the first person in history to win two Nobel prizes in science. Inspired by her mother, Irène too became a scientist and Nobel prize winner.

Borrowed Names is the story of these extraordinary mothers and daughters.
Borrowed Names is a 2011 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Genres: Poetry, Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Historical, Teen, Middle Grade, Family

224 pages, Hardcover

First published March 11, 2010

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

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

Atkins has written about the lives of three famous women, all of whom were born in 1867: Laura Ingalls Wilder, Madame C.J. Walker, and Marie Curie. Told in a series of poems, these biographies focus on the relationships between these women and their daughters, each of whom followed after her mother’s profession. I knew the least about Laura Ingalls Wilder, so that section interested me the most, but I learned things I didn’t know before about Walker and Curie as well. Atkins provides a list of books for further reading, which I intend to do in the case of Wilder. I recommend this book as a nice introduction to these women and their daughters.

[Melody · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am wrestling with how to review this book. I think there is valuable information here, albeit presented in an inexplicably popular, but to my eye unnecessary, format. I think that I can't get past the format to accurately assess the merits of this book, but I can tell you that I hated it.

I think I hated it because poetry means so much to me, poetry is the beat of my heart and the solace of my days. Real poetry has power like no other words have power. It can topple governments, inspire impossible acts or just make one walk out into the ocean, never to return. Real poetry is made of gunpowder, it's made of dreams, and it is the sacred incense of my secular life. Real poetry has picked me up out of my quotidian life, spun me around and slammed me into the sand so hard my sternum ached for weeks and I was unable to turn around without my eyes filling with tears when I heard a loved one's voice.

When my heart is sore, I turn to poetry. When I am lost and bereft, there's a book of verse in my hand and another in my pocket. When everything is exquisitely right, there is a poem singing about that rightness just under my clavicle. Poetry moves in my blood and stiffens my bones. Poetry informs every breath I take.

Perhaps you might say I'm a little too close to the topic to be objective.

Novels in free verse are the Catholic Mass in English. Novels in free verse are Bowdler's Shakespeare for women and children. Novels in free verse are weak, puling things, neither fish nor fowl nor good red meat, and the list of the ones that are not is very, very short.

Cynthia Rylant made it work, but she made it work by shoehorning real poetry into the form, rather than the opposite.

This book has a straightforward story to tell, or rather, three straightforward stories to tell. Casting them in free verse was gratuitous. There are three distinct books here, books that could be rich and nourishing, but what's served up instead is the thin broth of free verse, or of words

arranged on pages in

sort of a poetical looking fashion

which helps one speed through

and adds nothing to the story.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well. This book is something pretty special. I didn't expect to read it, even after I'd heard good things about it (novels in verse often irritate me, and this sounded so high-concept), but it presented itself at the library and wanted me to take it. I certainly didn't expect to enjoy it, but I did. Almost five stars.

Who decided they could publish and sell this book? I can't imagine how that happened, but I'm glad.

I expected to be interested most in the Laura/Rose section, though of course I read it skeptically, always wary of any Rose-aggrandizement. It wasn't really there--I thought it was pretty realistic, and it didn't make me love Laura any less or dislike Rose any more, which was pleasant. But I think I'm too close to the subject there to be able to settle in and enjoy the story and not debate interpretation at every step. I wasn't really looking-looking, but I only noticed one little inconsistency--they made molasses candy for Christmas, not maple sugar candy, which is so minute as to be meaningless and makes me sound petty, but, well, you guys understand.

So I read the Madame CJ Walker/A'Lelia section and thought "oh, this is the strength of the book, here", and then read the Madame Curie/Irene and Eve section and thought "no, this is the strength of the book"--so--maybe the Laura/Rose section is just as good but I can't see it. Or maybe the author, too, was too close that section and it didn't come out as well; I don't know her background.

As with so many other books I've read this season, I'm not sure who this is for, besides women, who will have some context for the stories (both personal as to mothers and daughters, and historical). What would a girl make of it? Her perspective would be so different.

I feel like I should say specific things about the writing: language simple and evocative, with differentiated voice for each character, settings described sparingly but effectively.

I really do recommend this to everyone, or anyway all the women, but be warned that it may bring up strong emotions, and if you don't want to be thinking about your own mother and your relationship with her, you might put it off until you're in another place. Read, enjoy, then write really long reviews about it for me to read.

[Kaya · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is one of my favorite books ever. Really.

Full disclosure - I know Jeannine and heard her read a poem from this book at a writers retreat last summer. It was lovely and poignant, but when she described the book as a collection of poems about mothers and daughters, in the voices of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Madam C.J. Walker, and Marie Curie, I wondered a bit how that could all fit together.

Then I was lucky enough to pick up an advance copy of BORROWED NAMES at ALA Midwinter, and I understood.

It does fit. As beautifully as anything I've ever read.

The poetry in this book is magnificent by itself, but it's the characterization of the women -- mothers and daughters both -- that makes it stand out even more. The verse shines with the creative spirit of all of these amazing women, and I really can't imagine capturing the whole give-and-take, come-together-and-go-away moments of mothers and daughters any better.

I'm sitting here at my computer frowning because I can't really make my words do justice to this special book. But trust me. Just go get it.

[Donalyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1867, three remarkable women were born-- Laura Ingalls Wilder, Sarah Breedlove Walker, and Marie Curie. Through their bravery, imagination, and hard work, each one left a lasting legacy, which was supported and carried on by their daughters-- Rose Wilder, A'lelia Walker,and Irene Curie. The stories of these six women unfold in this beautiful work of narrative poetry. Lush language and historical research illustrate the time and circumstances of each woman's life, accomplishments, and relationships.

[Kfisher89 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought that the book ​Borrowed Nam​ es was kind of boring. I thought this because I didn’t really ever get interested into the book. I think that if you are going to read this book you definitely need to be able to pull out deeper meanings. When I first saw this book I thought it would be cool because of the title, but when I started reading it I never got pulled further into it. I thought that it didn’t really make sense it was written like poems and the way it all was playing out didn’t really make sense. So no I would not suggest this book to people I thought it didn’t make any sense.

[elissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had been meaning to read this all year. First it wasn't available anywhere close by, and then I forgot to put a hold on it for months. Glad that I finally got around to it! Really enjoyed learning more about these 3 famous women and their slightly-less-famous daughters. I was born in 1967, so it pleases me that the 3 mothers were all born in 1867. Because it's poetry, it's a very quick read, but still packed with interesting info. Maybe 4 1/2 stars.

[Teenreadsdotcom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeannine Atkins, an amazing woman who writes about amazing women, has come out with another new book that brings light to three incredible well-known women and their daughters. Atkins teaches writing at Simmons College and teaches children’s literature at University of Massachusetts Amherst. According to her website, she writes every morning in her window seat. BORROWED NAMES: Poems About Laura Ingalls Wilder, Madam C.J. Walker, Marie Curie, and their Daughters joins FINDING WONDERS: Three Girls Who Changed Science, LITTLE WOMAN IN BLUE, STONE MIRRORS: The Sculpture and Silence of Edmonia Lewis, and a list of many other books Jeannine Atkins has written. Atkins currently resides in Western Massachusetts.

With mostly poetry and the teensiest bit of prose, Jeannine Atkins goes through the details of each daughter’s life from childhood to adolescence to adulthood in BORROWED NAMES. Each daughter leads their own unique but similar interesting and significant life full of lessons and each daughter has her own unique but similar beautiful and sometimes complicated relationship with their famous mother. BORROWED NAMES details the lives of Laura Ingalls Wilder and Rose Wilder Lane, Madam C.J. Walker and A’lelia Walker, and Marie Curie and Irène Joliot-Curie.

I loved BORROWED NAMES: Poems about Laura Ingalls Wilder, Madam C.J. Walker, Marie Curie, and their Daughters so, so much. This book reminded me about everything I loved about my mom and will make everyone want to hug his or her mom. However, one of the great things BORROWED NAMES does is that this tells Rose’s story, A’leila’s story and Irène’s story. Each girl’s relationship with her mother is subtly woven into the story and has a definite impact on each daughter’s story, but this is the daughters’ stories --- and each daughter’s story stands on her own.

Rose’s travels and adventures are just as interesting her times at home. A’leila’s story is just as incredible as her mother’s. And it’s clear that Irène is just as smart as her mother and also her own person. The poetry --- like the stories it portrays --- is absolutely beautiful. I have never read Jeannine Atkins before, but after reading BORROWED NAMES: Poems about Laura Ingalls Wilder, Madam C.J. Walker, Marie Curie, and their Daughters I cannot wait until I can read another one of her books. This book is definitely one of my favorites that I read this month and will probably be one of my favorite books for this entire year!

BORROWED NAMES: Poems about Laura Ingalls Wilder, Madam C.J. Walker, Marie Curie, and their Daughters is perfect for any feminist out there. If you love reading about amazing strong women this book is perfect for you! Also, if you love poetry and really can appreciate its beauty or if you want to start getting into poetry, read BORROWED NAMES. Like I said before, the poetry is beautiful to the point where it’s almost calming to read this book. Also, if you’re looking ahead and want to get a great Mother’s Day gift for your mom, give her BORROWED NAMES.

Reviewed by Rebecca D., Teen Board Member

[Karyl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across this book while searching my library for a different book regarding Marie Curie and her daughters, and finding this one intrigued me. My youngest kid really enjoys books in verse, and I thought this would be a good book to read because I am interested in all three women profiled in this book.

Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books were one of the first I remember reading. I had my own set of all nine novels that I read so much, they’re now falling apart. When my children were small, I bought a “new” set just so my childhood ones wouldn’t fall apart even more. As a result, I know quite well Wilder’s stories, and I’ve delved into Rose Wilder Lane’s life a bit as well. Most of what was discussed in the section on these two women was familiar to me.

I’d read a book on Madame C.J. Walker, as well as watched the Netflix show on her. And as a child I was also obsesses with Marie Curie, reading again and again the children’s biography I had on her, so she was familiar as well. What was less familiar to me was the interaction between these women I knew so well and their daughters.

Because this book focuses more on the feelings and experiences of the daughters of these famous, strong, forceful women, it was quite interesting to see what life was like for them. Rose Wilder Lane wanted to be free of a lot of strictures placed on women of the early 19th century, and managed to live life on her own terms. A’Lelia Walker remembered what it was so be desperately poor, but felt that she and her mother had earned the right to spoil themselves. Irène Joliot-Curie carried on her mother’s work but also made her own incredible discoveries. With all three women, this book brings them to life, not just as famous daughters and women, but as humans that the reader can relate to.

This would be an excellent gift for Mother’s Day from a daughter to her mother, perhaps with a few verses composed describing their own relationship.

[Deb Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love what poetry says as much as what it doesn't say, which provides opportunity to read between the lines, forming your own opinions and conclusions. I grew up reading the Little House series. As a child, I did not understand why they were not considered autobiographical. I did not realize Rose Wilder's involvement in the writing, either. Now, I can appreciate the collusion between mother and daughter. It brought them closer and continued the pioneer traditions, as they forged their way through literature and left behind a treasured legacy. I do not agree with A'lelia Walker's opinion that boys can become girls and girls can become boys, yet I do admire her contributions within the Harlem Renaissance. I was glad to learn that Madame Curie's life was full of love and family, not as tragic as I had been told through history.

[Lorraine Tosiello · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who would have thought of bringing together Laura Ingalls Wilder, Madam CJ Walker and Madam Curie AND their daughters in one book? Jeannine Atkins pulls it together with the thinnest bit of gossamer: all three women were bornin the same year. From that, she knits the mother-daughter pairs together and weaves a full portrait of SIX amazing women.

The book is written as a prose poem. The genre minimizes plot and description and maximizes emotion and sentiment. Consider these lines:

"Love's language is imprecise,
fits more like mittens than gloves."

and

"...She labors
over legends that aren't hers,
like a woman stitching buttonholes
for dresses she won't wear."

The book is lovely, heartwarming and instructional all at once.

[Eleni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another lyrical journey through the lives of three notable women, this time including their daughters. I didn't enjoy the whole of this book as much as "Finding Wonders", however, it was just as well written and beautifully captures the complex relationships between the mothers and their daughters. My favorite section was the one covering Marie Curie and Irene Joliot-Curie. The devotion that both Madame Curie's daughters had to family *and* scientific discovery was so palpable... it resonated with me more than the other stories. A great read for middle school age.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three famous mothers born in the same year; three daughters who need independence and success; six women who experience joy, heartbreak, and success while also craving the love and support of family. Finding Wonders, also by Jeanne Atkins, follows the same verse format and promotes the contributions of lesser known but equally important women of science. Enjoyed both books.

[Erin McGarry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book of poems for Sylvia for Valentine’s Day years ago and I just pulled it off the shelf for the first time. It’s story written in verse of 3 eminent women and their impressive daughters who were all living at the same time in history. I really enjoyed it—it is tender, simple, and engaging.

[Kris Dersch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a great book! Focused on what the women had in common, the mother daughter relationship, plus giving each her own section with an intersecting timeline at the end. An interesting and innovative way to talk about three very different women in a tumultuous era.

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jeannine Atkins imbues the lives of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Madam C.J. Walker, Marie Curie, and their daughters with emotion and complexity in this historically inspired poetry volume.

[Debbie T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good research and good poems. I didn't know the whole story behind these famous women and didn't realize that their daughters were strong and successful in their own right.

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic read!

[Kathryn Atwater · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful set of poems. A lovely insight into 3 important historical female figures and their daughters.

[HannaLee Kingstrom · Rating 3 out of 5]

What an interesting way to commemorate the lives of some amazing women. The book is filled with poems the depict the lives of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Madam CJ Walker, Marie Curie and their daughters.

[Bailee Chreitzberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

BORING,BORING,BORING. I forced myself to read this to have an extra book for my schools reading challenge. I remember very little maybe it would suit your taste but poems are way too boring.

[naty · Rating 5 out of 5]

really good! it tells us what these people has gone thro & basically tells us all about their past

[Becky B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three women born in 1867 rose to fame in different venues, and eventually each had daughters just about as famous. Through free verse poems, Atkins tells the stories of these women through the eyes of their daughters, providing a varied exploration of mother-daughter relationships and the roles of women during this time period of extensive change.

Things I liked about the book:
I liked the way three women born the same year in very different locations and circumstances were combined to give a broader picture of the lives of women during the 1860-1960 century. It was a creative concept and helped highlight how quickly the world was changing during this time period. Marie Curie and Laura Ingalls Wilder aren't two people you'd normally find together, and I hadn't even heard of Madam C.J. Walker before.
I liked that the stories were told through free verse. There aren't a lot of novels in verse put out, and I respect the work it takes to craft a story in more succinct phrases. (And I like that they are a much quicker read. It is an easier sell for HS students who have little free time.)

Things I thought could have been better:
Honestly, I wanted more from the poetry. It does a good job of telling the stories, but I didn't often feel like the phrases used made the story come alive. I will say that I think Marie and Irène Curie's story felt more inspired than the others. But I didn't have any moments when I had to pause in respect for the wordsmithing. Now, don't get me wrong, the poetry is good. (Remember, I respect the work it takes to tell a story so succinctly.) It just doesn't feel inspired and didn't have descriptions that wrapped around my mind and begged to be remembered.

Notes on content: No language issues I remember. No sexual content. The blood loss during a miscarriage is described. The burning of a house is described. And the radiation poisoning suffered by the Curies is somewhat described, as is the carriage accident that killed Pierre Curie.

[The Reading Countess · Rating 5 out of 5]

My school librarian purchased this at the Texas Librarian's Association annual convention for our school. She knew that I had requested it, but stated that the book could be used as a "teacher reference" only, since some topics were a little too mature. This is one book that makes me want to teach junior high...

What an amazingly beautiful book, reminiscient of Hesse's Out of the Dust. The poetic verse oozes beauty and grace. I simply could not put it down until the book was read in one sitting. Told in three parts, Borrowed Names follows the joys and sorrows of three very famous women and their daughters: Laura Ingalls Wilder, Madam C.J. Walker, and Marie Curie. I learned so much about each strong woman that I had never known! The intimate glimpse of the sometimes precarious relationships between mother/daughter really spoke to me. Although my favorite section was about Wilder because of my childhood love of the series she made so famous (and was heavily edited by her daughter!), all three sections of the book give one reason to pause and celebrate the strength of a woman's spirit and the bond between mother and daughter.

Favorite passage:
NOT TODAY
Mama says, There's too much housework.
Please. Do not get sidetracked
by shirts that need pressing.
There will always be fine grime on the china on the mantel,
corn to husk, cherries to pit, apples to core.
Ignore them. The dream begun under a tree
is sweeter than stories you tell yourself
over dirty dishes.
Life tempts most away from paper and pen,
but gently bring yourself back.
Who can resist gingerbread
with chocolate frosting,
but do you need to bake it now
If you must get out pots and pans,
come back and invite your distractions=
cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg-onto the page.

[Kay Mcgriff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three amazing women were born in the year 1867. Three extraordinary women grew up to have an impact on the world and their daughters. Laura Ingalls Wilder lived in log cabins and sod dugouts across the frontier. She told stories of those days to her daughter Rose, and together they wrote those stories in books that are read and loved today. Sarah Breedlove, the daughter of former slaves, dreamed of a better life for her daughter A'Lelia. She created a beauty empire and took a new name--Madam C.J. Walker. Marie Curie left home to study science. She went on to discover radium and was the first person to win two Nobel prizes. She sent math problems to her daughter Irene, who grew up to become a scientist in her own right as well.

Jeannine Atkins explores the relationships between these mothers and daughters in Borrowed Names (Henry Holt and Company 2010). The stories are shared through poems that capture moments in the lives of these extraordinary women and their daughters. Some are moments that you can read about in history books. Other moments are grounded in household objects and everyday routines. Read together, these poems offer glimpses into lives shaped by challenges and choices in a changing world.

I thought I knew at least the basic facts of the lives of these three women, but I learned even more reading these poems. The more I read, the more my respect and admiration for these three women grew. Even though they lived such very different lives, all three women faced hardship with courage and determination. Their daughters shared the same courage and determination in continuing the work of their mothers and making it their own.

[Laura Cushing · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up at the library today because I spotted it on an endcap. It says "Poems about Laura Ingals Wilder, Madam C.J. Walker, Marie Curie and their daughters" on it. I suppose it must have been prominently displayed because it's almost mother's day. Despite my strained / currently non-existant relationship with my own mother and daughters, I was drawn to it because I was interested in the historical personas presented and wondered what their relationships with their daughters were like. All three women were born in the same year, and all three were pioneers in their own way. Their daughters inherited their strength - and independence, which means their relationships weren't always smooth. But there is beauty in that too, that struggle for the right balance between closeness and independence - and it expressed in such lovely free verse in this book. There are three sections, one for each woman and her daughter. My favorite poem in each I think featured the respective girls at 13. They are followed by an epilogue about the ladies, and a timeline that interweaves the events in all their lives. Brilliant concept, and well executed - a fantastic biography in verse. Recommended for poetry fans, mothers and daughters, biography fans -- anyone, really. I read it in one day - it was so good I couldn't put it down. Read it.

Ps: I don't particularly understand why this was listed as Young Adult on Amazon's website- it wasn't shelved in that section in our library, and I would recommend it to adult readers as well as teens.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is more than one book in my house that I’ve bought because it somehow called to me, and that I haven’t read. This has been one of them, and I’m sorry I put it off so long. I enjoyed it very much. Not only are the stories beautifully told in verse, but I learned new things about these women, one of which I had never heard of, one I know because of her books I love, and one I know only because of my meager science knowledge. Jeannine tells the loving and at times not so loving stories of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Madam C.J. Walker, and Marie Curie and their daughters, the strong history of each highlighted, but also the pull of the relationship. Each of the mothers were born in 1867. As I read, I wondered about my own relationship with my mother, and now my daughter, the complexity of this bond, the wandering of children who want to be themselves, yet return to the relationship again and again. You daughters, and you who have a daughter, will love the stories, and may want to think more about your lives and how they are being lived. From the Wilder story: “Mama changes/flour and water into bread, cloth into dresses,/and, at night, with spoken words,/her childhood into legend.” From Walker: “The scent of herbs from far-flung places/remind both daughter and mother/that the world is bigger than this city.” Finally, from the Curie words: “She is grateful for equations, which stubbornness/and thought can change.”
There is a timeline at the end of the book that weaves the families’ lives together.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love, love, love--women's history in an accessible format. But that makes this book sound like a History Lesson or medicine or something else not entirely pleasant, but good for you. And that just doesn't do justice to this book.
I loved the women Atkins chose for this--on the surface, it makes no sense. But, all were born in the same year. And all had daughters that worked with them, so there's this interesting push/pull between mother and daughter. All the sections were beautifully written and there were times I wished it wasn't a library book, because I wanted to underline some things.
I first "met" Madam C. J. Walker over ten years ago, when I interned at the Women's Museum and have loved her and admired her ever since. She deserves to be better known, and I was thrilled to see her in a book like this--readers would be hooked by Laura, but maybe they'd be intrigued by Madam Walker.
And I confess that I don't know much about the Curies and now I _really_ must read more.
So this book worked on many levels for me:
It beautifully summed up a story I know well. It highlighted someone I feel needs more attention. And it intrigued me enough to do some more reading.
Which is exactly what a book like this should do. As an educator type, I would kill to use this book in a classroom. I think it could spark some great conversations. Love, love, love. But then, this is a book with my name written all over it. . .