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Edmonia a novel of a boundary-breaking American sculptress

"'I plan to be a sculptor, to memorialize forever the great men and women of my race, and those who have fought for our cause.'" At the age of 12, orphaned, precocious Wildfire seems fated to a life of toil selling her handmade crafts to Niagara Falls tourists alongside her Ojibwe aunts. But Wildfir...

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Main Author: Baker, Brianne (Author)
Format: Books Print Book
Language:English
Published: New York, NY : Dafina, Kensington Publishing Corp., 2026.
Edition:First Kensington hardcover edition.
Subjects:
Lewis, Edmonia > Fiction.
Women artists > Fiction.
African American women artists > Fiction.
African American sculptors > Fiction.
Ojibwa artists > Fiction.
Prejudices > Fiction.
Malicious accusation > Fiction.
Reconstruction (U.S. history, 1865-1877) > Fiction.
United States > History > Civil War, 1861-1865 > Fiction.
New York (State) > Fiction.
Boston (Mass.) > Fiction.
Rome (Italy) > Fiction.
Fiction.
Historical fiction.
Biographical fiction.
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Summary:"'I plan to be a sculptor, to memorialize forever the great men and women of my race, and those who have fought for our cause.'" At the age of 12, orphaned, precocious Wildfire seems fated to a life of toil selling her handmade crafts to Niagara Falls tourists alongside her Ojibwe aunts. But Wildfire's older half-brother, Samuel, has been making other plans for his gifted sibling. Soon, she is set on a new trajectory -- and with it comes her new name, Edmonia. Privately nurturing artistic ambitions, Edmonia advances through an abolitionist's prep school in New York, and later lands at Oberlin College. But at Oberlin lies a devastating trap: Edmonia is accused of poisoning, nearly fatally, her two roommates, with tainted wine. What ensues is a headline-making trial, a vicious attack by a white mob -- and a bold journey that will lead Edmonia from a crucial introduction in Boston to a vibrant community of celebrated expatriate women artists in Rome. Along the way she encounters distinguished figures such as Frederick Douglass and President Ulysses S. Grant. Still, Edmonia's success is plagued by stinging critiques, potent racism, and haunting self-doubt. She must decide, too, whether to continue her romantic entanglements, or devote herself to bringing to life her visions of beauty and justice -- and hopefully, forge her place in a rapidly changing world."--
Item Description:Subtitle from cover.
Includes discussion questions.
Physical Description:ix, 276 pages ; 24 cm
ISBN:9781496754875
1496754875
Author Notes:Brianne Baker is an author and professor who has taught courses in academic and creative writing at Columbia University and New York University. After graduating from NYU with a BA in English Literature and Creative Writing, she earned an MFA from Columbia University, where she received both a University Writing Fellowship and a De Alba Fellowship for fiction writing. She lives in New York City with her husband, their son, and their Shiba Inu, and Edmonia is her debut novel. She can be found on social media @briannembaker and at BrianneBaker.com.

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