Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2000964 in Books
• Published on: 2003-02-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 152 pages

From Publishers Weekly
The first woman to be awarded the American Cross of Honor for her heroic effort in saving lives, the 103-pound Lewis (1849-1911) repeatedly braved the waters to rescue the unfortunate souls 18 in all, plus one sheep who foundered off Narragansett Harbor, where her family kept the lighthouse. Connecticut Post columnist Skomal (Heroes) offers an intelligent and concise biography of the pioneering woman, whose work was commended by Ulysses S. Grant and Susan B. Anthony, among others. The lighthouse-keeping post was officially her father's, but after suffering a stroke he relinquished most of the duties to his wife, son and especially his daughter, whose rescues were widely reported across the country, making her a bona fide celebrity and drawing curious tourists to the lighthouse. The locals in her hometown celebrated Ida Lewis Day instead of Independence Day, much to the shy girl's chagrin. Filled with fascinating stories of Lewis's rescues, the book also places her work in historical context, focusing especially on the burgeoning women's rights movement that held up Lewis's work as an example of women's superior abilities. For her part, Lewis shied away from any comparisons between the genders and was ambivalent about the movement and the well-publicized visit she received from Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. The book will appeal to readers who enjoy a good sea story as well as those who simply want to read about an unusual and brave woman.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Adult/High School-A slender but compelling portrait of the woman who served as keeper of the lighthouse in the Newport, RI, harbor in the latter half of the 19th century. Lewis assumed her position when illness and frailty rendered her father unable to continue the job. Although she was shy and reserved, the publicity that followed her 1869 rescue of two men during a March northeaster initiated a series of cascading events that ultimately resulted in parades; honoraria; visits from the president, vice-president, General William Tecumseh Sherman, Susan B. Anthony, and others; and drew a torrent of tourists. As a backdrop to the story, Skomal describes the beginnings of the U.S. Coast Guard service, explains the early regulation of lighthouses under the Secretary of the Treasury, and acquaints readers with the affluent Newport society that played a significant part in Lewis's rise to prominence. Other women lighthouse keepers of the era are briefly mentioned in contrast. A spare collection of photographs and quotations enhances the text, and will nicely strengthen students' perceptions of this woman whose career unexpectedly intersected the opulence of the Gilded Age.
Lynn Nutwell, Fairfax City Regional Library, VA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
In 1869, 17-year-old Ida Zoradia Lewis plunged into the water off Rhode Island's Lime Rock Lighthouse and pulled two men out of the sea. Her act of bravery propelled her to national celebrity, but that rescue was not her first. By 1869, young Ida had already saved the lives of five other strangers. Was she a born hero? No, not according to Ida, who spent the bulk of her life as the keeper of the Lime Rock Lighthouse. In this sensitive biography, Skomal presents Lewis as a woman who accepted her celebrity with grace and dignity but who did nothing to encourage it. And, despite the best efforts of a lot of people to turn her into a cultural icon, Lewis remained a humble woman who merely wanted to live her peaceful life at the lighthouse. She is almost completely unknown now, nine decades after her death, but as Skomal suggests, that's probably exactly the way she would have wanted it. A remarkable story of an ordinary woman who did some extraordinary things. David Pitt
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