Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 10/01/2022 Gr 8 Up—This biography seems on the surface to be a typical description of a historic female scientist whose discoveries went unheralded in her lifetime. More careful consideration reveals that this author is as resourceful and ingenious in relating the story of her subject as Jeanne Villepreux-Power was in her scholarly endeavors. Though she grew up in obscurity in rural France during the French Revolution, Villepreux-Power bravely ventured to Paris when she was 17 years old. There she parlayed her creativity and initiative into jobs in women's fashions. Her design of a wedding dress for a princess brought her notoriety and the particular attention of her future husband. Villepreux-Power moved to Sicily with her husband and began her self-education and experimentation with the natural world. She became an expert in many areas of natural history and biology, but her most important accomplishments were in the study of cephalopods and in the development of the apparatus needed for the study of these creatures in their natural environments. Villepreux-Power developed and employed several different aquariums and went to great efforts to see her findings published and her accomplishments acknowledged by her scientific contemporaries. This narrative not only features the compelling story of her life and work in vivid and accessible language, but also includes a helpful time line, glossary of key terms, index, source notes for each chapter, and suggestions for further reading. The frequent illustrations and feature insets provide important context for the main events in Villepreux-Power's life. VERDICT This life story of an important female pioneer in the sciences is highly recommended for middle and high school nonfiction collections.—Kelly Kingrey-Edwards - Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 11/01/2022 *Starred Review* From skilled dressmaker to respected naturalist, Jeanne Villepreux-Power wore many hats with aplomb. Staaf charts her life during the nineteenth century, following her from Paris to Messina (Sicily) to London, where this brilliant woman studied live marine life—most notably the argonaut octopus—in its natural environments and within glass aquariums (which she invented), in contrast to the common practice at the time of working only with dead specimens. Villepreux-Power proves a fascinating subject, as she defied many conventions surrounding the roles of women and wives and pushed the boundaries of scientific practices, but Staaf’s approach to historic biography is just as interesting. With an admirable level of transparency, Staaf informs readers of the facts she knows for certain versus areas of Villepreux-Power’s life where she has used educated guesses (signaled by “maybes” and “probablys”), as nearly all the naturalist’s writings and illustrations were lost at sea. The author also regularly provides historical context through topical pages on social mores, scientific practices, and important events of the time and through calling out instances of privilege (Villepreux-Power was white and wealthy), sexism, and racism when pertinent. Many photos and historic portraits and artwork support the engaging writing, and robust source notes are included. An illuminating work on a scientist in the same league as Maria Sibylla Merian and Mary Anning. - Copyright 2022 Booklist.

Booklist - 11/01/2022 *Starred Review* From skilled dressmaker to respected naturalist, Jeanne Villepreux-Power wore many hats with aplomb. Staaf charts her life during the nineteenth century, following her from Paris to Messina (Sicily) to London, where this brilliant woman studied live marine life—most notably the argonaut octopus—in its natural environments and within glass aquariums (which she invented), in contrast to the common practice at the time of working only with dead specimens. Villepreux-Power proves a fascinating subject, as she defied many conventions surrounding the roles of women and wives and pushed the boundaries of scientific practices, but Staaf’s approach to historic biography is just as interesting. With an admirable level of transparency, Staaf informs readers of the facts she knows for certain versus areas of Villepreux-Power’s life where she has used educated guesses (signaled by “maybes” and “probablys”), as nearly all the naturalist’s writings and illustrations were lost at sea. The author also regularly provides historical context through topical pages on social mores, scientific practices, and important events of the time and through calling out instances of privilege (Villepreux-Power was white and wealthy), sexism, and racism when pertinent. Many photos and historic portraits and artwork support the engaging writing, and robust source notes are included. An illuminating work on a scientist in the same league as Maria Sibylla Merian and Mary Anning. - Copyright 2022 Booklist.