Module 7: Julia Morgan Built a Castle

Book Summary: Julia Morgan was born in the United States to an engineer father. In 1895, she graduated from Berkeley with a degree in engineering as the only woman in her class. Julia goes to France to study at the famous École des Beaux-Arts, but she is denied entrance because she is a woman. After taking the entrance exams three times, she is accepted. There, she learns about applying an artistic eye to engineering. After finishing school, she creates well-known buildings, including the famous Hearst Castle in California. William Randolph Hearst, the wealthy newspaper tycoon, commissioned her to create his home, which took her 20 years to design and build because of all the changes and modifications he imposed.

APA Reference of Book:

Mannis, C. D. (2006). Julia Morgan built a castle. New York, NY: Viking.

Impressions: I think the most interesting part of this story is the title because it is not entirely indicative of the content inside. I never knew that a female architect created the Hearst Castle, but learning about Julia Morgan was an interesting part about this story.  When I first saw the title on our reading list, the story was not entirely what I expected.  It is not until seeing the book did I realize that the "castle" was in fact a home for one of the world's most wealthy men.  The story and illustrations are fairly simplistic, but I felt that the author's note in the back was descriptive enough to explain the facts behind Julia's story. Overall, the story reads well even if it does jump forward over the buildings she created to discuss the Hearst Castle.  

Professional Review: 
"The daughter of an engineer and the cousin of architect Pierre LeBrun, Julia Morgan was fascinated with how buildings worked from an early age. She graduated with an engineering degree from Berkeley in 1895, the only woman in her class, then went to France where she sketched and studied and worked at gaining admission to the École des Beaux-Arts (which made her take the entrance exam three times). She came back to California and had a successful career, most famously spending more than 20 years designing and building Hearst Castle (San Simeon). She did battle with tycoon William Randolph Hearst as he changed his mind and his priorities. The text is straightforward and a little dry, betraying little of the will it must have taken for Morgan to forge the career she wanted. Hyman’s soft but brilliant colors capture light, space and structure wonderfully but are less successful with figures and faces. Still, an interesting subject for a young biography, one who is not represented anywhere else for this age reader" (Kirkus Reviews, 2006, https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/celeste-davidson-mannis/julia-morgan-built-a-castle/).

Kirkus Reviews. (2006, October 1). [Review of the book Julia Morgan built a castle, by C.D. Mannis] Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/celeste-davidson-mannis/julia-morgan-built-a-castle/

Library Uses: I would recommend this book for children, especially girls, interested in engineering or architecture. This book would also be a potential title to recommend to elementary school students working on biographies of famous women, such as during Women's History Month.