The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict, Victoria Christopher Murray on June 7, 2022
Genres: Fiction / African American & Black / Women, Fiction / Biographical, Fiction / Historical / General
Pages: 368
Format: Hardcover
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This is was based off the true story of Belle da Costa Green’s story. This was an interesting piece of history that I got an inside view of. She was JP Morgan’s personal librarian.
In her twenties, Belle da Costa Greene lands a job with J. P. Morgan to curate an exclusive stash of rare manuscripts, books, and art for his swanky Pierpont Morgan Library. Soon, she’s the talk of New York’s elite circles, ruling the art and book scene with her killer style and savvy deals, amassing a world-class collection.
But Belle’s got a secret, one she guards fiercely. Born Belle Marion Greener, she’s actually the daughter of Richard Greener, Harvard’s first Black grad and a bigwig in the fight for equality. Belle’s not just passing for white due to her supposed Portuguese roots—she’s actually African American, a truth she’ll do anything to keep under wraps.
Belle also falls in love for the first time while working for JP. You might think it was with JP himself, but this story tells about how she feel for a guy in an open marriage. I also thought her struggles with this aspect of her life was interesting.
All in all, she started out with some Daddy issues and lets JP take his place as a fatherly figure in her life. Her relationships are a little messy. But as she grows, we find out if her decision making got better with time. I think this is a great book for Historical Fiction fans.