I received a gifted galley of THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray for an honest review. Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review!

THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN is historical fiction centered on the very real story of Belle de Costa Greene. Belle is hired by J. P. Morgan as his librarian, helping to curate the impressive Pierpont Morgan Library which is still open to the public today. In her ro, she helped Morgan realize his dreams which involved collecting rare manuscripts and artwork from around the world.

Belle was fantastic at her job, using her status as a woman of power to her advantage in a field dominated by men. No one at the time knew that Belle was guarding a very critical secret about her past. Belle was a Black woman who, along with her immediate family, were passing as white.

I found Belle’s story to be fascinating, from how she traveled abroad and collected pieces for the library to just how she navigated her everyday life. Because her secret was so carefully guarded, the authors had limited materials to work with in recreating her history, but she did a fantastic job bringing Belle to life.

Living in Belle’s head, we read about how much she has to wake up each day and put on a different personna before she walks out the door into public. Close with her family, Belle’s mother in particular worries about all that goes wrong with the relative fame Belle is getting. We also see what they had to leave behind, separating from loved ones in order to ensure that their Black heritage isn’t discovered.

This was a really fantastic read and beautifully written.

Book Review

This is a historical fiction novel that imagines the life of Belle de Costa Green, the real-life female personal librarian of the famous financier JP Morgan. Belle was an remarkable figure in her time, especially when you consider that she was a Black woman passing as White in a deeply racist time in history. The two authors clearly also did their research on all the supporting characters

The librarian in me wanted more details about the organization and care of the books in JP Morgan’s library. The focus instead was on how Belle acquired the books at auction and the social events she attended (as well as her bohemian friends). It would appear that Belle was more of an rare book collector and curator than a librarian who catalogued and did other administrative tasks in her early days. This is not to diminish the astounding work performed by Belle- but if you are looking for a tale of how one runs a rare book library, there will be little detail to that end. This is a story about Belle’s accomplishment in the entirely male world of auctions and other methods of obtaining rare manuscripts and other printed material of bygone ages.

I was not particularly interested in the chapter headings which listed the month, day and year. That’s not important to me and I could determine the timeframe of the story without it. It also caused me to go back and look at the previous chapter to remind myself what month is was prior and it was a distraction.

The author seamlessly included moments in Black American history, such as how Black woman were left out of the suffrage movement and how difficult it was for Black people to assimilate into universities/colleges. Belle’s remarkable parents fought for civil rights, and Belle’s father was even the first Black graduate of Harvard College.

The book was coauthored by two women and they seem to have worked very well together on this novel.

I was given an arc of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you, Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray for writing this book. I’ve been waiting for a story that would keep me engaged till the end and finally, after a long and arduous search, I’ve found it! Writing a historical fiction about lesser-known real-life-characters is a challenging task on its own, and to make it engaging and realistic to the reader is another level altogether. But this dynamic duo did it, so kudos to them!

Set in the year 1905, the Personal Librarian is a historical fiction based on the life of Belle da Costa Greene. At just 26 years old, she was hired by J.P. Morgan, the financier, to be his personal librarian to create and curate a collection of collection of rare manuscripts, incunabula, books, and artwork for his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library in New York. But Belle wasn’t who she claimed to be. She was a coloured girl named Belle Marion Greener, but her light complexion could pass her off as white, and with the advice from her mother, she lived and led her life as one. With that, Belle accomplished what many other African Americans weren’t able to during that era of Jim Crow. By living as a white person, she was able to live more ‘freely’, attending balls, dining at restaurants, traveling and most of all, created a name for herself.

Marie Benedict, in her ‘Author’s Note’, shared that she discovered Belle when she was in an unhappy phase in her life and the Pierpont Morgan Library became her refuge. There she learned about Belle from a passing docent. Her story haunted her for decades, but she knew she couldn’t write this alone if she wanted an authentic voice and point of view of an African American woman. And that was how, author Victoria Christopher Murray came into this collaboration. I’m so glad that Benedict made this decision because it made the whole story all the more engaging.

I loved how the authors were able to combine history with fiction so seamlessly, making the whole story come alive. It kept me intrigued, fascinated, and mesmerised throughout. What a life Bella led! After her father left them, she took over the reign and worked hard to support her family. As much as she loved her father, she knew her mother was right and had to do what she had to do in order to survive—to live her life as a white person. But Bella not only survived, she thrived, excelled, and surpassed all expectations. She worked her way up a male-dominated world, earned their respect with her achievements and her forthright, tenacious, and indomitable character. And she realised, early in her career, despite what her mama told her—to be cautious and blend— that she ‘must be bold, daring to hide my differences in plain sight’ in order to fit in.

What kept me turning the pages wasn’t only Belle and the question of if her true identity would ever be found out, but also her complicated relationships with the people around her especially her boss, Mr. Morgan. They had such a unique relationship. When asked if she was his mistress, she replied, “We tried!” And in one scene, Mr. Morgan said he wished he were younger and when Belle asked why, he said, “It would give me longer with you.” Belle admittedly had romantic feelings for him too, had reciprocated his kiss, but also oftentimes look up to him as her partner in crime, her boss and also a father figure. They clearly held each other in high regards and were such a powerful pair. Their chemistry, the song and dance they played, their passion of wanting to turn the library into one of a kind, their celebratory toasts to Belle’s many successes, and the question of, will they ever be together (no I didn’t Google to get this question answered), kept me interested. Their feelings for each other were undeniable. Sometimes I wondered if Mr Morgan would still accept her were she to reveal her true self?

Then there was Belle’s love life; the one with Mr. Berenson. She found someone whom she loved and loved her back, but of course, with Belle’s life, nothing was simple and straightforward. Mr. Berenson was married. Nevertheless, they had a relationship, one that was ‘approved’ by Mrs. Berenson herself. Is he trustworthy? Will he stay true to her?

Amidst all the ups and downs that happened in Belle’s life, two things stayed constant—her drive to succeed and her passion for her job. I only wished she could share her success with her father openly, the one person who started and encouraged her love for books. It just goes to show that racism just continues to break families apart. It wasn’t easy for Belle to come to terms with her life living as a white, even as she became more confident, she still always had to be cautious, look behind her back, for always having that fear of being found out. She saw that it wasn’t easy for her mother too, especially when they went back to Washington, DC for Gramma Fleet’s funeral and received a cold welcome from their family, who felt betrayed by Belle’s mother’s decision to live as whites and said that ‘turned her back on [them]’, chiding her for taking on the name ‘Greenes’.

This book would also make you want to visit Morgan Library Museum in New York, walk through its ornate bronze doors, enter the lavish entryway rotunda, and be immersed in the grandeur of it all. Read the book first of course, then google the images, then book a tour when it’s safe to start traveling!

The Personal Librarian is an immersive, well-told, and thoroughly researched historical fiction about a remarkable personal librarian, whose name I think, should be mentioned alongside J.P. Morgan’s whenever the Morgan Library Museum is mentioned, because everyone should know about the woman who took risks, carved her own path, silenced the naysayers, and forged ahead to becoming one of America’s most prominent librarians in history.

Definitely a must-read, especially for fans of historical fiction!

As a librarian and fan of historical fiction, I couldn’t wait to read The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray. The book delivered on its promise of shedding a well-deserved light upon the work of Belle da Costa Greene, known as Belle Marion Greener until she was a teenager.

I love to learn some history when I read historical fiction, and I learned a lot through this book. When Ms. Greene dazzled J. P. Morgan in her interview to be his private librarian, she started a chain of events that would lead up to her instrumental role in building the art and manuscript collection housed in what was for many years Morgan’s personal collection. After his death, she carried on her role with Morgan’s son until helping to convert the personal collection into a public one that is still enjoyed by many. The fact that she was biologically of African American descent and “passing” as white for most of her life only fascinated me more. While it is disheartening to see that Ms. Greene needed to conceal a huge part of her identity in order to achieve her success, her story is ultimately one of personal perseverance when faced with adversity.

Written by two talented authors, the narrative is seamless, and the story was evenly paced as we learned about Ms. Greene’s life as librarian for Morgan, as well as her past leading up to that. I was especially impressed with the thorough author notes, which is something I look forward to in historical fiction. I like to know which parts of the book were based on fact and which parts were fictionalized. The two author notes at the end of The Personal Librarian were impressive in both scope and content. Hearing from both authors gave me a new perspective on this story, as it seems they not only collaborated on the book, but Murray and Benedict became close friends as well.

I will recommend this book widely to readers who enjoy historical fiction about strong women, of which there is plenty to choose from of late.

Thanks to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed The Personal Librarian which is a historical fiction novel of the life of the personal library to J.P. Morgan who, amongst his financial success, created his own library now open to the public as The Morgan Library. Not only is this a fascinating story of a strong career woman during the Gilded Age of New York City, but Belle was keeping a huge secret which made her rise to prominence even more amazing: Belle a light skinned Black woman was passing as white. Imagine if all Black people in the United States at this time could have just lived their lives with the jobs they wanted and lives they created for themselves without the racism of post-Civil War America and Jim Crow. While this is an amazing story of an amazing woman, I can't help but be sad about all those people who couldn't "pass" and thus were relegated to a life that was less than their full potential. Marie Benedict and Victoria Murray did a really great job bringing this story and the struggle to life.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkely Publishing for the electronic advanced copy of this book.

As a person with a library degree, I loved the discussions over manuscripts and rare books that is rarely seen in fiction today. I’ve previously read a couple of this author’s books and didn’t love the writing style, however with this title I was pleasantly surprised. Belle was a fierce women who accomplished a great deal due to her strength. I enjoyed this look inside the Morgan Library and I had no idea such an important story was waiting to be shared with the world.

The Personal Librarian is the fictionalized story of Belle Da Costa Greene.

When she is in her twenties, Belle is hired by the wealthy banker and art collector J.P. Morgan. Her job is to search, find and curate the artworks, books and manuscrips for his new Pierpont Morgan Library.

Belle has to hide a big secret though, which was dangerous in that time era; She was not born Belle Da Costa Greene but Belle Marion Greener.She is the daughter of Richard Greener, the first Black graduate of Harvard and a well-known advocate for equality. Belle's complexion isn't dark because of her alleged Portuguese heritage that lets her pass as white her complexion is dark because she is African American. What is J.P. Morgan finds out? Will her life or her and her family that she has support financially be in danger?

Belle is good at her job as a curator, which doesn't go unnoticed by J.P. Morgan, who is kind to her and impressed by her good work.Belle becomes a fixture on the New York society scene and one of the most powerful people in the art and book world, known for her impeccable taste and shrewd negotiating for critical works as she helps build a world-class collection. But J.P. Morgan's daughter Anne keeps asking her impertinent question about her ''tropical looks'' which makes Belle truly uncomfortable and anxious. She meets many people in the international art world, including someone she gets a relationship while he is in an open marriage and while she has something going on with J.P.Morgan too. This result in whirlwind of events.. and during this she must hide her true identity while working with the wealthy in a racially segregated world.

The book is written only from the perspective of Belle, this made the story very clear because it was not switching between characters, I really liked that!Further on the rest of the story was also very clear in character, location, just everything. If you don't know much about J.P. Morgan, Belle, or any other historical things happening in the book, then it truly doesn't matter, because everything is described and laid out so detailed and well, and it is written just in a breathtaking and beautiful way!! Further on the book discusses the actual topic of racism, which also took place in the Gilded Age, and which impacts Belle's life and that of her family a lot in a horrible way. But don't let this tragic part take you back from reading this amazing good book!!

J. P. Morgan had a personal library of historical literature and art and hired Belle Da Costa Green to help oversee his library. To have a woman in this prestigious role was unheard of and little did he know that Belle was also a colored woman. Belle hid the fact that she was a colored woman by changing her name and registering as a white woman. She hid that fact by "hiding in plain site" and being a dynamic woman with flair. Her fascinating story of being J.P. Morgan's personal librarian is not one to miss.

I'm a big fan of the Morgan Library and have been very interested in Belle Da Costa Greene. I love the setup for this novel, but, unfortunately, the writing style didn't work for me.

This is the story of a remarkable woman set in the early 1900's when the United State was still very much segregated. I read this on June Nineteenth which seems like a fitting day to read about this impressive black woman that passed as a white woman to have the career of her dreams. She was born Marion Greener, the daughter of the first black man to graduate from Harvard, but because she was a light skinned black woman, she was able to pass as Bella LaCosta Greene to become the personal librarian to J.P. Morgan.

I actually didn't know much about the time period or the Pierpont Morgan Library so it was very interesting to read this story that is based on actual events and people. The first half focused on Bella's journey to become such an important person in Morgan's life but I felt like the second half was really when I was invested in the book because there was more conflict. There were some heartbreaking moments but overall this was a sweet story. Bella was such a strong heroine. Her life wasn't easy but she found a way to stand out while blending in.

*Thank you to Berkeley for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own.

(3.5 stars, rounded up)

Trigger warnings: racism, antisemitism, abortion, parental abandonment

Belle da Costa Greene, born Belle Marion Greener, is a colored woman living in New York City at the beginning of the twentieth century. Because of her light complexion, she is able to "pass" for white and uses the name da Costa to explain her olive skin as a result of having a Portuguese grandmother.

Belle is working at the Princeton library in Boston when she hears from patron Junius Morgan that his cousin J. P. Morgan is looking for a librarian for his personal Pierpont Morgan Library in New York City.

Belle and Mr. Morgan's relationship is an odd one, with her as a beloved daughter most of the time and him like her father. Morgan shows intense ownership of Belle as if she is one of the items in his personal collection. He becomes jealous if another man shows her affection, like a child getting mad when someone plays with his favorite toy. There is also a slight romantic relationship between the two despite him being decades her senior.

Belle must deal with her personal issues of pretending to be white while knowing inside that her life is a lie. She must also deal with romantic entanglements while keeping her huge secret from the men she becomes involved with.

Recommended for readers of historical fiction, especially those looking for non-white narratives. Lovers of art and antiquities may also find something to enjoy.

I wanted to like this book so much, unfortunately the dialogue felt stilted and just relaying historical information. I think it would have worked better if it wasn’t in the first person narrative.

Marion Greener was the daughter of the first black man to graduate from Harvard and an active civil rights leader on the national front, but she becomes Belle da Costa Greene to hide her real identity and pass as a white woman. She gained national and international fame and notoriety as the personal librarian of the powerfully wealthy and dominating JP Morgan. Claiming a Portuguese background, she was noted for her expertise and her bargaining ability to procure illuminated and rare manuscripts for the Morgan library. A remarkable woman in a male dominated society and the art world, Belle was a rare find for JP Morgan and the library world.

I really enjoyed reading this fictionalized account of Belle Da Costa Green's life. I did not know her story before picking up this title. A great historical fiction selection, this one is sure to be a favorite of librarians. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was an interesting story about Marion Greener, who was a light skinned black woman who changes her name to Belle Lacoste Greene and passes herself off as a write woman in order to go after her dreams. She ends up working for J.P. Morgan curating his personal library.
It made me sad that she felt, and based on the time, probably rightfully so, that she had to deny the black part of her in order to get ahead but she was strong and didn’t let things stand in her way. The story is a great tribute to the indomitable human spirit and who she was and who she wasn’t permitted to be.
It was fascinating to see in the authors notes that Marion’s father was the first black man to graduate from Harvard, but her mother listed them as white on the census to give them an advantage.
This was well researched and well written and historical fiction fans will devour it.
Thanks to Berkley Publishers and Netgalley for this Arc in exchange for my review.

I liked reading about the lives of the ultra-wealthy in the early 20th century - the parties, dinners and operas - but I wish there had been more detail about Belle's day-to-day life. What was she doing on the days she wasn't sailing off to Europe to bid at auction for a rare manuscript?

Benedict and Christopher Murray do a wonderful job with this fictionalized account of the life of Belle Da Costa Green. The best of historical fiction leaves the reader with more knowledge and also an urge to do more research on the topic and The Personal Librarian did that for me. Despite numerous trips to the Morgan Library in NYC, I had no idea the collection was built by a woman, a woman of color who had to pass as white to get anything accomplished.

This is a fascinating look at the personal cost of living a lie in a society that left her no choice.

Belle Greene has a secret - she's really Marion Greener, a colored girl. But her family is light-skinned enough to pass, so her mother chooses to move them to New York, where they live as white. The father chooses to leave and continue his work for racial justice as a colored man. Her mother's lie opens doors for Belle that would have remained closed if the truth were ever discovered. She rises to become JP Morgan's personal librarian, shaping his rare manuscript collection and pushing for it to be opened to the public.

Belle's legacy lives on in the library that exists today.

This was a fascinating peek into the lavish world of JP Morgan and the society in which his family lived.

Belle was a fascinating character. She chose to live her life boldly, thinking that no one would suspect someone so bold. She took on responsibility for her whole family, while denying herself true connections with others by not sharing her identity. The sacrifices she made to be white were heart-wrenching.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book.

How can I not read a book with the word 'librarian' in the title? Librarians are my hero. When I picked this book up, I thought it would be a light, easy read. Just a book about a librarian. It was SO MUCH MORE. It blew me away and I don't want to give much away. But only to say.. that this is really a gem of a novel. It covers such important topics and also a forgotten little piece of history.

Excellent novel.

When I first saw the title and description of this book, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. I entered every Goodreads giveaway that popped up for this book because I couldn't wait for the publication date. I finally received an e-ARC through Netgalley and began reading right away, only to find that the book did not live up to the hype I had built up for myself.
I appreciate the story of Marion Greener - known throughout most of her life as Belle de Costa Greene - being told: I think as Black women our stories have been hidden through force or necessity for far too long. However, this particular telling of her story just didn't do it for me. The dialogue frequently felt stilted or unnatural; instead of feeling like the dialogue was time-period appropriate I felt like it was written in a way that someone unfamiliar with the time would assume people in that era would speak. The way context was provided was also clunky sometimes, and I found it to be distracting from the story. I appreciated the author's notes and historical context at the end, but they also only furthered my confusion about a major parts of the storyline.
Some of my discontent is my own fault - I took frequent breaks while reading this book and so it seemed in some ways to drag on forever. I tend not to enjoy stories written in first person or the present tense, and yet I attempted to read this one. Reading this book ultimately ended up feeling like a chore, ultimately. I enjoyed the book at times but by the end was excited to finally be finished.