The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray is a historical fiction story about Belle da Costa Greene. Belle was the librarian and art curator hired by American Financier J. P. Morgan to develop and expand his collection of rare books, paintings, and artifacts. In the early 1900s, this was truly remarkable that J.P Morgan would hire a young woman to curate this collection. Though exceptionally knowledgeable in her position, Belle hid a secret from the world. She was a light-skinned black woman who could pass as white. The fascinating story about Belle’s struggles and how she succeeded in this high-profile job was fascinating. Her decades-long work can be seen today at the Morgan Library in New York City, which is open to the public.

An extraordinary real life novel of “Passing” that I’m still processing and obsessing over a week after reading. i have some quibbles about whether the authors truly captured the essence of woman they based the story on,,the one who was born Belle Greener and reinvented herself as Belle Da Costa Greene, but there’s no doubt they created a compelling narrative that stands up on its own. From what I’ve read in the biographical sources snd related histories, it’s one that seems more pristine and reverential, less reckless, less restive and slightly less compelling in her humanity than the person they .set out to study.

The Personal Librarian confirms my love of historical fiction!

This is the story of Belle de Costa Greene or by her real name Belle Marion Greener. Belle is the daughter of Richard Greener, the first black graduate of Harvard and a strong activist for equal rights. Belle’s mother takes another approach, with her fair skin and her children’s fair skin, she decides to pass them off as white. She has them go by de Costa Greene and claim a Portuguese grandmother as the reason for their skin color.

Passing as white, Belle finds herself hired by J.P. Morgan to help him establish his Pierpont Morgan Library. Belle not only helps him, she becomes almost like a partner. He sends her abroad to auctions, she attends gala events, all while presenting herself as a white woman.

An insight into race, gender and wealth in the early 1900’s in America.

Fans of author Marie Benedict will love “The Personal Librarian”. She’s known for writing about unknown women in history. In this one, she showcases Bella de Costa Greene who curated J.P. Morgan’s personal library. Ms. Greene had a secret: she was black, passing as white.


The Personal Librarian is very well written and in the voice of Belle. I think that Benedict has put the exact proper words in her mouth, depicting Belle as a highly educated speaker and thinker.

I recommend this historical fiction book as one that really makes you think.

As a librarian myself I was delighted to happen upon this novel by Marie Benedict and Victoria Murray—it was wonderful. As the life of Belle de Costa Greene began to unfold, i was mesmerized by this brave, strong woman who’s vision was inspirational and contributed to so many.

She was the personal librarian of J. P. Morgan who was initially brought in to curate his Pierpont Morgan Library but became so much more. She was a black woman who was forced to pass as white during quite a tumultuous time in our history who’s intelligence and hard work and determination led her to become one of the nations true national treasures.

This is an educational, inspirational and also strongly provocative, well executed, extremely engrossing book that I couldn’t put down!
I adored the layered, impressive characterization and unforgettable story of Belle de Costa Greene.

The Personal Librarian was an eye-opening look into an incredible black woman that remarkably passed as white. This topic, of passing, has been huge in fiction over the past few years, however this book is different as this character is based on the real Belle da Costa Greene. During her time, she was one of the most successful working women, idolized by women still battling for the right to vote. Belle’s race was kept secret from everyone except her immediate family.

I completely enjoyed learning about Belle, her relationship with her mother versus her father, who left after her mom proclaimed that the family be white. Belle’s success came with an overwhelming sense of fear that she’d be found out, as well as the weight of financial stability to support her sisters, brother and mother. It was nice to see her finally find joy amongst friends and find a lover that would never to lead to marriage. (Keeping this quite brief to avoid spoilers.)

Before reading this, I was not aware of the Pierpoint Morgan Library, nor the museum that still operates in NYC under the name The Morgan Library and Museum. This book made me think of libraries around the globe that collect the finest and rarest manuscripts. I’d never considered the actual bidding and negotiating that went on to create collections and the who behind it all. I found that process amazing.

As much as I enjoyed the book, it read slowly for me. There was always a good amount of tension about Belle being found out, and an odd, yet interesting romance, but there was something that I can’t quite put my finger on that was kept me distanced. Perhaps after I discuss this with the book clubs I facilitate, I’ll figure it out. I’m so grateful for the authors for introducing me to Belle. Make sure to read the author’s notes in the back. They’re incredibly interesting.

This was a fascinating story of a remarkable woman who lived, loved and succeeded all while having to hide who she’d really was. I loved how intelligent she was and how that was recognized at a time when women were not known for being business women, but I cri ge to think that would have all be dismissed if it had been known that she was black. Great historical perspective

The story of Belle da Costa Greene, the personal librarian to J.P. Morgan, who helped to shape and cultivate his collection, had a secret to hide. She was a black woman who had to deceive the world by passing as white in order to accomplish what she did.
Her life was amazing but the story, as written, came off as a bit too much of a soap opera. The fiction of this particular "historical fiction" seemed a bit too contrived. It was a good read about a time that needs to be examined.

A fascinating who I'd never heard of before and would like to learn more about, but unfortunately the writing was plodding and inelegant.

The Personal Librarian was an excellent read! While reading this book, I was truly rooting for Belle da Costa Greene as she navigated through life as a black woman passing as white in the early 1900s. Belle was J.P. Morgan's personal librarian and helped curate his incredible collection of books, art, and more. As a librarian myself, I know that her role was different than what we consider to be a librarian today since her focus was on rare books/materials and then in later years, making his materials available to the public and not just elites. All that being said, this book is about so much more than books!

Belle's story is fascinating. She is such a strong woman! The authors put so much heart and soul into making Belle's story shine, both in what we know about her as a real person and then some imaginative aspects. I loved that this book was co-written by two women who could speak to various aspects of this story and I really appreciated that a white woman did not try to write about the experience of a black woman passing as white. There was so much richness and depth in that aspect of the story! I admire the bravery, strength, and courage of Belle. I could have done without some of the love story, but regardless, recommend this book highly. It's a great read!

I found this book so enlightening about the time of J P Morgan in New York. The story revolves around the wealthy Morgan and his valuable art and print collection which he wants to enlarge. In order to do so he needs a personal librarian. She then becomes the focus of the story. Her heritage and upbringing are her secret to try and keep from the world in which she works. What this does to her and her relationships were eye-opening and very current.

When I started the book, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about it, but as I read on, I could not put down this story of a unique and strong woman. Based on a real life person, Belle becomes more than just a librarian for J.P.Morgan and the Morgan Library in Manhattan. Through her hard work Belle becomes indispensable as the purchaser and agent for the numerous works acquired. Belle worked despite a huge secret, that she was actually Black. Able to pass as a white woman, as her light skinned mother and siblings were, caused a rift resulting in her father leaving the family. Belle became a fixture in many of the social events of the Gilded era, her passing as white opening doors she would never have been bit to get through as the racism in the country was evident with lynchings and the overturning of Civil Rights laws. There is so much depth to this book, enhanced by the two co authors, one White and one Black. I highly recommend this illuminating piece of historical fiction at its best and thank NetGalley for the ARC.

I had heard of Belle da Costa Greene before and I was always fascinated by her story. As a librarian myself I naturally had a huge soft spot for her, and this book provides such a great insight into her world. She was much more than a librarian both professionally and personally.

She lived during a time where having to pass as a white woman was simply easier than being who she was, and we see that through the experiences that are opened to her and the people she met. The authors did a good job of placing the reader in this time and filling in the gaps with clever imagination.

Truly a great read!

Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray turn the remarkable life of Belle da Costa Greene into splendid fiction in The Personal Librarian. Greene’s mother changed her surname and that of her children to Greene after her separation from her father, Richard Theodore Greener; from Belle’s teenage years forward, Belle, her mother and her siblings claimed Portuguese ancestry and passed as white in. Greene was in her late twenties when she began her forty-plus years working with the family of J.P. Morgan, serving as Morgan’s personal librarian before spending decades as the first executive director of the J.P. Morgan Library. Benedict and Murray capture Greene’s skill at acquiring world-class books and manuscripts for the library and the prominence the work brought her, but they also evoke the tension that comes from living with an explosive secret. The Personal Librarian does justice to Greene’s remarkable gifts as well as to the challenges of an era in which her race alone was a disqualifying factor.

The Personal Librarian tells the story of Belle da Costa Greene, who curated and maintained J.P. Morgan's extensive rare book collection and paved the way for the future Morgan Library. In order to work as a librarian for Morgan, Belle presented herself as a white woman of Portuguese descent, hiding the reality that she was a light-skinned Black woman.

2.5/5: A serviceable work historical fiction that shows the tenacity and intelligence of a pioneer in special collections. As a librarian, I loved seeing how a Black woman forever changed the fields of library science and museum studies. However, the novel itself was somewhat forgettable. Belle was a fine protagonist, but the hero worship of J.P. Morgan rubbed me the wrong way, and I longed for more detail about the cataloging and upkeep of the many manuscripts that floated through the story. Overall, I felt the novel was lacking, especially when considering the real-world formidable woman at its center and the historical significance of her work.

Imagine spending your life having to hide who you are, knowing that if you're found out, not only will it be a disaster for you, but also a catastrophe for your family. This was the life of Belle da Costa Green, the gifted librarian who built and curated the JP Morgan library. Green had to "pass" as white to keep her position, as a Black American woman would not be considered worthy of such a position. There's much in this book that points to both the "polite society" racism as well as the overt racism during Green's lifetime. But there are also examples of Green's amazing ability to bring classic and rare works to the JP Morgan library and how she was considered a force in the rare works world. This is historical fiction at its best and recommended for anyone who has an interest in the life of Belle da Costa Green or the fabulous library she created.

A very fascinating look at a woman who I hadn't known about before. As a librarian, I would have liked to learn more about how Belle ran the JP Morgan library from day to day, rather than everything being focused on her talents as a curator. I am definitely interested in reading more about her and the contribution that she made to the literary and art world.

Marie Benedict brings us another historical fiction novel focusing on the life of a virtually unknown but important woman in history. With this novel, The Personal Librarian, Benedict teams up with co-writer Victoria Christopher Murray to bring us the story of Belle da Costa Greene, J.P. Morgan’s personal librarian. Belle was a light-skinned black woman who passed as a white woman. As Morgan’s librarian, she interacted with dealers, scholars, and high society as she built one of the most important collections of rare books and manuscripts in the United States. She was a strong woman living in a man’s world of art dealers and curators. She had to rise above the sexism and classism that was present in that world, all while protecting her true identity. The novel portrays Belle’s inner turmoil as she protects her secret, yet yearns to be her true self and acknowledge her heritage.

I highly recommend this novel. Book clubs will enjoy discussing this book and the many issues contained in it. Marie Benedict has become one of my favorite authors. I look forward to her next novel.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy.

A story of self that will resonate with many readers not just those of color. There were so many layers here that it is impossible to touch on all the themes. It went beyond race, to women's issues at the turn of the century that still resonate today. It is a story about learning who or what you are and reconciling a family history. I just loved this story and look forward to reading more from this author.