This book is a delight – A historical fiction book based on the true-story of CARD and World War One-librarian, Jessie Carson. It is filled with literary references and WW1 women’s historical facts. Historical fiction fans will love this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for an advanced copy in exchange for a fair review.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the gifted early copy of the book.

This is a book about books and libraries and a book within a book. All the hot now concepts were set during WWI in France.
I loved the idea and the message the author tried to deliver, I understood the point and think this is an important read. However, it was not my favorite in terms of storytelling. I felt that the characters were undeveloped and I had nothing out of the "present" timeline in NYC. The parts set in France were mostly 5 stars for me and the parts in NYC were boring and just so cringe, that I took nothing out of them.

This had some dark themes and descriptions of war that made my heart ache, but overall I would say this is a great book to read in the summer by the pool. It will make you believe in good and the power of books.

Miss Morgan's Book Brigade by Janet Skeslien Charles was based on the true story of Jessie "Kit" Carson and her work for CARD (American Committee for Devastated France). She starts children's libraries and trains female librarians during WWI. This book is for fans of books and libraries, dual timelines, and strong women. Highly recommended!

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced digital copy of the book.

Enjoyable enough, but predictable and formulaic women’s historical fiction.

This is fine from an entertainment and readability standpoint, but don’t expect anything on par with Janet Skeslien Charles’ previous work.

I really loved Moonlight in Odessa, which was a truly unique read, beautifully written, and intriguing from start to finish. The Paris Library felt more formulaic and genre-typical, but it was still an unusually well-written and compelling story in a genre that tends to be pretty repetitive.

This one is less well-executed, and though Jessie “Kit” Carson has an interesting tale to tell, this isn’t a great rendition of it. The modern timeline feels like it’s only there for form’s sake, and it doesn’t add anything to a story that already feels very similar to a lot of other WWI romance-adjacent women’s historical fiction.

I respect that it’s a tough genre to do anything truly new with (especially if you’re focusing on WWI or WWII) because it’s so saturated, but maybe that’s a sign that the genre and its authors need to move a bit more outside their comfort zone.

Skeslien Charles is far too good a writer and too inventive with her character work to fall victim to this, so I’m going to assume this was a one off and that her next book will be as wonderful as her first two. But if you’re looking for something that doesn’t feel like you’ve read it in some form dozens of times already, skip this one and read Moonlight in Odessa instead.

I love historical fiction because I always learn something new while enjoying my favorite hobby. Not only did I not know about these women keeping libraries and reading alive during the rebuilding of France after WWI, neither did the author until she was researching to write “The Paris Library” (a 5-star read for me). I’m glad their story is getting out, even if it is fictionalized. I loved the characters and storyline but overall, the book fell flat for me. I think there needed to be more depth to it. I still recommend it, it’s just not as good as her other book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the complimentary copy of this book. As always, the opinions expressed within this review are completely my own.

What a beautifully written and uplifting story about the amazing and almost-lost-to-history heroine, Jessie Carson. While weaving stories of two places and timelines - World War I France and 1987 New York City, author Janet Skeslien Charles has written an informative and captivating story about this defender of everyone's right for access to the written word.

This was a beautiful tale of the staff, volunteers and patrons of the American Committee for Devastated France during World War I, headed up by Anne Morgan, J.P.'s daughter. Juxtaposed against that is the later tale of a young New York writer looking for material to write a captivating story for her writing class. Her friend stumbles across some clippings about a former New York Public Library, Jessie Carson, who receives a commission to serve French villages devastated by the German occupation earlier on in the Great War. Specifically, Ms. Carson plans on introducing children's libraries to alleviate the angst of young children and offer them worlds into which they can disappear and cope when reality is more horrifying than one should have to bear.

This is also a story of love, hope, and anticipation. There are several relationships woven throughout the story: parents and their children, siblings, young couples, friends, and colleagues. Ms. Charles' writing is highly descriptive and exquisitely delivered. The mise en scène is spot on. One hears the roar of Big Bertha at the not so distant battlefield, smells the acrid odor of spent munitions and tastes the unsatisfying cup of coffee with its added chicory. Ms. Charles' extensive historical research was obvious in the story's delivery. This is a lovely book for fans of historical fiction and the written word.

I am grateful to Atria Books for having provided a complimentary e-book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.


Publisher:‎ Atria Books
Publication Date: April 30, 2024
No. of pages:‎ 336
ISBN:‎ 978-1668008980

MISS MORGAN'S BOOK BRIGADE is based on the the true story of American Librarian Jessie "Kit" Carson and is told in dual timelines, slowly unfurling the history of the New York librarian whose bookmobiles made such an impact in France.

The history of Kit Carson and the CARDs in France is fascinating and well-told in this novel. Having grown up in a rural area served by our library's Bookmobile, the history of bookmobiles has a special place for me, and I was touched by this story and the amazing work these women did during the Great War.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

This was a well written and well researched historical fiction. I loved reading about the females making a difference in France during the war. The friendships they made and the way they helped people made me love them. I enjoyed the alternating timelines and seeing the characters being discovered and being given credit. I love books about books and the library was a fun setting. I learned about something I wasn’t familiar with before. Thanks NetGalley for the arc for review.

While parts of this book moved very slowly for me, overall it was good. These brave women who volunteered to go to France and help in whatever way they could, were heroic. I got a clearer picture of how devastated it was after the war. No homes, no schools, no food, no seeds to plant crops. It is historical fiction, but well researched. It just didn't flow for me. Though it wasn't my style of writing, I think if you know nothing about this time in France, you would enjoy it. Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read the ARC.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Oh, how I loved this book. I could have read this in 2 days but purposely read it slow to savor the characters.

I don't normally read much WW1 related content but loved how the author made me feel like I was there in France with them. I like how they tied the present day to the past. Especially at the end. Since almost anyone who lived in that time is gone, it is so important to keep stories like this alive. People did amazing things during the war just for the greater good of humanity.

As a booklover it’s always fun for me to read books about librarians. The love for books and their importance in the lives of children was the best part of this book. Also reading about the history of the CARDS and their work in France during the Great War was eye opening. I enjoyed this historical fiction about the women who helped rebuild France while putting themselves in the midst of the danger.

“Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade” is a historical fiction book by Janet Skeslien Charles. In this book, told in two timelines, we follow Jessie - a librarian in France during the Great War - and Wendy - a librarian in 1987. I found the sections regarding Jessie’s timeline well researched and very interesting. I found the 1987 timeline less interesting, but a pretty good conclusion to Jessie’s storyline. Do read the author’s note - more information about CARD and the people mentioned in the Great War timeline. What I wasn’t so thrilled by was the pacing (very slow at times), the romance in the 1987 timeline (was it really necessary?), and that I didn’t connect much with the characters (at times Jessie seemed more in her 20s opposed to being 40). I think that if you like WWI historical books, like books about books/librarians, and like strong women characters, this may be a book you’d like to pick up.

Enjoyed this immensely, captivating historical fiction novel. I loved the dual storytelling of the courageous women.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

This was a lovely historical fiction novel. I really loved learning about the work of the women in France. I found myself more drawn to Kit's story in the past. Any time the story moved back and forth, I found myself wanting to stay with Kit. Overall, this is a great book for any historical fiction fan, especially someone who loves books about books.

Thank you to Net Galley and Simon and Schuster Publishing for an early copy of Miss Morgan's Book Brigade by Janet Skeslien Charles

Readers will quickly become engrossed in the lives of a multi-faceted group of women named CARDS as they struggle to bring a sense of normalcy to a war-torn area of France during World War I. While the focus of this narrative is real-life American librarian Jessie Carson, several additional characters such as nurse Mary Breckenridge and Anna Morgan, daughter of J. P Morgan, add to an extraordinary story of selflessness and sacrifice as they work to provide library access and story time for children devastated by the Great War.

Told through the structure of two timelines, 1987 New York Public Library employee and would-be author, Wendy Peterson, discovers newsletters in the archives written by the CARDS during the war years. Peterson focuses her efforts on learning about the elusive Jessie Carson who had been employed at the NYPL so many years before. With the aid of a co-worker, the story begins to unravel, and Wendy meets an elderly woman, Marcelle, who fills in the gaps and makes it possible for Peterson to write the CARDS' incredible story.

Author Janet Skelien Charles includes many references to a multitude of children's and adult works that include Anne of Green Gables, the Adventures of Tom Sawyer (which captivates her young audience when she reads the scene of painting the fence with youngsters) along with Howard's End and The Call of the Wild. Book lovers are sure to enjoy the connections.

The careful research and dedication to sharing the lives of these incredible women at such a tragic time in history assures Charles's place in the storytelling realm. She offers additional reading at the conclusion of the book for all those eager to learn even more.

I would give this book a ten star rating for a great story and the history behind it. I am so impressed with the writing and the descriptions of the horror that the Cards went through. I feel that this is a book that many would enjoy.

I adored this book!!! MISS MORGAN’S BOOK BRIGADE by Janet Skeslien Charles is based on the true story of Jessie “Kit” Carson, a pioneering children’s librarian in France during The Great War.

There are two separate timelines featuring strong female protagonists; -In 1918.. salaried NYPL librarian Jessie Carson, millionaire Anne Morgan (JP Morgan’s daughter), and the international group of women volunteers known as the CARD’s (American Committee of Devastated France). The novel moves forward to Wendy Peterson in 1987, an aspiring writer and a researcher at the NYPL, who stumbles upon an article about Carson. It fascinates her so much she wants to write a book about Carson and her CARD sisters.

Though there were sad moments this has a profoundly positive storyline, and is unique in that it tells the little known story about Carson + women CARD volunteers in France of which I’d never heard of until now. It’s heartening how these women were put in such close proximity to the front lines helping evacuate civilians, tending to soldiers wounds, and being emotionally there for them. I enjoyed learning about Carson’s interesting life of activism and heroism - - and the close relationships between CARD members and the civilians in the town of Blerancourt. Amazing that how (after the war) Carson thought to turn ambulances into bookmobiles and also taught women to be librarians (which was completely unheard of in France at that time). The author also includes fascinating notes and pictures of her research. 4.5 stars — Pub. 4/30/24

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I haven't read to many WW1 books but do love a good book set in a library. What better place right.

This book is based on a real person. It's beautifully written. I love a book that attacks my heart and draws me right in. This one did that.

I'll look for more by this author. Heartfelt. Heartbreaking.

Thank you #NetGalley, #Atria, for this ARC. This is my honest opinion of this book.

Five huge stars.

Books are bridges, they show how we are connected.

After enjoying The Paris Library, I jumped at the chance to read Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade. This book was right up my alley, France, books, and strong female characters. Loved it! Janet Skeslein Charles has once again delivered a well researched story based on real characters who volunteer to help in devastated France. The novel is a tribute to these brave and independent women and the power of books.

The use of books (Anne of Avonale and My Antonio) for quotes and themes was really enjoyable.

Thanks Net Galley and Atria books for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade by Janet Skeslien Charles

This book is based on the true story of Jessie “Kit” Carson, who travels to France in 1918 to join the CARDS, an organization of women dedicated to helping the devastated French people. Jessie’s job was to set up libraries to encourage the women and children of the French countryside.

The dual storyline also follows a NYPL librarian and aspiring writer in 1987 who has discovered Jessie’s story and wants to bring it to life. She meets one of Jessie’s assistants and learns the rest of the story.

Both sets of characters are realistic, strong and grew through difficult circumstances. They made different choices than I would have and the author included a few scenes that I would have preferred not to read.

But overall, I enjoyed the book. I am grateful to the publisher for the arc in exchange for this, my honest opinion.