“Here in France, I’d become independent, a dauntless explorer, and outspoken librarian, a Card.” Jessie Carson, a librarian at the New York Public Library is recruited by American philanthropist Ann Morgan to help provide relief efforts to war torn France in WWI. Jessie went to France to work for the American Committee for Devastated also known as CARD (Comité Américain pour les Régions Dévastées de France). She learns that she is stronger than she thinks and that even though she wasn’t born in to the upper class, her ideas shouldn’t be discarded. She revolutionized French libraries by establishing children’s sections and allowing them to check out their own books. After WWI, she takes ambulances and turns them in to book mobiles to take books in to distant towns.
I did not know a lot about WWI or about Ann Morgan’s philanthropy and found it I really enjoyed this book and it prompted me to do more research of these characters. I think that Dolly Parton should acquire the rights to this book and turn it into a movie. Afterall, she is known as the book lady!

Here’s an unlikely beach read recommendation – a story that takes place during the Great War. We don’t normally recommend historical fiction set during a war for the beach, but Charles crafted a story that was as hopeful as it was interesting. It touched on the darkness while highlighting the helpers of one of the darkest periods of world history.

Unlike The Women (which we do NOT recommend for a summer beach read) this story never got so bogged down in wartime sadness. Instead, we are treated to a front-row seat of the grit and determination of the women working near the front lines of France to bring normalcy and hope to innocent civilians.

Specifically in the form of books – children’s books.

Based on the true story of pioneering children’s librarian, Jessie Carson, it’s a testament to women being innovators and hope-makers. Jessie works tirelessly to train the first French female librarians, turns ambulances into bookmobiles, and uses all the resources she can muster to bring joy to the victims of war.

It’s a dual timeline narrative that also focuses on Wendy, a librarian in 1980s New York working for the same library where Jessie got her start. She uses her research on Jessie and the American Committee for Devasted France as inspiration in her writing class and is surprised at how similar she is to her muse.

Why I Loved It: While there were sad moments within the story, this book ultimately left me with warmth in my heart. The narrators do an excellent job bringing this story to life. #Gifted by Simon & Schuster Books

As a huge fan of The Paris Library. I was so happy to receive an advanced copy of Charles' Miss Morgan's Book Brigade. It did not disappoint. Books about books are a bibliophile's dream. I have read several of this nature set during WWII but this was the first that highlights the atrocities of WWI. Female friendships and the love of the written word are exalted in this book. I learned so much about this time in history, mostly about the CARDS. I love that real people are memorialized. I felt a kinship with the characters, immediately and didn't want to put the book down. I loved the dualing timelines and both stories and their collision of worlds was breathtaking. Something as simple as a library and reading stories aloud to children, even during wartime, sound superfluous but Charles reminds us that books connect us and offer an escape to the world around us when we need it most. I'm now obsessed with learning more about the CARDS. Don't miss the note at the end that highlights these real women.

I have turned into such a historical fiction fan, especially when the books tell a story around one of the World Wars and if they center around books, and even better if they center around women who band together to support each other. This book hit it all for me.

The story about a librarian. Jessie (Kit) Carson who joined the American Committee for Devastated France in order to set us libraries (especially children's) in a French community near the front. She gets way more than she was prepared for. The devastation from the war is worse than she could have imagined and everything is an uphill battle in the area. She is determined to bring stories and books to the children of the area and is immediately rewarded by seeing what a difference it makes to them.

The book is told in dual timeline. The one involving Kit begins in 1918. The other timeline involves a NYPL librarian from 1987. She aspires to be a writer and eventually settles on the topic of Jessie Carson and the other women of the group who called themselves "The Cards". Her research brings them and their mission back to life.

I absolutely loved this book! I really can't believe that it ended. I could have read about their lives for so much longer. I really am sad that the story didn't continue for another three hundred pages.

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a wonderful story told about 2 librarians in 2 different timelines. The first is Jessie Carson, nicknamed "Kit," and her work with the American Committee for Devastated France (called "CARD," based on the French name of the committee) during and after WW1. The second is Wendy, an aspiring writer who works in the NY Public Library's Remembrance Department in 1987 where she stumbles upon boxes of CARD records and information. As she learns more about the Cards, she realizes what an amazing novel she can write about them.

This is a heart warming story based on historical events and the life changing impact books and hope can have on our lives.

Highly recommend!

The Paris Libary by Janet Skeslian Charles, the author of The Paris Library, returns to France in a novel filled with history and insight into a little-known group of American women who volunteered in France during WWI. The American Committee for Devastated France was founded and funded by Anne Morgan, the activist daughter of financier J. P. Morgan. Jessie Carson, a children’s librarian at the New York Public Library, was chosen for a two-year stint with the group to set up a library for those living in and near the war in northeast France. She began story hours for children and traveled to villages with books for children and their mothers and gained the trust of families there.

The novel tells the parallel 1987 tale of aspiring writer Wendy, who has a tedious job scanning library files while taking evening writing classes. When she finds information about Jessie, she further investigates her story. Some of what she finds makes for the best parts of the novel and its conclusion.

This novel will appeal to readers who enjoy the contributions of women during WWI. The American women and the women and children they meet in France are colorful, well-developed characters. Among the enjoyable aspects of the novel are books like My Antonia, Tom Sawyer, and Anne of Green Gables that Jessie shares with her French families. I had a slight quibble with Jessie calling some childhood favorites as a few weren't published until she would have been in her twenties. That minor detail doesn't interfere with the well-told story.

Another HUGE bookish historical fiction hit from one of my favs, Janet Skeslien Charles!! I absolutely adored The Paris library and Miss Morgan's book brigade was equally unputdownable.

Told in a dual timeline structure we learn about the "CARDs" - women who served voluntarily in WWI to help the women and children of war torn French villages and the "present" of 1987 as NYPL librarian, Wendy stumbles upon some old newsletters that leads her to learn all about the life of these women and in particular, Jessie "Kit" Carson.

This was a beautiful story of female courage, friendship and the power of books to help during difficult times. This was such a feel-good book and I loved both storylines. HIGHLY recommended, especially for fans of books like The book woman of Troublesome creek by Kim Michele Richardson or The wartime book club by Kate Thompson.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon Schuster Canada for an early digital and physical arc copy in exchange for my honest review!!

CW: Sexual assault/rape

Once again, Charles masterfully unveils the overlooked yet vital contributions of women on the front lines through her meticulously researched novel. Jessie, inspired by the real-life Carson, embodies the enduring power of literature, resonating deeply with readers who cherish the sanctity of books and libraries.

Amidst Jessie's compelling narrative, Wendy emerges as a quietly formidable presence, adding depth to the story with her relatable struggles in a modern world. Alternating between their perspectives, each chapter flows seamlessly, guiding readers through shifting timelines while deepening their connection to both characters.

Charles's narrative not only celebrates the significance of libraries but also highlights the unsung heroes of literary history. While other stories of wartime librarians exist, Charles's unique voice infuses each tale with fresh vitality and resonance, ensuring readers eagerly anticipate each new offering. Supporting those who champion the love of literature is not just a privilege but a profound joy, enriched by captivating narratives like "Book Brigade."

Miss Morgan's Book Brigade is a historical World War One novel with a dual timeline. It was interesting learning about CARDS (American Committee for Devastated France). The fact that the book is based on an actual person is a plus for the book. On the negative side, the book has a slow start and the story pace never picks up much. Thanks to author Janet Skeslien Charles, Atria Books, and NetGalley. I received a complimentary copy of this ebook. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I enjoyed Miss Morgan's Book Brigade by Janet Skeslien Charles. I appreciate NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. The story is shared through two points of view. One is set during World War 1 when New York Public Librarian Jessie Carson leaves a less than satisfying job at the library and agrees to work for Anne Morgan (daughter of JP) and her American Committee for Devastated France as a librarian in war-torn France. The other takes place in the 1980s when the NYPL hires an aspiring writer to work in the department that digitizes their paper collection and discovers the story of Jessie and her coworkers in France. I had no idea such an endeavor existed during World War I. These fine, hard-working ladies were working on the front lines to help the civilians caught up in the invasion of the German Army.

Miss Morgan's Book Brigade is a fascinating look at aspects of World War I that I wasn't aware of prior to reading this book. The CARDS, women who put their lives on the line to help the citizens of France, are definitely deserving of books of their own. Charles does a great job of bringing the terror they faced to life and I instantly found myself wanting to read and find the end to their story.

In spring 1918, Jessie Carson, a children’s librarian working at the New York Public Library, goes to Northern France to join the American Committee for Devastated France and help the citizens left behind when the enemy retreated. She makes friends both among her colleagues and among locals, and works on what she knows: children’s libraries to offer solace and an escape to young French people.

In parallel, we get the story of Wendy Peterson in 1987, also working in the NYPL, in the archives, who stumbles upon the story of the CARDs and of Jessie Carson and becomes determined to uncover the whole story and write about it.

This was based on a true story and real people, and it was definitely interesting to learn about. I love books about books, about characters talking about their love of books, so this was lovely.

However, I feel like everything was too shallow, I never felt deeply involved with the characters. There are two big romances in the novel and they both left me completely cold. The Spanish flu lasted barely a chapter, and I absolutely did not care about who died. The summary says Jessie Carson disappeared, which leads us to believe we’ll get a mystery of a kind, but that’s not at all what happens. Wendy’s mean writing professor tells her that her book lacks conflict, and that was kind of what I felt throughout the whole thing. For a book set in a war you’d think there would be no lack of conflict, but here we are.

I mean I liked the book fine, it passed the time and I was never inclined to quit it, but I couldn’t help thinking of other historical fiction writers who I feel could have written it in a way I would have cared more.

This novel took me to a time and place I had not visited – mainly Picardie in France during World War I. I was not aware of this brave group of women who dedicated so much time and energy to helping and restoring this devastated village and area. Each character was very well described, and I found myself unable to put the book down. It was not the best written novel I have ever read, nor did it have a lot of surprises, but I did want to know, page page, what happened. It opened my eyes to the beginning of what we experienced later in life as bookmobiles, which traveled from area to area, bringing the romance through reading to everyone and anyone who wass interested. I grew up with books and I must have taken them for granted, especially when I was able to delve into the history of people of all ages in France, so thirsty for a story which would take them away just temporarily from the horror they had witnessed. These people lost everything, including the lives of their nearest and dearest, their homes, their friends, their towns, and a few moments between the pages of a book seemed to restore their souls. I had never heard of Ann Morgan before, although her father JP Morgan was not a stranger. The people she attracted to work with her ranged from the simplest, such as Jesse Kit Carson, all the way to debutantes and young women from some of the most wealthy, influential families of the time. It was not customary for these well bred, young women to go to work, driving ambulances and tending to people of lower classes at that time, and yet she managed to amass over 300 of them to dedicate at least two years of their lives to doing these chores as volunteers. Jesse Carson was different, an employee of the New York Public library specializing in children's programs, she left her job and family, and came as a low paid employee originally to restore a library which she eventually did, winning the hearts of everyone she met. Most of the characters in the book were based in part on real people of that time. When Carson left the position, she moved to Paris and established the Belleville library which still exists today, a library, which didn't just cater to the upper classes with books, sequestered untouchable behind a formidable librarian at her desk, but offered open class programs for children and adults and allowed people to browse and touch and sign out, the books they wished to read. In other words, she established the basis for women to become librarians and work in an open concept library situation. I have always loved books and libraries, and just assumed everyone had the same access I did, but apparently it was a hard won profession and situation. One of Carson's protégé's in the book is Marcelle, one of the last survivors of the CARDs who makes it to New York and in time celebrates the lives of the people she knew and loved, through a book that is finally written by a current NYPL employee to acknowledge the work of Ann Morgan and her CARDs, as they became known. An easily readable and highly enjoyable book.

A love letter to librarians and an amazing look at an unknown group of women who played a part in WWI.

There is a lot of historical fiction that centers on WWII, and for good reason. But there is a lot less said about WWI and definitely not about the impact that it had on women and families. This wonderful book transports the reader to France during WWI when a cadre of women known as Cards (CARD - the American Committee for Devastated France) helped rebuild part of the French countryside and where Jessie "Kit" Carson helped change the world of libraries. At the same time, it is the story of a young woman in the 1980s trying to make her way as a writer and discovering the importance and sense of accomplishment found in research.

Books have a way of saving people. They are a refuge and a way of building community, just think about how popular #BookTok has gotten. During WWI, Kit Carson went to France and helped rebuild a community by doing story time outreach and rebuilding a library. At a time where many librarians considered themselves "gatekeepers" and chose what was "good" literature and "bad" as well as who should have access to said literature, this itself was a bold step. But as all good librarians today know, it is important to have a mixture of titles and that not everyone is going to agree on what should be read. As Carson says in the book, books can be a means of therapy, "it's why we read - to know that others feel the same, that we're not alone."

There is a wealth of depth to this story and it is a fascinating look at a time that was incredibly different. It was a world of philanthropists like Anne Morgan, daughter of JP, the upper echelon of society that sent their kids to boarding schools and summered in Europe but also impacted the rest of the world by building libraries and rebuilding communities. There was immense wealth, but there was a different concept of trying to build community than we see today. There was the world of quietly loving someone without letting the public know because it is seen as different. The LGBTQ world has always been there, they just had to hide more in the early 1900s than they do now (thank goodness for advances!). It was a time when children were seen and not heard and the idea of standing up for yourself, especially if you were a girl, was unheard of.

This book is also very meta. There are 2 stories happening - Kit Carson and the Cards in WWI France and Wendy Peterson, an aspiring writer and employee at the NYPL in 1987. Wendy is researching and writing the story of the Cards. A comment that her professor makes has to do with showing the tensions that were there, that it wasn't all positives. By the time he says this, Janet Charles has already covered that by showing how class, gender, and age play a huge role in how we approach life and how we are treated. This had a much more obvious role in the early 1900s, but it still exists today. The censorship that libraries and librarians are facing today is also seen in some of the dealings that Carson has with her own boss who has a different view of children's literature.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and glimpse into a time I didn't know a great deal about.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this copy of "Miss Morgan's Book Brigade."

In 1987, Wendy, an NYPL librarian, is working in the New York Public Library archives and finds mention of Jessie Carson, also an NYPL librarian, who worked as a CARD in France during WWI, creating a mobile library and bringing story times to war-ravaged children and families.

Wendy is determined to find more about Carson and her fellow CARDS during and after the war. Did Carson return to New York? Did she stay in France?

This book took 10 years to research and author Charles thankfully provided biographical sketches (including photos!) in the Author's Notes.

In 1918, Jessie Carson went from working at the New York Public Library to war-torn France. Her job is to help rebuild the library through CARDS. This is an inspiring tale of a young woman who is fighting the negative inner voice of her former boss at the NYPL while proving to herself her skills in rebuilding a library and helping people in a time of war. There is a dual story going on bringing us another librarian in 1987 who is having troubles of her own but finds solace in researching the librarian in 1918. I enjoyed this story and had not heard of Jessie Carson before. The blend of history and fiction was well written and I enjoyed the portrayal of Jessie. I received an advanced reader copy of this book through Net Galley.

I really enjoyed this novel of World War I. Told with dual timelines set sixty years apart, during World War I and the late 1980’s, Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade made these women seem as alive as they were more than 40 and 100 years ago.. Although I swore I had read enough war novels, this one seemed to grab me right from the beginning. How could I resist the idea that rebuilding a devastated society required not only food, supplies, and medical care, but also free access to books for everyone, especially children!

Although I thought the World War I story was much more compelling than the one set in the 1980’s, the two did work together to make an enjoyable novel. One of my favorites of the year so far!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Historical fiction with a heart. The fast-paced story of American women volunteers bringing books and hope to children in war-ravaged France. It’s a part of American history that no one talks about. An amazing piece of Americana.

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.

I thoroughly enjoyed this historically sound novel. Parallel stories and points of view show resilience and strength that transcends timelines. Well researched and well formed character based story. Recommended for book clubs everywhere.