During WW1 a librarian takes a job with a group that helps people in war torn France. She delivers books to families in the area and helps in any other way she can.

This book follows two librarians from different time lines. We have a woman from the early 1900s who was a librarian for New York Public Library. She goes to France during WWI to help the war and make libraries. We also have a woman from the 1980s who is also working at New York Public Library who is discovering this WWI story.

This was a great book! It is based on real women who helped during the war. Jessie Carson made a lot of lasting changes in France for their libraries like having a children’s section. I liked the two different time lines. We see the importance of libraries and books throughout this book and I love books about books. I loved all of the characters. I do feel like the plot was just a bit drug on for me. Otherwise, I did really enjoy it.

I would recommend this book to people looking for a historical fiction book about libraries or WWI!

Thanks so much to netgalley and Atria books for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Atria books, the author and Netgalley for the opportunity to review an ARC of this novel. This was a very well written and eye opening story surrounding the CARD in France which I had never heard of. This book helped me to realize that everyone even librarians were impacted by this raging war time and I’d everything they could to assist in the war efforts. This was a great historical fiction novel that included books and librarians.

This historical novel was a learning experience for me because I had never heard of the CARD volunteers in World War I. The story surrounding them I found to be very interesting. I really enjoyed The Paris Library by this author, and I have always enjoyed novels dealing with books and/or libraries, but this one somewhat missed the mark for me — perhaps it was because I found it difficult to connect to the characters. Nonetheless, this was a good read.

Loved everything about this. Great historical fiction. Beautiful cover. Gripping telling of the war and and women who assisted.

This is a book lovers book! I loved this beautiful story about the women that went to help in France during WWI, in particular, Kit Carson who started book mobiles and libraries after France had been destroyed by the war. I learned a lot about the time period and marveled in this lovely story based on real people. Any book lover will enjoy this novel about books and the comfort they can bring.

I received a free ARC ebook of Miss Morgan's Book Brigade from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

The soothing power of story shines in this novel. World War I France is in shambles when a group of mostly wealthy American women comes to rural France bringing healthcare, food, and books. The protagonist, Jessie "Kit" Carson, is not a wealthy debutante but she is a skilled and creative children's librarian. With her books she brings joy in the midst of war.

Balancing her tale is the more modern take of a wannabe writer with a job at NYPL. An unexpected find about CARD, the women's volunteer group in France headed by heiress Anne Morgan, provides her with an exciting writing topic. Her research brings Jessie and her fellow CARDs to life.

This novel is an homage to librarians and the importance of easy access to books.

I really enjoyed this book. It was different than anything else I've read recently. I couldn't put it down! I will keep an eye out for this author's future work!

Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade” by Janet Skeslien Charles is a captivating historical novel that weaves together two timelines. Set predominantly in Northern France during World War I, the story is based on the real-life librarian, Jessie “Kit” Carson, who worked for the American Committee for Devastated France (CARD). The meticulous research brings depth and authenticity to the narrative, while the characters—richly drawn and compassionate—leap off the page. This novel celebrates strong women breaking down barriers and leaving their mark on history, all against the backdrop of a wise dog named Max, the comfort of books, and a trip to Paris.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Miss Morgan's Book Brigade by Janet Skeslien Charles

With a dual timeline that focuses more on the earlier timeline than the later timeline, this approach worked well for me. Afterall, this is the story of Jessie "Kit" Carson and the American Committee for Devastated France (CARD) while Wendy of the later timeline is trying to find out what she can about one of the lessor known (to her, at least) members of CARD, Jessie Carson. The 1918 and on timeline is Jessie's POV of her time in France while Wendy's 1987 timeline deals with her work in the very same library Jessie worked at before being employed by CARD, the New York Public Library.

Most of the women of CARD had wealthy families that allowed them to finance their time with CARD, often including trips back and forth across the ocean or at least for lavish stays in Paris (as lavish as wartime would allow the rich). Despite her lack of financial means Jessie's background and accomplishments as a New York librarian lead to Jessie being offered a paying job with CARD. With her limited means, Jessie could not afford to take the job without getting paid but the work is extremely important to her and although she signs up for a two year contract, she stays much longer than that, despite being denied more pay for all that she does for CARD.

We learn about many of the real women who volunteered for CARD and this historical fiction introduces us to some wonderful, brave and beleaguered characters who've suffered so much death and destruction near the Red Zone of France. More hardship is to come while Jessie works to develop some kind of library resource for the community she services. After German occupation of the area for several years, children missed out on schooling and social interaction that they sorely needed. Jessie can't complain that she doesn't have a functional library building (everything has been bombed and most things are rubble) when so many families of the area are living outside or in the ruins of buildings, caves, or wherever they can in the war torn landscape. Their need and their resourcefulness drives Jessie to do all she can for them, creating mobile libraries and bookmobiles with whatever she can scrape together.

The work of the CARD members is inspiring and as Wendy, an aspiring writer, researches the work of CARD, she is able lean on what she learns about the CARD, and the people they serve, to overcome some of her own trauma and move forward. Her part in the story fills gaps for us when it comes to the earlier timeline. I know I will be looking at more information and books about CARD, thanks to what I've learned in this book.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book, all opinions expressed are my own.

Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade by Janet Skeslien Charles followed Jesse Carson, a librarian originating in NY who moves to France to bring books to children via ambulances she calls bookmobiles during the Great War.

I enjoyed learning about Jesse Carson’s story.

4 stars.

This was a fascinating tale of two women and how their fates interconnected through time. Starting in 1918 and sweeping into 1987, it follows women who refuse to back down and take matters (and books) into their own hands. They find ways to combat book bans, sharing books despite personal struggles and dangers, and is a sweeping tale of heroism.

I really enjoyed this book. I mean, what’s not to love about female librarians 40 miles from the front who deliver books and help French families rebuild their lives during World War I? Based on a true story, I had no idea that this happened. It was eye opening and made it a hard story to put down.

Fantastic research and storytelling. I’d definitely recommend this to others.

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

Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade by Janet Skeslien Charles is fiction based on actual events. It takes place during the Great War and has a dual timeline set in 1987. Jesse Carson takes a leave from the NYPL to help build a library in devastated France. She travels there to join the American Committee for Devastated France, or the CARDS as they were known, founded by Anne Morgan and Dr. A M Dike. She had no idea that what she was to develop into a library had been totally destroyed.

Since a library was the last on the leader’s list of what needed to be, Jesse had to convince the 2 heads that a library for the building community was just as important as the rest of the work that had to be done. Jesse, nicknamed Kit, enlisted the help of those living there to help rebuild. In the meantime, she used ambulances as mobile libraries, traveling to outlying ares to hold story hour and check out books. She also helped the people who had lost so much to rebuild their lives and move on.

In 1987, Wendy Peterson is working at the NYPL documenting historical information. She comes across information on the CARDS, and bits about Jesse Carson. She wants to write a book and decides this is what she would like to tell people about. She has a hard time finding information about Jesse since she has seemed to have disappeared.
She sets out to hunt down what she needs and finds the last living member of the CARDS. From her she is able to piece together much of the puzzle.

The story is riveting and hooked me in right from the beginning. It is well written and flows nicely. I didn’t want to put it down. I also liked that she had a biography of each of the characters at the end of the book. The author has also written The Paris Library.

I would like to thank Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to read this advanced copy.

The war is in full swing in 1918 France. Jessie Carson takes a leave of absence from the New York Public Library to join CARD, American Committee for Devastated France, Her job is to help rebuild communities and to start a library. Rich with characters you will relate to. Meanwhile in 1987 Librarian Wendy Peterson stumbles across a reference to Jessie and begins to investigate. This is based on the true story and history of the women who served in the group. It is testament to the power of literature and the courage of these women.

Books and Historical Fiction are bound to make a great read. I enjoyed the story and especially liked the movement from present day to the time of war. The author did a great job of developing characters that helped you quickly become connected to the story. I would recommend to others. The only glitch for me was it felt like there was so much secrecy around Carson’s life after the book brigade and I didn’t feel like that part of the story ever developed.

I am so glad there is more focus on WWI now in books. I think there’s a lot to be explored during this time period. I liked the CARD parts of the story. I just wish the characters had a bit more depth, and I wasn’t the biggest fan of the 1980s timeline. I think this will be a winner for a lot of historical fiction lovers, however, especially with how it focused on books.

This story was so hard to put down! I love learning about real history through historical fiction books, and the CARD is a group I had never learned about previously. Janet Skestien Charles did such a good job researching this book, and I appreciate her author notes at the end. If you love history and historical fiction, I HIGHLY recommend this book!

A dual timeline--which I love. The chapters alternate--as told by Jessie and Wendy.

1918: As the Great War rages, Jessie "Kit" Carson [a real person] takes a leave of absence from the New York Public Library to work for the American Committee for Devastated France {CARD]. Founded by millionaire Anne Morgan [J.P. Morgan's daughter], this group of international women help rebuild devastated French communities just miles from the front. Upon arrival, Jessie strives to establish something that the French have never seen—children’s libraries [and female librarians]. She turns ambulances into bookmobiles and trains the first French female librarians. But, the CARDS did so much more than their library work--they brought food, clothing, and other services to the war-torn area--at the risk of their own peril. I loved the CARDs [for example, Breckie, Lewis, Cookie]--as well as the villagers. The CARDs were flushed out personalities which enhanced the story.

1987: When NYPL librarian and aspiring writer/student Wendy Peterson [fictionalized] stumbles across a passing reference to Jessie Carson in the archives, she becomes consumed with learning her fate and finding the missing pieces to Jessie's story. I found Wendy far less interesting than Kit.

Jessie is somewhat of a fish out of water among the privileged volunteers; for one, she is paid. The descriptions of the differences in social backgrounds is interesting.

A relatively easy read.

However, I was derailed by the "mush" [always a disconnect for me].
To wit:
"As his skin grazed mine, I reveled in this touch."
"Tom's lips look soft, and I imagined that they tasted of apricot tart. I longed to kiss him."
"The heat of his skin makes me melt."

A plus--strong women.

Overall, a heartwarming read--especially the last almost third of the book [probably my favorite part]. Although I did like the earlier story better; I liked how it connected at the end [no spoiler]. Both timelines/heroines have romantic interests. In another parallel, is it coincidental that both heroines deal with the loss of a parent?

NOTE: Be sure to read the author's note; I wish there'd been more of this!

3.5 for the historical research and information learned about the cards. Cannot round up.

What an incredible book! I loved her first book, "The Paris Library" and this was was just as good, if not better!

Summary (no spoilers): Near the end of WWI, France is devastated by war and invasion. American librarian Jessie Carson joins a group of women determined to aid French communities. But while most of the women are providing food and medical care, Jessie is tasked with providing libraries and children's story time. 70 years later, an aspiring writer comes across the name Jessie Carson in the NY public library's archives. But who is she, and what happened to her?

I'm a sucker for books about books and librarians, and I loved learning the history behind Jessie Carson. Inspired by true events, this novel takes you into the world of WWI and the brave, yet largely unknown, women who did so much to help. You will fall in love with these characters and laugh and cry alongside them.

Additionally, I appreciated the character biographies at the end of the novel. It's always incredible to read more about the characters and their real lives. I thought Charles did an excellent job at representing these real people in a fictional work.