I found this book touched every emotion possible. It was exciting, terrifying , sad, happy, devastating and promising. I flew through the book and acquired knowledge I was sorely lacking. I have never heard of “ CARDs” and am grateful to the author for educating me on these phenomenal heroic women with their resilience and drive during and following wartime.

Absolutely loved this book- based on a true story! And of course, anything about librarians AND about war history, and I’m all in!

Thank you net galley for giving this opportunity to read this book.
The story is a dual timeline, WWI in France and 1987 in NYC.
Wendy works at the NYPL and has wishes of becoming a published author.
Jessie Carson works at the NYPL, she has an opportunity to work in France for the American Committee for Devastated France.
The ACDF was founded by Anne Morgan. While in France Jessie meets a lot of other women like herself who want to help the citizens.
The Spanish flu also has a small part as some of the characters subcome to the virus.
Wendy takes a writing course at a university. She happens by a reference of Jessie Carson. This peeks her interest and delves more into finding out about Jessie Carson.
Jessie and her co-worker Marcelle set-up a bookmobile to travel around France to read stories to the local citizens. The bookmobike also acted like a travelling library.
I liked the end where Janet Skeslien Charles had photos of the actual women who were actually involved with setting up libraries for children.

4.5 Stars -Based on a true story, set in 1918, Anne Morgan created the American Committee for Devastated France (CARD) a group of women who travelled to France during WWI near the red zone and aided in the relief efforts. Miss Morgan's Book Brigade is a testament to those brave women who helped in times of need.

Set in 2 time lines, I was heavily invested in the historical events and the war efforts, I was less invested in the 1980s timeline where a writer researches and writes her story around the CARD women and would have been happy to only read the historical fiction account of Jessie "Kit" Carson and Miss Morgan's Brigade. The CARDs story was poignant and all they did in France is truly inspirational! The support system they created for war torn France for all including the children is beyond belief. The Hero's of CARD, were new to me and deserve more recognition, at the time many received Croix de Guerre medal, for valiant service in action. Thank you to author Janet Skeslien Charles for bringing this story to light.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Janet Skeslien Charles for another engrossing read and for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Miss Morgan's Book Brigade takes the reader on a journey that is utterly devastating but also shows us how resilient and determined people can be.

This is written in a dual time-line which I absolutely love. In war torn France in 1918 we learn of the women of CARD. These women helped out in any way necessary including rebuilding the library system. Jesse "Kit" Carson was at the forefront of this endeavor and decided to make it her mission to ensure that all people had access to books.

In 1987 Wendy works at the New York Public Library where she comes across an article about Jesse Carson and CARD. This lights a spark in her to research all things CARD and Jesse related and write a book to give recognition to all these women did during the war.

This book educated me so much on a topic I knew nothing about. These women put themselves at risk daily while they could have been back home without the worries of war. This author really paid such a lovely tribute to these wonderful who don't get the full recognition they deserve.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada for the PB copy as well as the eARC through NetGalley. Voluntarily reviewed.

I loved this book! Courageous women during wartime, community of trust and friendship, libraries, books, bravery, and a little romance on the side. This book had everything that I need for a great read.

I had never heard of CARD, or the incredible real life women that sustained it, before reading this book and now I want to know everything about them.

This talented author grabbed my attention from the Prologue and made me feel like I was experiencing the Front during WW1 for the first time just like the main character, Jessie Carson. I felt like I was on the journey with her, the highs and lows, much like the modern day main character, Wendy Peterson.

The importance of books for bringing life back to a devastated people was a strong and successful theme. It never lost its impact as the story unfolded. (Every beloved “Anne of Green Gables” reference was also a special happy squeeze to my heart.)

As with all great stories, the end of this book came too soon. However, it has sparked my interest to find out more about these women and their footsteps in history.

Thank you to Janet Skeslien Charles for another engrossing read and to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.

Miss Morgan's Book Brigade by Janet Skeslien Charles is an absolutely brilliant book that enthralled me so, that I was loathe to put it down. The author expertly weaves a captivating story around actual events in France during World War I, full of compelling and courageous characters and vivid descriptions of the settings and circumstances in which they find themselves, providing a heart-wrenching history lesson that you don't realize you've had until you peruse the historical information included at the end of the book.
The tale time travels between 1918, when children's librarian Jessie 'Kit' Carson works to bring the escape of reading to war-torn rural France, and 1987, when aspiring writer and New York Public Library librarian Wendy Peterson comes across documents about the CARDs, the group of women with whom Kit worked. Wendy's determination to find out what happened to Kit and her fellow CARDs, and to write a book about them and bring their stories to light, results in the unfolding of the story and the tracking down of the last living member of the group from 1918.
The book is superbly written and clearly painstakingly researched, resulting in a page-turner of a historical novel. The suffering of the French people, and the dedication and courage of this group of women who lived near the front and helped them in immeasurable ways, leaps of the page.
I have stated this in reviews of a few other historical novels, but I will say it again. Novels such as this should be required reading in history classes; this one would bring alive the pain and suffering, the devastation, and the resilience and courage of the French people during the Great War. The bare facts are just that - bare; this book makes those facts real and compelling, not to mention inspiring.
I am so thankful to have received an ARC of #MissMorgansBookBrigade from #NetGalley. I'd give it more stars if I could.

Although I enjoyed this book and the history based on a real person, I felt the structure was a bit all over the place. We start with an unnamed CARD, and it appears to be Jessie Carson, as she is the main character through the start of the book.

The narrative felt very distant to start with, very much like a recounting of history, I wasn't very connected to Jessie through the beginning of the story.

Then the story switches to a modern-day protagonist who is then maybe the main character. I also felt she had more depth of character than Jessie. Her story is more immediate with stakes that felt important (such as the possibility of losing her job when she steals the papers she is reading from the library).

I'm used to historical fiction starting with a main character that is somehow connected to the historical figure and the narrative weaves between the two. Both stories then feel important as they tie together. Because we start with the historical figure, I couldn't ever quite figure out why we had the modern-day protagonist. Although she is researching Jessie, she isn't connected to her in any way. It made the modern-day protagonist seem like it was just the author under a pseudonym.

That said, I did enjoy reading about someone who had historical significance to libraries in France, and the rebuilding of such a war-torn area.

This book was such a gem! I’m so glad it came recommended to me and that I clicked yes! I absolutely loved the story of Kit and the CARDs. I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again: there does not appear to be an end to the unknown stories of women, both civilians and servicewomen, in the two world wars. And beyond for that matter.

This beautiful touching story of bravery and love of books and the power of literature really resonated with me and I think that many readers will find the same. I would have loved a bit more insight into the contemporary storyline but in the end the balance between the two was almost perfect!

Following Kit’s arrival and transition into her role in war torn France and her integration into the community of townspeople and the other CARDs was so well done and really moving for me as a reader and student of history. Bravo!

Absolutely loved this novel. Gut wrenching, grit and character with humour thrown it. It shows little known history of CARDS who were primarily American and Canadian women who went to France during the end of WW1 to help rebuild France both the buildings and the spirit of the French. Would love to see in school English\History curriculum.

Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade is a dual timeline historical fiction story. The past timeline is set in France during WWI focused on an American aid organization nicknamed ‘Card’ mostly made up of wealthy socialites. Regular gal Jessie Carson is requested, by name, from her position at the New York Public Library to start a library in rural war-torn France. The more modern timeline takes place in 1987 following a NYPL employee and aspiring writer, Wendy.

The past timeline is focused on the devastated people left behind after German retreat near an uninhabitable area, the ‘Red Zone’. The front lines of the war are still very close and prone to change at any time. The ‘Cards’ are tasked with bringing aid, medical care, and a dose of humanity to the civilians left behind in formerly occupied towns. Most buildings are partially destroyed and unuseable. The land is not suitable for farming or gardens any more. People are desperate and without hope. The ‘Cards’ bring hope and Jessie brings stories. I really loved this portion of the book. It was a wonderful story of hope in the midst of devastation.

My enjoyment of the story was brought down by the 1987 timeline. Wendy works at NYPL scanning documents and is given a box of documents dealing with the ‘Card’ organization. She is an aspiring writer and the ‘Cards’ spark her interest. She starts writing about them and her writing suddenly comes alive. This aspect was fine. However, the side story with her friend Roberto and the rude writing workshop teacher were so out of sync with the tone of the past timeline they were jarring. Wendy, Roberto, and the writing tutor’s attitudes and manner of speaking felt more modern than 1987.

I still recommend this book, however, if you typically don’t like the modern timelines in dual timeline historical fiction, this one is going to be no exception. Things do come around to a nice conclusion in the end and I loved the WWI timeline, so I am able to give the book 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for providing this ebook for review.

There is nothing I love more in a historical novel than learning about the amazing roles that women have played in important moments in history. This is especially true when the stories take place in a time period where women were not allowed to perform certain roles and were not considered capable. This is definitely the case with Miss Morgan's Book Brigade. I really enjoyed learning about the CARDs, women who helped to rebuild destroyed French communities near the front and one in particular who trained the first French female librarians. I had no prior knowledge of these incredibly brave women.

I grew to love many of the characters in this book, but there is something I can't quite put my finger on that kept me from giving it a 5 star review. The story and characters were great, but the writing lacked that spark of magic that I have found in other books. Overall though, I would still highly recommend Miss Morgan's Book Brigade.

This book by Janet Skeslien Charles was very interesting, the research of history mixed with a story was very compelling. I struggled to put the book down and enjoyed it right to the end.

I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to fans of The Paris Library. I was drawn in by the characters and story, learned a lot, and was glad I had read it. My only quibble would be that I didn't feel the modern-day part of the story was really necessary, and I would have been quite happy if this was a single-timeline story set in the past.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in advance of publication.

I absolutely ADORED this book. I have not read this author before, but have heard great things about The Paris Library. This novel was perfect. It pointed out every reason why reading is so amazing (socially, for mental health, educationally), and I can’t recommend this book enough. Five stars and then some!!

Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade is a historical fiction set during the First World War and follows Jessie Carson, a New York librarian who signs a two-year contract to serve in France as part of the American Commitee for Devastated France (also known as CARD).

The book is told from two timelines - Jessie’s during the War and Wendy Peterson’s as she discovers archives about the CARDs in the 1980s.

I enjoyed the story overall, and was not aware of the existence of this organization prior to reading this book. I appreciated the author wanting to pay homage to a part of the First World War that most people are not familiar with.

However, I did find the story to be a bit rushed, and Jessie’s part of the story ends rather abruptly and I found myself wondering what became of her. The author’s notes after the epilogue provide a fuller picture of what happened to the various women mentioned in the story.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada and Net Galley for a digital ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade by Janet Skeslien Charles is a well-researched novel inspired by the lives of real women who played a pivotal role in assisting civilians in devastated France during WWI and helping rebuild their destroyed communities. This dual perspective, dual timeline novel focuses on Jessie ‘Kit’ Carson in 1918 and Wendy Peterson in 1987. Jessie Carson who took a leave from her position as a children’s librarian at NYPL to volunteer for the American Committee for Designated France (CARD), headed by Annie Morgan, Jessie sets out to build a library in Blerancourt, France. Wendy Peterson, is an aspiring author working as a research librarian at the NYPL, who comes across archive documents about the CARDs and becomes particularly intrigued by Jessie and sets out to research and tell her story. In addition to Jessie and Wendy there are a whole host of secondary characters who fit flawlessly into the storyline and provide us glimpses of the impacts the CARDs made as well as the resilience of the French as they set out to rebuild their communities. The book also highlights the power of books to preserve history as well as to help readers heal, escape and grow.

Thank you to the publisher, Simon & Schuster Canada, NetGalley and the author for an eARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

Miss Morgan's Book Brigade is the second novel written by the author about the important role that librarians played during World War I and World War II. This one is a dual timeline World War I historical novel that highlights the accomplishments of the American Committee for Devastated France (known as CARD from the French translation) founded by American philanthropist and heiress Anne Morgan. Jessie 'Kit' Carson is a librarian at the NYPL who travels to France early in 1918 to work with Morgan and CARD in establishing libraries in the northern regions of the country devastated by the ongoing war.

Jessie arrives at CARD headquarters which are set up in the Picardie region only miles from the front and joins a group of women working to help French civilians whose lives have been devastated by the war. Jessie is determined to contribute to their efforts and uses books to connect with the villagers and help them recover and rebuild. As the war rages on, the CARDS bravely risk their lives and at one point even lead evacuation efforts. During the immediate post-war period, Jessie sets up children's libraries, turns ambulances into mobile libraries and trains the first female French librarians and then she disappears. In the second 1987 timeline, Wendy is an aspiring young writer working in the Archives of the NYPL who comes across documents relating to the work of CARD and is determined to learn more about Carson and the other women who served with the organization.

Like the author's previous novel, The Paris Library, this is a well-researched historical novel (she spent 10 years researching according to her Author's Note) inspired by the lives of real people that highlights the important but little known role that librarians played in the war. Jessie Carson played a key role in revolutionizing French libraries by establishing libraries for children and the working class both in war-torn areas of the country and in Paris. I had no idea that this organization existed or about the work that they did in France during and after World War I so found it a fascinating read in that regard. There is an excellent detailed Author's Note that provides additional information and is a must for readers who want to know more about the women the novel is based on.

I found the writing and the plot a bit simplistic and sentimental at times but the novel was so well-researched and I learned such a great deal that I found it an enjoyable read regardless. This is a fascinating story about a little known aspect of World War I, the resilience of the human spirit and the power of literature (it's packed with literary references that book lovers will enjoy) that will appeal to readers who love books and libraries as well as historical fiction fans. And the book cover is beautiful!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for sending a digital ARC of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Strong women are an inspiration to us all. This fictionalization of real-life heroines - librarians no less - gives a beautiful glimpse into the horrors of occupation and the ongoing battles on their doorstep.

There is a little something for everyone here. It is a coming-of-age story, a story of love in the modern age, with same-sex couples and broken-hearted war-crossed lovers. At no time does our author dig too deeply into the sexual encounters. They are demurely handled and left to the reader's imagination.

This story takes us through WWI through the eyes of the CARD organization’s founders, the volunteers, and the local French, which eventually provided a successful backdrop of relief during the war to end all wars.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the prepublication read. I hope these characters were given a little more depth. They certainly deserve it.

I ADORED this book! I read it in something like 4 "sittings". I read it almost everywhere but the shower. I could NOT put it down.

The characters all felt real enough to walk out of the book at any time. The story was well-researched, and knowing that these were real people (most of them) added another level. All in all, I thought it was a fabulous book. I read it between loads of dishes, while cooking and when I got to the end, I wanted more!

I hope this book finds success. I would read it again and again! Five stars for sure!