The Personal Librarian

Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray

I read The Personal Librarian a little more slowly than I typically read fiction books — mostly because other books have been vying for my time and attention. But once I spent more than about 30 minutes with the story, I was hooked. I read a lot of historical fiction and this is easily one of my recent favorites.

The main character, Belle de Costa Greene, was hired by J.P Morgan to curate a collection of manuscripts, artwork, and books to fill his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library. As a black American woman, Belle hides her true identity, passing as white and claiming a Portuguese heritage to explain her skin color.

I read this with my heart in my throat — the authors built skeptics and doubters (with a couple of haters) into the narrative — afraid that her secret would be revealed and all Belle had built, personally and professionally, would be undone.

I went into this book knowing very little about J.P. Morgan and nothing about Belle de Costa Greene. And I walked away with more knowledge about the former, but mad respect for the latter!

I loved reading how Belle became a fixture in high society and also a sought-after expert in the art and book world. She was renown for her style, wit, charm, and shrewd negotiating skills as she sought to acquire critical works for the world-class collection boasted by the Pierpont Morgan Library.

I also really enjoyed that this book took me from the bustling city of New York with its gilded ballrooms to the competitive auction houses of London and other European cities. Belle’s story is replete with art, literature, culture, and even a little romance as she sought to create the life she wanted for herself and for her family.

Belle walked such a tightrope during the entire length of this book — wanting to be true to herself and to her actual heritage, but knowing that would be so dangerous in a society that stacked the odds against women and people of color. This book illuminated a period of time that is not unlike today’s.

Belle’s internal conflict, inspiring courage, and the sacrifices she made to build the legacy she did make her a heroine worthy of this story.

If I was Siskel or Ebert, I’d give it two thumbs up, easily!