** My plan is to turn the Pierpont Morgan Library from a private library into a public institution so that thousands and thousands of people will see the beauty and significance of the early written word the importance of reading and books as a great equalizer among humankind. **
Authors Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray join forces to bring us The Personal Librarian, the story of J.P. Morgans personal librarian, Belle de Costa Greene, and the secret life she was forced to live.
A black woman who is able to pass as white, Belle quickly gained the respect of both Morgan and the art and literary world as she successfully built the collection of Morgans library into something the world envied. But even as she gained more and more success, wealth and popularity, she lived in fear the world would discover her secret that she was actually a colored woman and quickly snatch the rug out from under her.
The Personal Librarian is an intriguing and inspiring read, giving us a glimpse into the life of a woman who became the most influential person in her field despite her race and gender, as well as allowing us to travel into the world of J.P. Morgan and other affluential people of the time.
Featuring many historical characters and events, Benedict and Murray offer a fictionalized telling of the events that led to the eventual public institutionalizing of the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York City and its female librarian.
Besides telling the story of Belle and Morgans library, The Personal Librarian also reminds us that books are valuable they are an intimate conversation with the past and a great equalizer among people. It also reminds us of the importance of legacy.
This book does contain some adult situations surrounding Belles affair with art expert Bernard Berenson and results from that affair, as well as dealing with racial inequality, so I would not recommend it for young readers. Fans of historical fiction, womens and racial history, and fictionalized stories of historical figures will enjoy this book.
Four stars out of five.
Berkley Publishing Group provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.
