The Personal Librarian

An entertaining and unobjectionable fictionalization of the true story of Belle da Costa Greene, the respected and celebrated librarian responsible for helping JP Morgan assemble his formidable library in turn-of-the-century New York - who was, in fact, Belle Greener, a black woman passing as white.

I'm always intrigued by the choices that authors make when fictionalizing historical personages. Authors Benedict and Murray have chosen perhaps the safest path, characterizing Greener as bold but not too bold (she's saucy but knows better than to offend her mentor), passionate but not too passionate, paranoid about being discovered but not so paranoid that she takes drastic precautions, such as disowning her family. Not that I'm dinging show more their choices. There's nothing here that feels offputtingly anachronistic, and Greene's struggle to reconcile the radical ideals of her father with the conservative rationalizations of her mother authentically represents both sides of the issue. Just saying that other authors might have crafted this into quite a different story ... something more nuanced and complex, but probably also harder to market.

And there's more here to enjoy than Greene's story. The authors have incorporated an exploration of the considerations involved in assembling & curating a large collection, insights into the history of rare manuscripts, and an opportunity to gape at the excesses of the uber-wealthy (the "red party" that Greene attends is particularly outrageous). All this was enough for me to forgive the relatively pedestrian writing style, shallow characterizations, and lackluster dialog.

While Benedict and Murray may have chosen a relatively safe and conservative interpretation of the historical facts, at least they've shaped them into an entertaining and informative read. show less

My book club (IWBC — Interesting Women Book Club 😉 ) generally reads biographical fiction. We chose The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray because we have enjoyed novels by Benedict before and the subject matter, Belle de Costa Greene, was intriguing. We mostly liked the book — it was well-written and researched, even if we didn’t always like main character Belle. Belle is notable for being a highly influential black woman in the the art world of the early 1900s. However, no one, except her immediate family, knew she was black. She passed in order to achieve her dreams. The increased prejudice, even in the North, kept people of color from jobs and schools. Belle’s mother’s family was show more influential in the black community of D.C., but her mother did not think that was enough to protect her family. Belle walked a tightrope in her professional and personal lives, always on guard in an effort for her secret not to be found out. An added burden was that her father, Richard Greener, was a well-respected civil rights activist who opposed her mother’s decision for the family to live as white. There is definitely a lot of tension in the book. Belle yearns to be herself, yet knows that she can never disclose the truth of her heritage. As I said we mostly liked the book, but Belle was a frustrating character making terrible decisions in her romantic life. Because it is a biographical novel, The Personal Librarian also provides interesting looks into the lives of other famous people, J.P. Morgan for one. The book is an eye-opener and did foster a great deal of discussion about the time Belle lived in, the years in which we grew up, and modern-day struggles. Identity is often a buzz word today, but The Personal Librarian was a good look into how identity can determine one’s future path. We learned a lot from the book, as well as the Google searches the book inspired. 😉 I believe all of us would recommend this novel.

Recommended. (This is a general market novel and has adult situations and language, but is generally a clean read.)

Audience: Adults.

(I listened to the audiobook I purchased through Audible. All opinions expressed are mine alone.) show less

Interesting story of an intelligent, accomplishment woman of color who would not have been able to accomplish all that she did if anyone had known she was black. Yet another tale of the cost of American racism. Makes one wonder what else might have been achieved if the country had not banished 10% of its population to bigotry and invisibility. Speaking of which- why has Goodreads chosen not to list the black co-author of this book at all? Her name is on the cover of the book. Victoria Christopher Murray. Her picture is on the back flyleaf. With all due respect to the other author, who absolutely credits her co-author, it is undoubtedly Murray’s perspective that has informed the inner thoughts of the main character as she lives in fear show more of being discovered. Give credit where it is due, please. Victoria Christopher Murray. show less

I listened to this on audiobook and generally enjoyed it. I was very interested in Belle's story having to pass as a white woman and was also very into hearing how she was very successful in what was a world dominated by rich white men. I felt the writers did a great job at carrying me through her story and making me feel connected to her on a human level. However, and I'm not sure if it was because of the writing or the narration, something felt a little stilted in the telling which felt like a wedge or something that unnecessarily pushed me away as a reader. I wish I could explain this better but I'm not sure how. Regardless, I very much enjoyed this book and gave it 4 stars.

The woman at the center of this historical novel is nothing short of fascinating! Belle da Costa Greene, as the title suggests, served as personal librarian to famous American financier J. P. Morgan — whose business acumen and canny investments helped build the fortunes of many of the multi-millionaires created during the industrialization of the Guilded Age. It was Belle whose guidance, knowledge, and innate intelligence made Morgan’s collection world renowned, a collection now on display at the Morgan Library and Museum in New York City.

After Belle moved from a pedestrian position at the Princeton University library to Morgan’s employ (through a connection with Morgan’s nephew), Belle has to adjust to moving in circles of show more wealth and power. Morgan collected historical books and art work and increasingly relied on Belle to do the research needed to prove an object’s value, as well as negotiate with sellers and compete against other buyers. Her skill and innovative approaches soon earn her both a solid reputation and widespread admiration from the rich and famous.

The story of a young woman’s rise into these circles of influence would make this historical fiction good enough, on its own. But what adds immeasurably is the secret Belle is keeping. One she keeps for decades. She is Afro-American, passing as white. And given the racist society of the time, she no doubt would have been unable to achieve such success if her secret was known.

The glimpse into the difficulty of living a split life like Belle’s where, on the one hand, she travels the world at the highest levels of society and has the ear of one of the most powerful men in the United States, and, on the other, is the primary support for her Black family of origin — is dramatic and sobering. To see how valuable Belle’s many gifts are and to understand that racial identity alone determines her ability to use those gifts becomes a stark lesson in the crushing poison of racism in America.

The book came out of a collaboration between two authors, one white (Marie Benedict), one Black (Victoria Christopher Murray). And their Afterwords reveal how impactful their work together was for each in understanding how race plays out in modern times. This too added an interesting dimension to the book.

There are a few places where dialog feels a bit unnatural and clunky- chiefly when characters in the book are trying to summarize some of the societal activities underway to advance equality fo all. These can feel a bit stilted at times. But THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN is one that is NOT to be missed. show less

The woman at the center of this historical novel is nothing short of fascinating! Belle da Costa Greene, as the title suggests, served as personal librarian to famous American financier J. P. Morgan — whose business acumen and canny investments helped build the fortunes of many of the multi-millionaires created during the industrialization of the Guilded Age. It was Belle whose guidance, knowledge, and innate intelligence made Morgan’s collection world renowned, a collection now on display at the Morgan Library and Museum in New York City.

After Belle moved from a pedestrian position at the Princeton University library to Morgan’s employ (through a connection with Morgan’s nephew), Belle has to adjust to moving in circles of show more wealth and power. Morgan collected historical books and art work and increasingly relied on Belle to do the research needed to prove an object’s value, as well as negotiate with sellers and compete against other buyers. Her skill and innovative approaches soon earn her both a solid reputation and widespread admiration from the rich and famous.

The story of a young woman’s rise into these circles of influence would make this historical fiction good enough, on its own. But what adds immeasurably is the secret Belle is keeping. One she keeps for decades. She is Afro-American, passing as white. And given the racist society of the time, she no doubt would have been unable to achieve such success if her secret was known.

The glimpse into the difficulty of living a split life like Belle’s where, on the one hand, she travels the world at the highest levels of society and has the ear of one of the most powerful men in the United States, and, on the other, is the primary support for her Black family of origin — is dramatic and sobering. To see how valuable Belle’s many gifts are and to understand that racial identity alone determines her ability to use those gifts becomes a stark lesson in the crushing poison of racism in America.

The book came out of a collaboration between two authors, one white (Marie Benedict), one Black (Victoria Christopher Murray). And their Afterwords reveal how impactful their work together was for each in understanding how race plays out in modern times. This too added an interesting dimension to the book.

There are a few places where dialog feels a bit unnatural and clunky- chiefly when characters in the book are trying to summarize some of the societal activities underway to advance equality fo all. These can feel a bit stilted at times. But THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN is one that is NOT to be missed. show less

Narrated by Robin Miles. An absolutely fascinating fictional account of the real personal librarian to the great financier JP Morgan. Belle da Costa Greene is hired to create a library that reflects Mr. Morgan's interests in books, literature, and art. Belle is of similar ardor and they come to be perfectly matched as partner curators. Belle is a neophyte interacting with the rarified worlds of Morgan and the art profession but she's a sharp observer and eventually finds her footing, becoming a fixture at major auctions and high society gatherings. Above all, Belle knows she must keep her African-American background a secret; if anyone discovered she was passing as white, it would be the end of her career and the financial support she show more provides for her family. Narrator Miles' stellar performance captured me from the opening minutes, bringing alive the time and place of early 1900s New York City. Her voicing of all the characters made this a cinematic listening experience. One of the best audiobooks I've heard in a long time! show less