Sonya’s Pick
February 2022
The Personal Librarian
Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
Berkley Publishing, Released June 29, 2021
The personal story of Belle da Costa Greene, biographical fiction, historical in nature. She was hired by J.P. Morgan to serve as curator for his new Pierpont Morgan library. Society loves her, but she harbors a secret–she is a black woman passing as white.
We are led into the competitive world of acquiring priceless manuscripts for this new endeavor, her relationship with Morgan and her trips across the ocean always hiding her secret. This choice she made rather than sacrificing everything she had achieved and subjecting herself and family to racial persecution.
Beautifully written by these two women, the saga is woven with intrigue and humor. A really inspiring read!