Reviews

The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict, Victoria Christopher Murray

gemcat42's review against another edition

adventurous challenging informative inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I enjoyed reading this book, especially the Google tangents I went on while reading it. I learned a lot about the Gilded Age, passing as white, and J.P. Morgan in addition to Belle, the main character. It is amazing that a black woman passing as white was the most accomplished career woman of her day. That is inspiring to all women trying to make it in a man's world. I will be honest that I wasn't a fan of some of her life choices. However, the authors were just portraying things she actually did, so the book itself shouldn't be blamed for telling the truth. Even though this was historical fiction, most of the main points proved to be true when I researched them. Overall, I found it to be a solid, well-researched, compelling book.

kelsie_reads_books's review

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

sunny_r's review against another edition

4.0

3.5

fernanda_figs's review against another edition

5.0

The authors did such a great job at filling in holes of a story that otherwise would have remain untold.

emmamd's review against another edition

emotional informative tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

ariannetta23's review against another edition

fast-paced

3.75

wolofprincess's review against another edition

Terribly overwritten yet lacks depth

cjoneal's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

mariabeatriz's review against another edition

informative medium-paced

4.0

cheitman45's review

challenging informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0