A review by jedore
The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict, Victoria Christopher Murray

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? It's complicated

4.5

“Being a woman, I know that I must do my job twice as well as any man to be thought half as good.”

This is a fictionalized account of the life of Belle da Costa Greene, a brilliant yet little-known historical figure who served as J.P. Morgan’s personal librarian and helped build his renowned book and art collection. Belle is an intelligent and ambitious woman who rose to prominence in the early 1900s, maneuvering through New York’s elite circles while concealing her true identity as a black woman. Her journey is a powerful exploration of identity, ambition, and resilience as she walks a very thin line of societal expectations and personal secrets to make her mark in a world dominated by privilege and prejudice.

I’ve thoroughly enjoy learning about key historical figures who have been largely overlooked, like Belle da Costa Greene. What a remarkable life full of contributions to art, history, and culture—she's an inspiring woman who navigated a time in U.S. history with significant social limitations. This fictionalized take on her life gives us a peek inside her world in an engaging way mainstream history books rarely capture.

It was both challenging and enlightening to get a glimpse of the entitled and often misogynistic individuals who were influential figures in U.S. history. Benedict does an excellent job of revealing the complexities of the period when influential people were rarely all good or all bad. Many of the men around Belle are depicted as both influential and deeply flawed—individuals who were capable of building legacies yet were complicit in upholding systems that marginalized those who were not like them.

I do feel like the story was tainted by a bit of "toxic positivity." This was solidified for me when Belle reunites with her father 17 years after he left the family and started another one and she expressed only positive feelings when he came back into her life. Not so realistic, especially since Belle was the one who took on all of the responsibility of supporting the entire family after he left. 

This is an outstanding read for fans of historical fiction, and particularly for women who draw strength from learning about trailblazing sisters like Belle. 

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