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

emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

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

4.0

 I went into this book blindly, with no prior knowledge of what it was going to be about and I was blown away by the story of Belle De Costa Greene, personal librarian of the powerful JP Morgan. Imagine my surprise also to learn that this work was loosely based on a true story. 

The authors of this book did an excellent job with this. Reading Belle's experience as a coloured woman who passed for white was mind blowing to me. She experienced the glitz and glamour of the time period while working for one of the most powerful man in the United States at the time.

I now appreciate after reading many books on the hardships that African Americans had to face to be accepted, that many went to great lengths to just have some form of equality. What was amazing was how she pulled it off for as long as she did going on to be a successful and powerful woman ahead of her time. This was a very daring thing to do.

Belle's life while there were triumphs came with a bit of sadness, in her family, in love, but what I admired most is that in spite of everything she was going through in her personal life her determination to make the Pierpont Morgan Library a success never faltered. 

I really enjoyed this book.