Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
Historical Fiction 2021 | 352 pages
The book is based on the extraordinary, true life of Belle da Costa Greene. She was a Black American woman who worked as the personal librarian to financier J.P. Morgan and became the first director of the Morgan Library & Museum. A fascinating story unfolds as she deals with auction houses, dealers, private owners (very many in this time frame, beginning in 1907). Bessie is bold, extremely ambitious, directed, focused, articulate, funny, serious, flirtatious, and brilliant. She helps (often taking the lead) JP Morgan (she uses his preferred name, Pierpont, although in most conversations she simply calls him "sir") build a magnificently unparalleled collection of books and art works, antiquities, manuscripts, and incunabula.
The more fictionalized part of The Personal Librarian is about Bessie's life outside of JP Morgan. Her actual life doesn't have the documentation that her professional life does, and she destroyed her own personal correspondence and journals. And so, much is left to the imagination of the extraordinary authors.
There are a few important themes that run in parallel to us reading about her professional accomplishments. First, as the highest breadwinner in her family, her salary goes to caring for her mother and siblings, first putting food on the table and eventually buying living quarters for them. She never seems to consider any other path. She is responsible for her family.
Second, she becomes so immersed in her work she totally misses the movements for equal rights for Blacks and for women in our society. Remember, this tale is set in the early 1900's, and there is considerable activity in these societal and political realms.
Third, and by far the most dominant, she spends her entire life, at the direction of her mother, "passing" for white. This a deeply hidden and guarded secret that she works hard to maintain through her life, even though it is painful much of the time. The tension in the book around her passing is palpable and has its own through line. Being the only professional woman doing the work she does is hard enough. Were someone to discover her Black heritage, she would certainly lose her job, and so much more.
Excellent writing with very strong character development; a laudable, successful, audacious, funny woman buried in history; the tension of passing for white .... what is there not to like?
And so, my opinion .... I loved this book! I will put it up consideration for our 2027 book club reading list. Reserve your copy at the library today!