The Personal Librarian
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-07-15 02:31:08
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Marie Benedict
- ISBN：0593414241
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
The remarkable， little-known story of Belle da Costa Greene， J。 P。 Morgan's personal librarian--who became one of the most powerful women in New York despite the dangerous secret she kept in order to make her dreams come true， from New York Times bestselling author Marie Benedict and acclaimed author Victoria Christopher Murray。
In her twenties， Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J。 P。 Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts， books， and artwork for his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library。 Belle becomes a fixture on the New York society scene and one of the most powerful people in the art and book world， known for her impeccable taste and shrewd negotiating for critical works as she helps build a world-class collection。
But Belle has a secret， one she must protect at all costs。 She was born not Belle da Costa Greene but Belle Marion Greener。 She is the daughter of Richard Greener， the first Black graduate of Harvard and a well-known advocate for equality。 Belle's complexion isn't dark because of her alleged Portuguese heritage that lets her pass as white--her complexion is dark because she is African American。
The Personal Librarian tells the story of an extraordinary woman， famous for her intellect， style， and wit， and shares the lengths to which she must go--for the protection of her family and her legacy--to preserve her carefully crafted white identity in the racist world in which she lives。
In her twenties， Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J。 P。 Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts， books， and artwork for his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library。 Belle becomes a fixture on the New York society scene and one of the most powerful people in the art and book world， known for her impeccable taste and shrewd negotiating for critical works as she helps build a world-class collection。
But Belle has a secret， one she must protect at all costs。 She was born not Belle da Costa Greene but Belle Marion Greener。 She is the daughter of Richard Greener， the first Black graduate of Harvard and a well-known advocate for equality。 Belle's complexion isn't dark because of her alleged Portuguese heritage that lets her pass as white--her complexion is dark because she is African American。
The Personal Librarian tells the story of an extraordinary woman， famous for her intellect， style， and wit， and shares the lengths to which she must go--for the protection of her family and her legacy--to preserve her carefully crafted white identity in the racist world in which she lives。
Reviews
Lisa
，
An amazing book about the real life Belle da Costa Greene。 I was fascinated how her secret of "passing" was never found out by New York society as she worked as the personal librarian for J。P。 Morgan。 An amazing book about the real life Belle da Costa Greene。 I was fascinated how her secret of "passing" was never found out by New York society as she worked as the personal librarian for J。P。 Morgan。 。。。more
Carly Bohach
，
4。5 I always love to learn about a kickass woman I did not know about。 This was chock full of interesting facts about books， art and NYC-three of my favorite topics。 Belle da Costa Greene was a strong women who lived in a world she was not supposed to and did so with grace， spunk and intelligence。 I am dying to go to the JP Morgan Library and Museum in NYC。
Nicole
，
A historical fiction that focused on a woman forced into a life of hiding her identity yet also finding her own identity in a time where race and women did not have a place in business。 Interesting read about a woman not known yet her work is well known for her benefactor。
Angela
，
A preserver of salt， for Salt。
Pcox
，
。25 good pace and voice
Aijalon
，
“a colored girl named Belle Marion Greener would never have been considered for a job with Mr。 J。 P。 Morgan。 Only a white girl called Belle de Costa Greene would have that opportunity。” the year is 1906。 a colored librarian。 Belle is headstrong， fierce & bold。 Her father， Richard， wanted Belle to be an art scholar or a historian yet her mother， Genevieve， wanted her to become a teacher and forget her black roots & be accepted into the white community for a better life & opportunities。I like that “a colored girl named Belle Marion Greener would never have been considered for a job with Mr。 J。 P。 Morgan。 Only a white girl called Belle de Costa Greene would have that opportunity。” the year is 1906。 a colored librarian。 Belle is headstrong， fierce & bold。 Her father， Richard， wanted Belle to be an art scholar or a historian yet her mother， Genevieve， wanted her to become a teacher and forget her black roots & be accepted into the white community for a better life & opportunities。I like that Belle recognizes her privilege w her fair complexion yet questioning how incomprehensible blacks are treated。 Does Belle convey her true identity as a colored woman even though she identifies as a white woman？ 3 stars: I didn’t receive closure。 I wanted a different ending。 Plus historical fictions are not my personal favorite。 。。。more
AlTonya
，
What a tremendous story and such a delight to read。 The Personal Librarian was historical fiction at its finest。 I added the story to my Want to Read list because of the title。 As a librarian， I was eager to delve into the pages of work that captured the world of JP Morgan amid his quest to build the renowned Pierpont Morgan Library。 However， it was the story’s overview that pushed this book to the top of my list。 Belle da Costa Greene was a woman before her time。 She became a titan in her field What a tremendous story and such a delight to read。 The Personal Librarian was historical fiction at its finest。 I added the story to my Want to Read list because of the title。 As a librarian， I was eager to delve into the pages of work that captured the world of JP Morgan amid his quest to build the renowned Pierpont Morgan Library。 However， it was the story’s overview that pushed this book to the top of my list。 Belle da Costa Greene was a woman before her time。 She became a titan in her field at a time when the only expectation of a woman was to be a fine wife and mother。 da Costa Greene became a titan in her field when the idea of a working woman was frowned upon。 da Costa Greene was far more than a working woman。 Belle da Costa Greene was a working woman of color who became a titan in her field。 She was a woman who， unlike other women of color during that time， had so many choices before her。 The color of her skin paid her admission into a world that would have shunned her， or worse， for even daring to look its way。 Despite all the opportunities afforded her， da Costa Greene’s life was no party。 She had to make sacrifices at every turn。 She was the breadwinner for her mother and siblings， and one wrong move on Belle’s part could have cost them everything。 As a workaholic， I appreciated Belle’s dedication to her work。 Still， I hated that she had to sacrifice so much of her personal self in the process。 While Morgan’s vast wealth allowed the library to flourish， da Costa Greene’s diligent efforts grew the library’s collection。 All this， while dodging outside scrutiny of her abilities and her background。 This story drew me in and didn’t let go。 The collaborative efforts of Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray came through splendidly in every chapter。 They were in the writing trenches during the pandemic and the heightened civil unrest of 2020。 The authors described this writing project as a transformative experience against the backdrop of racial turmoil that came to yet another boiling point last year。When she began her career in the 1900s， Belle da Costa Greene hid the truth of her racial identity for fear that it would be weaponized against her。 Over 100 years later， the color of our skin continues to be a weapon against us。 Yet stories like these will always inspire， always elevate and always continue to push us one step closer to change。 Review By AlTonya Washington www。altonyasblog。wordpress。com 。。。more
Ronda Kelley
，
I absolutely LOVED this book！ Fascinating， it kept me riveted the entire time。
Kathy
，
I chose this book because it appears to be a book about books。 It is about so much more。 We know from the beginning that the librarian is a real person， a black woman passing as white， who is constantly worried that her secret will be discovered and she will no longer be able to support her mother and siblings。 She is smart and strong in a time of severe prejudice， but doesn't make wise choices in matters of love。 There is a considerable amount of infidelity going on among the rich and famous pe I chose this book because it appears to be a book about books。 It is about so much more。 We know from the beginning that the librarian is a real person， a black woman passing as white， who is constantly worried that her secret will be discovered and she will no longer be able to support her mother and siblings。 She is smart and strong in a time of severe prejudice， but doesn't make wise choices in matters of love。 There is a considerable amount of infidelity going on among the rich and famous people she associates with。 I will consider reading Heidi Ardizzone's biography， “An Illuminated Life: Belle da Costa Greene’s Journey From Prejudice to Privilege。” 。。。more
Gina
，
This was another little Hidden Gem of history that I knew nothing about before I read this book。 This historical fiction tells the true story of J。P。 Morgan's treasured personal librarian who just happens to be African-American。 As the sole curator of his personal collection， she practices the art of "passing " which presented many African Americans with privileges and heart wrenching challenges。 （There are a few silly encounters and affairs that could have been admitted） This was another little Hidden Gem of history that I knew nothing about before I read this book。 This historical fiction tells the true story of J。P。 Morgan's treasured personal librarian who just happens to be African-American。 As the sole curator of his personal collection， she practices the art of "passing " which presented many African Americans with privileges and heart wrenching challenges。 （There are a few silly encounters and affairs that could have been admitted） 。。。more
Kasia Hubbard
，
I thought this story was intriguing， but didn't follow through what I thought it would be。 Like other reviews state， I thought it was more along the lines of Belle figuring out how to live as a white woman when she was colored， and the nuances of differences there and the books she collected because of her love and appreciation of them，and it ended up being more about her personal life， including her love life， as well as collecting books for a wide collection without a real sense of appreciatio I thought this story was intriguing， but didn't follow through what I thought it would be。 Like other reviews state， I thought it was more along the lines of Belle figuring out how to live as a white woman when she was colored， and the nuances of differences there and the books she collected because of her love and appreciation of them，and it ended up being more about her personal life， including her love life， as well as collecting books for a wide collection without a real sense of appreciation for what was in the actual collection。 Otherwise， it is a very interesting dive into who Belle actually was， based on accounts of what actually survived from that time period。 Overall， a good read。 。。。more
Ann
，
I loved learning about Belle and her incredible family。 I never heard of her prior to this book。 I have read all of Marie Benedict's books and love the women she chooses to write about。 Belle is absolutely no exception。 So sad that she was always in fear of her secret coming out and never married or had children of her own。 Such a brilliant and remarkable woman who was so devoted to her family。 Wonderfully written book。 I loved learning about Belle and her incredible family。 I never heard of her prior to this book。 I have read all of Marie Benedict's books and love the women she chooses to write about。 Belle is absolutely no exception。 So sad that she was always in fear of her secret coming out and never married or had children of her own。 Such a brilliant and remarkable woman who was so devoted to her family。 Wonderfully written book。 。。。more
Lauren White
，
3。5 stars- this book felt very vanishing half time me— this is the story of a personal librarian of JP Morgan and her life/struggles as a Black American woman passing as a white women。
Sandy
，
3。5
Megan Rose
，
Wow。 Wow。 Wow。 Bella de Costa Greene is such an inspiration and I am so happy that Benedict and Murray gave her a voice。 This was such an inspiring read and I so desperately want to visit J。P。 Morgan's library。 "Belle" has truly made an impact on the literary world。 Wow。 Wow。 Wow。 Bella de Costa Greene is such an inspiration and I am so happy that Benedict and Murray gave her a voice。 This was such an inspiring read and I so desperately want to visit J。P。 Morgan's library。 "Belle" has truly made an impact on the literary world。 。。。more
Jenny Levine
，
4。5 stars
Erin
，
Thank you Goodreads for this ARC。 I struggled to maintain interest in this book。 I was expecting something different， which is my fault I suppose， but I didn't find Belle particularly likable。 I prefer historical fiction to be heavy on facts， and this seemed like it was more speculation， or "what we think happened，" especially concerning her relationships。 Thank you Goodreads for this ARC。 I struggled to maintain interest in this book。 I was expecting something different， which is my fault I suppose， but I didn't find Belle particularly likable。 I prefer historical fiction to be heavy on facts， and this seemed like it was more speculation， or "what we think happened，" especially concerning her relationships。 。。。more
Jo
，
An amazing historical novel about Belle da Costa Greene， a Black American woman who hid her true identity to pass as a white woman to serve as personal librarian to J。 P。 Morgan。 Belle is actually the daughter of Richard Greener， the first Black graduate of Harvard and well-known advocate for civil rights。 When Belle’s mother decides she and her children must pass as white to have any opportunities in a growing racist country， Richard leaves the family。Belle becomes the primary provider for her An amazing historical novel about Belle da Costa Greene， a Black American woman who hid her true identity to pass as a white woman to serve as personal librarian to J。 P。 Morgan。 Belle is actually the daughter of Richard Greener， the first Black graduate of Harvard and well-known advocate for civil rights。 When Belle’s mother decides she and her children must pass as white to have any opportunities in a growing racist country， Richard leaves the family。Belle becomes the primary provider for her family but she must carefully hide her true identity each day。 To pass as white in New York Society， she must acquire new mannerisms and talents。 But Belle slowly becomes known for her impeccable taste， brutal negotiation tactics， and devotion to the Pierpoint Morgan Library。 Belle and Morgan develop a passionate relationship as she builds his collection - part mentor and mentored， part unfulfilled lovers。 Belle becomes one of the most powerful women in the art and book world， all while hiding her black roots。 Her successes are not without sacrifices and pain and she often wonders what her life might have been had she lived as a “colored” woman。 。。。more
Jessica Ward
，
I had never heard of Belle da Costa Greene， and I find her life fascinating and exciting。 However， this book did take me a little bit to get into， and some of the characters infuriated me （I know this is based off of real people， so that might not be the fault of the writing）。 There were sections that peaked my interest， but some others were a little bit harder to get through。 I really want to go and visit the library now， and learn more about the actual， non-fictionalized life of this woman！
Christine Grant
，
Personal Librarian。 J。P。 Morgan。 Pierpont Library。 Historical Fiction。 Race issues。HSW review: Just wonderful！
Charlotte
，
The fascinating true story of Belle da Costa Greene， a young black woman who was J。P。 Morgan's personal librarian。 Unfortunately in order to succeed， Belle did have to pass as a white woman with a fictional Portuguese grandmother to be accepted in society。 However you can't help but root for Belle who is smart， witty and incredibly passionate in her work collecting and purchasing rare books and artwork for the Pierpont Morgan Library。 It's astounding to read of her immense success in this field The fascinating true story of Belle da Costa Greene， a young black woman who was J。P。 Morgan's personal librarian。 Unfortunately in order to succeed， Belle did have to pass as a white woman with a fictional Portuguese grandmother to be accepted in society。 However you can't help but root for Belle who is smart， witty and incredibly passionate in her work collecting and purchasing rare books and artwork for the Pierpont Morgan Library。 It's astounding to read of her immense success in this field dominated by white men in a time when women didn't yet have the right to vote and the Klu Klux Klan were ravaging the United States。 。。。more
Melissa
，
Good perspective。
Elizabeth
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*I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway*Belle Da Costa Greene was a remarkable， real life woman that I had never heard of。 She was hired by JP Morgan to run， establish， build， curate the Morgan Library-- in a time when it was unheard of for a woman to do a job of such magnitude， let alone an African American woman。 Of course， neither he nor anyone else in society knows that she is Passing。 I learned a lot about the fitful， proto history of the Civil Rights movement。Four stars instead of *I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway*Belle Da Costa Greene was a remarkable， real life woman that I had never heard of。 She was hired by JP Morgan to run， establish， build， curate the Morgan Library-- in a time when it was unheard of for a woman to do a job of such magnitude， let alone an African American woman。 Of course， neither he nor anyone else in society knows that she is Passing。 I learned a lot about the fitful， proto history of the Civil Rights movement。Four stars instead of five because I found the writing a bit choppy; likely attributable to having two authors。 。。。more
Karla Veras
，
What a beautiful book！ I loved being introduced to Belle da Costa Greene！！ All the struggles she faced to make sure she succeeded as a professional woman in a racist and unequal society in the early 20th century。 What an amazing achievement！！I love the way Marie Benedict writes， and her partnership with Victoria C。 Murray was perfect！ I felt I was in the story， cheering for Belle， and suffering when she did。Because some details about Belle's life couldn't be confirmed with documentation， I liked What a beautiful book！ I loved being introduced to Belle da Costa Greene！！ All the struggles she faced to make sure she succeeded as a professional woman in a racist and unequal society in the early 20th century。 What an amazing achievement！！I love the way Marie Benedict writes， and her partnership with Victoria C。 Murray was perfect！ I felt I was in the story， cheering for Belle， and suffering when she did。Because some details about Belle's life couldn't be confirmed with documentation， I liked the way the writers used the logical extrapolation to fill those gaps， they did it beautifully！ Congratulations！！ 。。。more
Holly
，
Deeply researched and thoughtfully crafted story of an impressive woman I'd never heard of before。 But I think my favorite part was the concluding author notes describing how the two women met and bonded over writing during the pandemic and racial justice protests。 I want to read more of that story！ Deeply researched and thoughtfully crafted story of an impressive woman I'd never heard of before。 But I think my favorite part was the concluding author notes describing how the two women met and bonded over writing during the pandemic and racial justice protests。 I want to read more of that story！ 。。。more
Patriciaw
，
Illuminating story of largely unknown but greatly impactful early 20th century African American， Belle Marion GreenerI love a good historical novel， especially one that deepens my knowledge of African American history and our contributions to our beloved country。 The Personal Librarian is a great such novel。 Victoria Christopher Murray and Marie Benedict have uncovered a historical gem in the life of African American Belle Marion Greener， who spent the majority of her life living the personage o Illuminating story of largely unknown but greatly impactful early 20th century African American， Belle Marion GreenerI love a good historical novel， especially one that deepens my knowledge of African American history and our contributions to our beloved country。 The Personal Librarian is a great such novel。 Victoria Christopher Murray and Marie Benedict have uncovered a historical gem in the life of African American Belle Marion Greener， who spent the majority of her life living the personage of Belle da Costa Green， the personal librarian of business and industry tycoon， J。 P。 Morgan。 Difficult is too simple a word to describe the logistical complexities and personal and emotional sacrifices da Costa Green had to make daily to sustain her identity illusion， known as "passing"。 Murray and Benedict bring not only Belle， but Reconstruction and early 20th century NYC to life。 If none of it were true， Murray and Benedict would have written an engaging tale replete with intrigue， colorful characters and grand settings。 That it is steeped in truth heretofore unknown to many， black or white， makes The Personal Librarian masterful。 。。。more
Frank Scherrman
，
This is a fantastic way to tell the story of the remarkable Bella！ This is another example of the amazing people from our past that we can continue to learn about。 Historical Fiction has a way to get you to want to know more。
Erin
，
Absolutely fantastic novel about a little known important person of history！
Jan Russell
，
DisappointingI had such high hopes for this book since I have enjoyed Benedict's other historical fiction。 However， the epilogue confirmed my thoughts that she just recreated Belle's amazing life and achievements to fit in with the author's own life and modern beliefs。 People want to read truthful and factual historical biographies， not just made up stories to fit a current narrative。 So disappointing and kind of slanderous to take a real heroine and make up stories that don't fit her life and t DisappointingI had such high hopes for this book since I have enjoyed Benedict's other historical fiction。 However， the epilogue confirmed my thoughts that she just recreated Belle's amazing life and achievements to fit in with the author's own life and modern beliefs。 People want to read truthful and factual historical biographies， not just made up stories to fit a current narrative。 So disappointing and kind of slanderous to take a real heroine and make up stories that don't fit her life and times。 。。。more
Marti Perronie
，
I loved Belle！ Her relationship with JP Morgan was such a rich and different relationship and I enjoyed the development over the years。 Belle was such a strong woman in an era when they didn’t expect woman to be that strong！
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Personal Librarian
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Personal Librarian&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft