Knowing nothing of J. P. Morgan’s Library or personal librarian, I was intrigued by the title. Written by two authors, one white, one black, created an authentic look at the cost/benefit of “passing”. Professionally and socially, Belle was able to dramatically succeed through her intellect, passion and perseverance for the printed word and for art. Belle was able to effectively deal with the business associates who sought to use her for their personal gain and as she weighed responses to questions to avoid spilling her deepest secret. The family dynamics, both immediate and extended, were interesting. Especially interesting was the pressure from the mother for her to succeed while seemingly content for the mediocracy for the other children. This is sure to be on the agenda for book clubs across the country. I know I will suggest it for club!

This is a powerful book about powerful women. A mother who chooses to hide her family’s true identity and creates a story for her family to pass as white in order to raise her children in a racist, segregated country. Her daughter, Belle, who struggles internally being born of the first black man to graduate from Harvard who spends his life fighting for race equality while she spends her life passing as a white woman. The historical fiction story of Belle De La Costa Greene (Marion Greener), the Personal Librarian for the infamous J. P. Morgan, is a fascinating read. I am heading to the Morgan Library!

A five star book of a remarkable woman. The authors do an excellent job of bringing Belle to life. Unforgettable!

This was just okay for me. It was interesting reading about the personal library of J..P Morgan but it seemed to flounder at times. I enjoyed the back story of Belle and her family.

I really do enjoy reading historical novels. One gets the flavor of the time told as a story, placing historical figures in factual situations. And the really masterful writers manage to weave an interesting story while sticking to the facts. "The Personal Librarian", is this kind of book.
Filled with actual events that took place in the early 20th century, with a cast of the famous who populated the world of Belle da Costa Greene, we learn all.about a woman who earned a prominent place in history. And not least of all, she did so by being a Black woman passing as white. That she did so, and managed to keep her secret from some of the most brilliant people of the time, makes this story so powerful.
I loved this book from beginning to end. I can't wait for the Pandemic restrictions to be gone so that I can visit the J.P. Morgan Library and actually see for myself the work done by Ms. Greene.
I highly recommend, "The Personal Librarian".

The little-known true story of Marion Greener, AKA Belle da Costa Greene, is fascinating and certainly worthy of more attention. I wish I could say The Personal Librarian does the story justice, but it falls a bit short. The writing is okay, but not great. And given that the authors admittedly took a lot of liberties with Marion's life anyway, I wish they would have engaged more deeply with the whole concept and ramifications of "passing."

Still, the book has left me with a desire to learn more about not only the real Marion Greener, but about others like her--people who hid their heritage in order to be successful, or even move safely through their communities. And that's a good thing.

A fantastic story about a strong, smart and powerful woman I never heard of, set in the early 20th century She personally researched, negotiated and collected works for JP Morgan's library while desperate to keep her personal background secret. Highly recommended for book clubs.

I absolutely loved this story. Very beautifully written. I was right there with the main character Belle. A remarkable woman. I knew nothing about the J.P. Morgan library. I suggest you read the authors stories in the back of the book first. Then continue to the beginning. Nothing is given away. Great book club read. I will put on the library purchase list. Thank you to Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray for writing this book.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was very enlightening to read. Everytime I sat down to read, it felt like I was sitting down with a good friend. I really took my time with this book because I didn't want it to end.
The two authors really complimented each other and did a great job with being as historically accurate as possible.
I myself cannot imagine having to hide who or where I came from and it really opened my eyes as to how fortunate I am.
Love this book and would recommend it to bookclubs for a great discussion in a most proper way.

Interesting historical fiction about JP Morgan’s “personal librarian” who curated the collection of the Pierpont library. Belle held her own in a man’s world of auctions and negotiations, while keeping her identity and background secret.

Would you live a lie if you could achieve your dreams? Belle even changes her name and lives as a white person to achieve her dream of working for J.P. Morgan to build his personal library. Belle becomes well known in this very elite circle of society but struggles with her decision to live as a white person. She is guarded and proper and learns to deflect any inquiries regarding her personal history to preserve her dreams and achievement, a wonderful read about a historic female.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for a fair review. Marie Benedict has done it again. If you have read any of her works, they all follow the same basic format. A strong woman who is behind a famous, strong man, and how she influences him in some way. This story about the librarian who created one of the most impressive personal, and then public libraries of antiquities in the world. A black woman who 'passes' named Belle is hired by JP Morgan to help him secure beautiful works of art for his private collection, but there is far more to Belle's story than this.
This is another one I feel would make a good book discussion at the library. I think patrons would enjoy this book thoroughly, although for me a touch too long. But its length was more to the subject matter's life and not a lot of superfluous writing.
Round up slightly to 4*

This is a good historical account of a remarkable woman doing great things during a time when it was difficult for women to get any kind of respectable job or one that paid well.
The author does a good job of telling a story and using actual facts and events to share what Miss. Greene did to create the library for J.P. Morgan.

Miss Greene made the difficult decision to pass herself as white. I can’t imagine what that would be like.
I’m really glad I read this book.

What a lovely story of hidden history! I loved learning about Belle and the writing was excellent. I have read many of Marie Benedict's novels and enjoyed them all. This time she teamed up with Victoria Christopher Murray to tell the story of Belle de Costa Greene, J.P. Morgan's personal librarian, who is an African American woman presenting as white. The constant trepidation that she feels being concerned that she will be found out and how she was able to make herself so successful in the art world make a tempting tale

This story of an amazing woman you probably have never hear of.

Bella da Costa Greene is an accomplished librarian with a dark, dangerous secret. J.P. Morgan chose her to help him build a library of priceless books and manuscripts and she excelled at locating rare works and had great purchasing skills. Her relationship with J.P. Morgan brings the reader a rare understanding of the financier and his love for the library.

Never married, she had a life among the art elite and a complicated romance with a married art dealer, Bernard Berenson. At all times her secret was paramount in how she lived.

The book moves along at a rapid pace. The authors’ prose and vivid descriptions put you into the scene.

I recommend this book to all lovers of historical fiction. It is one of the best I have ever read.

When you close a book and just say WOW. This book makes me want to learn more and aspire to be inclusive. I loved these authors pairing together, Benedict a champion for silenced women abs Christopher Murray a strong voice for black women. A good story with an important message

This is a powerful book about a powerful woman who must hide her true identity in order to succeed in a world full of racism as well as being a female in a world dominated by men. The authors thoroughly depict the time period in the United States as well as the unrest in Europe. As she works for the powerful JP Morgan as his personal librarian, Belle de Costa Greene lives and works in a world dominated by the wealthy. She struggles internally being born of the first black man to graduate from Harvard who spends his life fighting for race equality and a mother who concocts a background story for her family to pass as white in order to succeed. Her father leads a new life separate from his family as Belle forges on graduating from Princeton and becoming one of the most powerful women in a man’s world with a larger than life employer. Through her expertise and financial backing she acquires many sought after volumes for the Morgan personal library. We also experience her personal turmoil with life and various relationships. Well researched and well written! #ThePersonalLibrarian #MarieBenedict #VictoriaChristopherMurray #NetGalley

This was a fantastic book! It had history, romance, intrigue, social justice issues. It was easy to tell that the authors did their research and it was very believable.

Marie Benedict’s historical novels contain a bit of suspense for her main characters. The Personal Librarian keeps us on our toes until the end. Belle De La Costa Greene is the personal librarian to magnate J. P. Morgan, she encounters some poor choices, but mostly judicious choices during her years as the influential librarian. She has a great deal of love and empathy for her family, especially her mother. Mr, Morgan’s ruthless personality is quite evident evident in the story. Collecting valuable art and historical books remains at the the forefront of the story throughout the novel.

Wonderfully written book about a fascinating woman in American history. It is also a condemnation of the racial discrimination that has plagued our history. Bravo for Marie Benedict having the understanding that she could not write this book by herself. Adding Victoria Christopher Murray as the co-author gives authenticity to the feelings of the protagonist. This is my introduction to Marie Benedict as an author. Now I want to read more of the books that she has written about unsung women heroes.