This is a well written historical fiction account of the life of Jessie Carson, an American librarian who was known for her work in establishing children’s libraries in war-torn France as well as training young French women to become librarians and introduces bookmobiles. It also tells of CARDA, an initiative headed by American philanthropist Ann Morgan and the other women who traveled to help rebuild France in the aftermath of the Great War.
The story is told in two timelines, one in 1918 France and one in 1987 New York City. In 1918 Jessie is traveling to CARD headquarters to join fellow volunteers in hopes of sharing her love of books and reading with the children but she is unprepared for what she faces in the sights and sounds coming from the frontlines.
In 1987 we follow NYPL Wendy who finds several old CARD bulletins and when she finds some about Jessie she is inspired to find as much as she can about her and her work which leads her to reevaluate her own life and priorities.
Strong characters, a compelling backdrop and the past and present being woven together well made for an enjoyable reading experience. It was as enjoyable as it was educational.
Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

This was an extraordinary book! I knew nothing about the CARDs - women who came to France to help the devastated people during and after World War I. The true story is mostly about Jessie "Kit" Carson and the rest of the volunteer women organized by Anne Morgan (of the New York Morgans).

Although Kit's mission is to set up a library, she and the others help the families with rebuilding their houses, farms, and spirit. I loved all the characters and I learned so much.

There are occasional interspersed "alternate timeline" chapters set in 1987 at the New York Public Library, fictionally describing how a young creative writing student discovers the CARDs and decides to research and write a book about them. At first I didn't see the purpose of these interruptions in the narrative, but by the end they made sense.

I enjoyed learning about the real life American women's relief force in France during and after WWI. It's contradictory to describe a book as a feel-good war novel, but this certainly had both elements. The CARDs, do-good American volunteers, were there to provide support and relief, and American Jessie Carson was brought in as their librarian. The story had some elements that reminded me of The Giver of Stars -- sharing literacy and books with impoverished communities, and a group of volunteers there to support the work. In this book the story alternated between WWI and 1980s NYC, where a library employee discovers the lost story of Jessie and the CARDs. For me, the 1980s plot line didn't add much to the book (especially the romance element -- why?), but I did enjoy the parts set in France. For me a solid historical , women-driven novel, good for anyone who likes women's fiction and historical fiction.

Based on the true story of Jessie Carson,- an American librarian who left an indelible mark on France during WWI. The novel celebrates strong women, friendship,and the magic of books.
Many thanks to Atria and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a great historical fiction. I loved the Paris Library, so I was excited for this one and it didn't disappoint. It was a hard read especially with everything going on right now, but it was good.

Well executed dual timeline story (1980s and WWI) that drew connections between an employee at the NYPL and a real-life war library in France. I enjoyed the segments at the NYPL, especially after just having visited and toured. I was unaware that a US-based philanthropist endeavored to support the rebuilding of libraries in rural France and this book turned out to be educational as well as enjoyable.

What a relief - a book about World War I. Oddly, the characters are people I might actually know, even tho they lived more than 100 years ago.

I really enjoyed reading about the CARDs. The duAL POVs and the dual timelines were the perfect way to tell this story. There were parts of the this story I absolutely could not put down. There were other parts that moved slowly, but it ultimately kept me reading to the end. The ending was a little abrupt, but I liked the snippets afterward about the real life women who inspired the characters.

This book is an intricate story of a young woman who finds herself in Europe during the throws of World War I. She is there to assist in the protection and building of a library. The story is told thru the eyes of a young woman who finds the information fascinating and decides to further research the story. While I am interested in the story of the era I did not find this book as interesting as I had hoped. For those who have interest in libraries that were created and maintained and how the wealthy spent their money during the tragic years of WWI this book will have an appeal.

Jessie Carson goes to France with CARD during World War I to help villagers rebuild after the enemy has left. Her role is to help establish a library.

In a dual timeline, Wendy has found an article about CARD and is trying to find out everything she can about them.

This book was fascinating. I loved reading Kit’s story and a behind the scenes peek at the library from Wendy’s perspective. I loved how the CARDs worked together for the good of the French people.

Side note: I didn’t realize this was the same author of The Paris Library, which I read and loved.

#Netgalley #MissMorgansBookBrigade

This book was well-written and strongly character- driven. It was encouraging to read a book that showed women being empowered at a time when that was not the norm. The book was set during WWI, in France- a time in history that is not written about as widely.
I was immediately drawn into the story as it was about books and libraries, two of my favorite things! Jessie. “Kit” Carson was a librarian at the NY Public Library and was offered an opportunity to travel to war-ravaged France to become a member of CARD, a group of women who were dedicated to bringing books and opportunities to read to the war-torn people in the countryside of France. This was based on a true story of Jessie Carson and her contribution to the development of libraries in France. Because of the setting the reader learns a lot about how the war affected the citizens of France. There were numerous secondary characters that were well- developed and some romantic relationships as well! A highly recommended book!
This book was given to me by Net Galley, the publisher and the writer in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

any time the setting is nyc, i am in. i liked the dual timeline set-up, i liked how the library was the present day setting, especially with the ability the author has to write atmospheric settings very clearly.

thank you to netgalley and atria books for the electronic advanced reader copy of this book.
good historical fiction is such a pleasure to read. we get a focused mirror into the past and we get a good story, too. miss morgan's book brigade does that well. the focus is books, of course. it's about libraries, in all shapes and sizes, from the NYPL (new york public library, the library of my childhood) to a shelf and restored ambulance in war torn france during world war one. there are two time lines, one during that war and one during the year 1987, at this iconic library. this book is about love and loss, it's about standing up for what you believe in, and it's about allowing one's heart to open, even after painful and difficult times. this is also about women finding ways to fully contribute and be acknowledged for their hard work. this is not an easy book but it is a truly worthwhile read.

Having previously read The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles, I was happy to see she had a new book out. Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade is set during the Great War and is based on the true story of women who went into France to help the people in the smaller villages that had been decimated by the war.

One of the ways the women helped the people was by re-establishing the local library that had sustained damage to most of the building. Kit Carson was one of the women from America that came to help. Her vision improved the library and became a model for other libraries in France.

Kit and the other women also began a book brigade by driving out to the more rural areas with books for people to check out. The citizens looked forward to the days the book mobile was to arrive.

All of the characters had a unique story and were very different but they made a great team by staying focused on their goal of being there to help with food, medical care and support wherever it was needed.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to give my honest review and recommend this book to other readers who enjoy historical fiction.

4.75 stars

I have always loved historical fiction with multiple POVs and a strong focus on women and their role in important historical events. Miss Morgan's Book Brigade was a well-researched story that captivated you from the start. I read this book not too long after my re-read of The Women by Kristin Hannah and realized that even though both books have a very different tone/approach, both books beautifully demonstrate that women were indeed there in every important war/historical event. Our history books like to focus on the men who fought and never give us a glimpse of what the women did to ensure victory. These women were strong and deserved to be remembered, even if it is through the written word. I will recommend Miss Morgan's Book Brigade and several other recent historical fiction books to every reader I come across.

I was excited to receive an ARC of Miss Morgan's Book Brigade because I enjoyed Janet Sheslien Charles' The Paris Library.

This is a story told from two POV and two timelines. 1918 Jessie "Kit" Carson, a NYPL children's librarian, moves to France to join the CARDS. Wendy, a NYPL employee, stumbles across the story of the CARDS and is drawn in quickly. Wendy is determined to discover what happened to Kit and her friends.

This book fell short for me compared to The Paris Library. I found the story of the CARDS to be fascinating. I had never heard of this group and found their story inspiring and quite remarkable. At times, I felt there were gaps in the story explaining some of the finer details of the story. I am not sure Wendy's story added much to the overall impact.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I found the premise of this book super promising and interesting. I love books based on actual people but adding some flair to what the author thinks may have happened, This one, however, took a long while to get into. The characters are pretty decent but the connection isn't fully there until later on. The switching back and forth is also slightly harder to follow. Some books it is seamless and others not so much. I am bummed I didn't get into this book as much as I assumed I would. I appreciate the opportunity to read this early!

WOW! Historical fiction about books and librarians that I did not finish? How weird. I just could not get into this story. It's not terrible, just not great and it did not capture my attention. I read almost half and decided not to finish. Clearly well researched, but the main character just didn't appeal to me. I'm sure others will like it, but it's a DNF for me.

“Even in the grimmest places, beauty abounded, if you only knew how to look.”

Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade is a dual timeline Historical Fiction beginning in 1918 featuring children’s librarian Jessie “Kit” Carson, millionaire Anne Morgan (daughter of J.P. Morgan), and the international group of women known as the CARDs (American Committee of Devastated France). These women worked tirelessly to help build devastated French communities just miles from the front.

Then in 1987 we meet NYPL librarian and aspiring writer Wendy who stumbles upon Jessie Carson in the archives. She quickly becomes consumed and curious about this elusive librarian.

You guys! I devoured this book. The writing is so beautiful. While it does read as a slow burn at times (as war can be) I absolutely fell in love with these women. I love any books that center around books or libraries, but I bet this will be the first time time you’ve heard of bookmobiles from no longer used ambulances after war.

“Books are bridges. They show us how we’re connected.”

This book will give you so much hope and prove over and over again how important stories can be to escape. How stories connect us. How stories can reach people when they need it the most.

You absolutely don’t want to miss the author’s notes and pictures of the true history of all these women. Simply remarkable!

“What are we fighting for, if it’s not the people we love, the ideas we cherish, the stories we want to pass on?”

4.5 stars

3.5 stars, Felt like the middle dragged on a bit. I did enjoy reading of the creation and renovation of the libraries, as well as women breaking into the male-dominated librarian profession.