Thank you so much for allowing me to read this book! I absolutely loved it and couldn't put it down! I love this time period in history! The story brought me straight into the realities ofwhat women in World War Two delt with. I absolutely loved all the characters and joining them in their journeys. This is truly a story of resistance and love the the horrible hardships faced in the lesser known "women's war" of World War Two! Thank you so much!

I was not familiar with Kit Carson before reading this book (although the name is so familiar for some reason!) I enjoyed how the story unfolded, the author did a wonderful job crafting an engaging story about the power of books and readers.

Based on the story of Jessie Carson and the CARDs who worked in France during WWI. Jessie aka Kit is a librarian and becomes determined to set up a children's library in France. Along the way, she makes deep connections and helps change lives. The other story here is Wendy, who works at the New York Public Library in 1987. When she stumbles upon archival documents about Jessie and the CARDs, she becomes determined to tell their story.

I loved this one! I can be picky about historical fiction, but this one drew me in. The characters were so great and I just wanted to see where it went throughout the whole book. I liked Wendy's story, but Jessie's story definitely stole the show for me. I do think the synopsis on the dust jacket/Goodreads/etc. makes it seem like it will be much more about the bookmobiles and training librarians, but that is really at the end. Most of it is her trying to create a library in Brelancourt. Regardless, I still loved it!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 STARS. HYBRID-FORMAT REVIEW. In 2023 sometime (it's all a blur), I remember being so excited to hear about Janet Skeslien Charles's forthcoming THE LIBRARIANS OF RUE DE PICARDIE. I absolutely adored THE PARIS LIBRARY, and from the sound of it, this next book would also include many of my favorite ingredients, namely books, libraries & librarians, and France & French language elements. Add to the mix strong and intelligent women characters who bust out glass ceilings to get things done, and SCORE! MAGNIFIQUE! MISS MORGAN'S BOOK BRIGADE (which is what the title ended up being on US copies) checks all my boxes with the bonus of the characters and actions being based on real people and the nearly unimaginable things they accomplished during WWI.

In my review of THE PARIS LIBRARY, I noted that the book was a reminder that there were many unsung heroes and heroines doing extraordinary things and making extraordinary sacrifices during World War II. The same holds true for MISS MORGAN'S BOOK BRIGADE, but it enlightened me to a completely unknown-to-me chapter of World War I. I learned so much about the roles served in France by women from all different countries during the war and about some French history I hadn't learned in my many years of French coursework. Several of the things I read about prompted me to learn more (including about CARD, JP Morgan's daughter Anne, and France's Zone Rouge), and I think that's always the mark of great historical fiction: make me want to learn more.

There is a wide cast of characters in MISS MORGAN'S BOOK BRIGADE, and each of the two timelines have more than one storyline happening. It's a lot, and given the length of the book, there just wasn't time to fully flesh out them all. I enjoyed the dual storylines and points-of-view and how parallels in the lives of Kit and Wendy, some eighty years apart, are revealed. The author does a terrific job of connecting their paths and wrapping up the loose ends, though I was left wanting a bit more about a couple of the main threads.

And HOLY COW. Kit's Readers' Advisory and books she handed out in 1918 are still some of the best, must-read titles of all time (and a nod to the author's librarian skilz). Included were so many beloved titles that I've read, recommended, or still have on my TBR. I really wish I had started writing a list of them as they popped up in the book. Maybe another reader has compiled one? Or perhaps, when I re-read/re-listen, I will make the list myself! (Because retired! And because I can't remember diddly squat. Please don't ask me to tell you any of them.)

I was certain I would like this book, and once I started reading it on NetGalley just before it published, the day it published, I not only bought it in hardcover (from BookPeople in Austin), but also as an audiobook, and those are the formats I primarily used. I'm very glad that I indulged in buying both because it allowed me to go back and forth between formats so I could keep reading -- but with my ears -- when I had other tasks to take care of while wearing my domestic goddess hat (that old chestnut).

I ended up finishing the book -- I thought -- with the audio version, but I wanted to double check something and picked up the hardcover copy to find it. And it's a good thing I did! The print version has an Author's Notes section that is twelve FASCINATING pages long; had I only had the audiobook, I would have missed it entirely. The author's thorough and thoughtful research is even more apparent after reading this section, and it also brought Charles's personality and passion to the page. She's my favorite Francophilian & bibliophilian (I might have created those words just now?) author, and I'm thrilled there's a third book planned in her library trilogy. *grabby hands*

ABOUT THE AUDIOBOOK: There were four narrators, and unfortunately, I don't know which was which! All of them had great pacing, and each character had a distinct voice. Naturally, I really enjoyed the characters who spoke with French accents, and in both the print and audio, I LOVED, LOVED the inclusion of French words and phrases (a nod to the author's French skilz). However, in the audiobook, it was disappointing to hear mispronunciations of French words by characters who were supposed to be fluent/well-schooled in French. And there were some peculiar and clunky English pronunciations scattered in the mix as well. So the audio left a bit to be desired, and the narration faux pas in addition to the omission of the Author's Notes section lead me to recommend reading with your eyes, not your ears, malheureusement.

Overall, reading MISS MORGAN'S BOOK BRIGADE was time very well-spent between the pages, and I anxiously await whatever's next from Janet Skeslien Charles. Her writing is pure gold.

I love when you stumble across a bit of history you didn't know! What a wonderful story. Historical fiction readers will love this book!


Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for an arc. All opinions expressed are my own.

I simply adored this novel! What a wonderful story. All lovers of historical fiction will love this book!

This book had such good storylines that incorporated history I was unaware of.

I loved The Paris Librarian and was looking forward to this one so much. For some reason, I struggled staying engaged in this story. I did finish it and would consider trying to read it again to see if my opinions changes as I feel like it was more me than the story.

Thank you to Atria Books for the copy of this book. All views are my own.

I enjoyed this historical novel. It’s set in 1918 and based on the true story of Jessie Carson. Jessie left her job at the New York Public Library to help in France. She wants to help the children and the communities by bringing books and start libraries. The stories of her and the others in her group are both entertaining and emotional. The women were very brave in their work. What the people there endured during the war is heartbreaking.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishing house, and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for review, based upon my honest opinion.

This was a lovely story based upon a true person and story. It is a dual timeline story, which I love. It is about Jessie Carter, in 1918, a librarian who was working at the New York Public Library when she was sent to France as a librarian to help establish a library and there is nothing more than Jessie loves than books. In the present, 1987, we read about Wendy Peterson, a writer who discovers documentation that refers to the story of Jessie and her worjk with CARD. Wendy is very interested and decides she wnats to write the story of Jessie. This book was lovely, another topic I had never read about before and so enjoyable.

This author's books are always so well written and researched..I look forward to more books by this author.

I love WWII historical fiction, and this story seemed to offer a compelling story based on actual events. American Jesse Carson, a librarian, volunteers t go to France during the war to help deliver libraries to French children. The writing was good and the research was evident. So I feel bad saying that for some reason I could not get into this storyline. It may be me as others seem to really enjoy it. Sometimes a good book just doesn't work for everyone.

Having said that, the storyline was so aligned with my interests that I may give this another try at a later date. I skimmed through a lot of it, but will give the book a second chance at a later date.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Based on a true, little-known story of the brave women who worked to restore war-torn France in the wake of World War I, the author of <i>The Paris Library<i> returns to share the work of everyday heroes. Even as bombs continue to fall in the Red Zone in France, Jessie Carson, a New York Public Library librarian, is hired to reestablish libraries in the decimated villages. With grit, determination, and incredible compassion, she and her compatriots provide food, shelter, and culture to civilians who got caught on the front lines. Bit by bit, readers learn about the history and lives of these dedicated women, while growing to love the French people who survived the horrors of war.

This was another wonderful book about women who accomplished so much but were never recognized! The cards were wonderful people who risked their own lives to take care of the people in France. It was a wonderful story

Thank you for the opportunity to read this novel. While I had high hopes for this story, I wasn't able to connect with it and did not finish.

This book clearly took much time to research and the topic is fascinating. I’m so glad the story of these incredible women was unearthed and should be celebrated. Overall, however, the writing itself was so simplistic, literally passage upon passage of simple sentences that were very declarative instead of evocative. Each character had the same general avoice without any linguistic difference to differentiate them other than some mixture of some French phrases. This period of history was so rich and complex that the writing style did not align. There was much bluntly revealed in dialogue instead of developed through descriptive passages.

If you're a historical fiction aficionado who enjoys books about books, this one is for you!

I appreciated that this is based on a true story, set in WWI, as many historical novels focus on WWII instead. The book features Jessie, a young librarian in New York, who obtains a job in France working to bring books and libraries back to areas of the country most devastated by the war. Jessie was hired by Anne Morgan (daughter of JP Morgan), a philanthropist and progressive woman of her time who funded this effort, known as CARD (The American Committee for Devastated France).

In a dual timeline, Wendy is a researcher at the NYPL in the late 1980s who comes across the story of Jessie and her work with CARD. The story alternates between these two women. I felt the plot became a bit bogged down at times in details, but it was very well researched. I appreciated the message about the importance of books and how they are particularly meaningful to preserving history and educating children, who are our future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my review!

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for an ARC of Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade. All opinions are my own.
I had previously read the author’s The Paris Library, which I really enjoyed. Similar to that book, this is a dual timeline historical fiction. One timeline is France in 1917 where American librarian Jessie “Kit” Carson has arrived, recruited by millionaire Anne Morgan to join CARD (the American Committee for Devastated France), and the other timeline is 1987 in the US, where Wendy conducts research to learn about Kit.
I had not previously known about CARD and its introduction of children’s libraries to France. I always love learning something new when reading historical fiction - and from the author’s notes, it’s clear that this is a well researched book. I didn’t feel the same spark that I did with The Paris Library, but I did enjoy what I learned and will continue to read more from this author. I listened to the audiobook which was well produced with four narrators including one of my favorites, Marin Ireland.

I was really looking forward to this one based on the synopsis, but unfortunately it was just a little too slow paced for me and too long. I was expecting a bit more of a connection between the dual timelines and was letdown in the end. I did love the overall message of how important books are no matter the circumstance.

Historical fiction at its finest is when it's teaching me about an aspect of history I previously knew nothing about. I adored The Paris Library and Miss Morgan's Book Brigade didn't disappoint!

This was a great book based on actual events during WW1. It was interesting to find out all the things the things that the CARDs did for France, both to help the war effort, and to rebuild libraries. I found it fascinating to find out that Jessie “Kit” Carson did so many great things for the French libraries. She made them available for the everyday person, and she championed women working in the libraries by sending students to the United States to study library science.
The CARDS are definitely women the world should know more about, and I am eager to learn all I can about them!
This book was excellently written and well researched. Highly recommend for any bibliophile with an interest in the world war.

Miss Morgan's Book Brigade was a tribute to all the hard work women did during the war. I was inspired by Kit and her ability to bring life back into people by connecting with them on a personal level and through books. By the end of the book, you believed this fine group of CARDS were your friends as well. This story was a wonderful look into history with the opportunity to learn more about an organization I had never heard of prior.