An ode to the power of storytelling, and a love letter to librarians! Based on the true story of American librarian Jessie “Kit” Carson and the women-led “CARDS” who provided aid to devastated portions of France during World War I, Janet Skeslien Charles’ Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade is a beautifully researched and scribed dual timeline tale. And at its heart, amid the backdrop of both the horrors of World War I and the challenges of life in New York City in 1987, is the premise that reading is fundamental.

Kudos to the author for illuminating the courageous and truly awe inspiring feats of Kit Carson and the CARDS in such a compelling, fascinating manner as well as for highlighting the vital and soul nourishing role of librarians. For me, this story was at once more engaging and more insightful than Skeslien Charles’ much lauded The Paris Library.

Highly recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and to Atria for the privilege of a complimentary ARC. Opinions are my own.

I was excited from the moment I saw this delightful cover. The topic and approach was very fresh - an area of history I do not know much about. Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed how the author told this story using two timelines. First, in 1918, during the Great War, as Jessie Carson takes a leave of absence from the New York Public Library to serve on the American Committee for Devastated France. Millionaire Anne Morgan financed this program. Jessie was shocked that France had never seen a children’s library before. I loved how creative Jessie was, converting ambulances into bookmobiles. I appreciated how the author included additional information in the back of the book, about these brave and innovative ladies who transformed the library system.

The alternative timeline begins in 1987, when Wendy Peterson, an NYPL librarian and aspiring writer, discovered Jessie Carson’s name in the archives. Wendy dives further to learn more about this exceptional woman, who worked at the same library she did. “These women received the Croix de Guerr medal for courage under fire, Morgan’s Book Brigade is a tribute to the resilience of the human spirit, the power of literature, and ultimately, the courage it takes to make changes.”

This is a true-life story that captivated me from the start. This is a fantastic novel of brave women doing whatever it takes to build a library that everybody can use. It made me see with new eyes all libraries offer.

I admired the authors’ extensive research and attention to detail, which helped bring the characters and their situation to life. I enjoyed the author’s photographs and additional information about the Book Brigade’s prominent women. This is an incredible story that I couldn’t put down. I look forward to discussing this book about these courageous and amazing women at book club. This is a must-read for all book lovers! Thanks to Atria books for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book by the publisher and NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog https://psalm516.blogspot.com/

Solid 4 stars! I loved the author’s The Paris Library and was eagerly looking forward to reading her latest offering, and I’m happy to say that I was not disappointed. Well-researched and informative, this is an exceptional work of historical fiction that I would not hesitate to recommend.

Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade is a story that celebrates the power of books, courage, compassion, and community during The Great War.

Millionaire and philanthropist Anne Morgan (daughter of JP Morgan) founded a group of international women (American Committee for Devastated France…also known as CARD) to help rebuild French communities during WWI. In 1918, Jessie Carson takes a leave of absence from the New York Public Library to work for the organization in France and she implements innovative methods during her tenure. A dual timeline in 1987 introduces us to Wendy Peterson who stumbles across a reference to Jessie Carson in the archives of the New York Public Library and is consumed with learning more about her.

Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade is told in dual timelines (1918 and 1987). The historical time is especially engaging as I learned about the CARDs, the founders, and the book services to the French community during The Great War.

The main characters are Jessie “Kit” Carson (1918) and Wendy (1987). Anne Morgan is a background character in the WWI timeline. Jessie’s story is the most compelling for me for several reasons: I don’t know anything about Anne Morgan’s organization; I appreciate WWI versus WWII for a change; I adore reading about the power of books to change lives; I love a dynamic and spunky main character; I appreciate hearing the details about Jessie’s innovations involving the library and bookmobile. I’m not sure we need Wendy’s timeline. Although, there is some suspense for readers and for Wendy as we find out what happened to Jessie Carson. I love historical fiction for its role in telling untold stories.

A few thoughtful themes include resilience, survival, compassion, war trauma, the power of books, women supporting women, going above and beyond, and loss. Yes, there are small sides of romance to delight readers.

Content Consideration: tragedies of war, grief

I think fans of WWI historical fiction, books about books, and stories of real-life inspirational women will enjoy Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade. This might be an enjoyable and discussable book club book as well.

Thanks #NetGalley @AtriaBooks for a complimentary e ARC of #MissMorgansBookBrigade upon my request. All opinions are my own.

I had previously read the Paris Library, by Janet Skeslien Charles, and had recommended it for my book club. Miss Morgan's Book Brigade is a very different novel, although it is also historical fiction. As before, Charles sets this novel in France, although now the setting is during the last year of what was then called, the Great War. Once again Charles focuses on the contributions of women, who set out to improve the lives of those impacted by war. The American Committee for Devastated France (Cards) was an organization founded to help feed and nurture French families devastated by war. Jessie Carson, whose life and work lie at the center of Miss Morgan's Book Brigade, was a librarian, who was recruited to be a part of CARDS. In France, Carson uses old ambulances to create book mobiles. She also creates libraries that foster equality among all people.

Charles uses Miss Morgan's Book Brigade to tell Carson's story. Readers only learn about a small part pf Carson's life. It was disappointing not to learn what happened to her after she left France, even if in a brief end note. Although Miss Morgan's Book Brigade is historical fiction, I am unsure why Carson needed a romance? Is there a historical basis for this romance? It was enough that Carson created change and made the world a better place for people. The historical information was very good, with readers learning a lot about the brutality of the German occupation in France.

Thank you to publisher, Atria Books, and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review. I am recommending this novel. It was good but not compelling, but Carson's story and the history provided was certainly worth the read.

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books for this book for review. I loved reading about Jessie Carson and the story of how this librarian turned ambulances into bookmobiles to train French women to become travel librarians during the war. These women were able to bring the wonder of stories and hope during the horrors of the Great War. I love when authors are able to find little known events in history, especially those that highlight the fantastic and heroic acts done by women. These feats are often hidden or overshadow by history and authors are able to highlight by writing these into historical fiction to get more readers, but then people learn about these wonderful and courageous women. I was already familiar with Mary Breckenridge and the wonderful work she has done in Kentucky. She has done amazing for nursing and midwifery, and I have nursing friends who have gone to the school she started in Kentucky, Frontier, and I myself almost went there for grad school. This book shows the power of librarians. both here and abroad. May they be strong and be supported.

This historical novel based on a true story was well-written and interesting when it was not distracted by the obligatory love interest for both women that was anachronistic in both cases. I liked the dual storyline and felt that Wendy, the 80s writer, was true to her timeline as Jessie was to her wartime scene. I would have enjoyed the book if I had not been distracted with bedroom scenes that didn't fit.


I will not be sharing this review on social media since my own rule is to share only positive reviews.

This is from the author of The Paris Library. The story is during WW1 in 1918 and Jessie Kit Carson a NY Public Library employee, joins the American Committee for Devastated France (Cards) which was organized by Anne Morgan a millionaire the daughter of JP Morgan, and Dr. Anne Murray Duke. They call their membership the Cards. Kit is stationed in northern France in a bombed-out chateau in a town called Blerancourt, which is very close to the Red Zone and the war. She is hired to bring libraries to the war-torn French children. She is heroic, and emphatic and becomes a source of comfort and knowledge to the people of the area. The story has a bit of romance, along with grief and loss. We follow her life over a couple of years and what she and some of the other members do during her time in France. It is told in dual timelines, 1918-1920 and 1987 when a young woman researching Kit and the Cards is writing a book about her.
This is another story of the untold women in war and how they impact lives. It is a small glimpse of her and her life. I enjoyed the character of Kit and the storyline is interesting, but I was missing something important, and I can’t tell you what that is, other than its missing impactfulness. I enjoyed the book, but unfortunately will not remember it. I think you will enjoy this book if you like stories with strong female relationships, just a small bit of romance, no spice, and a great representation of feminism.

I found this book to be a bit simple. I think it would be best suited for the young adult audience, rather than adults. While I am a fan of Janet S. Charles and enthusiastically shared The Paris Library with my book club, I probably wouldn't recommend her new release to my circle of friends.

i really liked the dual timeline story. it reminded me of giver of stars, with a book centred effort to help a small population of people.

I do love historical novels and especially enjoyed Miss Morgan's Book Brigade by Janet Skesein Charles . This novel shows the power of women and how they overcome their high society station in life to risk their lives to fight during the Great War. These women bonded during their time in France and achieved their dreams. Jessie who was a librarian in the United States who left her family to go the Red Zone to help establish a library in the devastated battlefields areas. This book reveals how women showed their strength and power to overcome fear, and to help villagers and children against warfare. Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me to read this novel.

Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade tells two stories of small town girls who take risks to achieve their dreams bolstered by their love for books.

Wendy Peterson, working in the New York Public Library in the late 80s finds a kindred spirit in Kit Carson, a librarian who traveled to worn torn France in 1917 and gave hope to the French people through books. I loved how Kit frequently quoted books (some of my faves like Anne of Green Gables) and would escape to the library in her mind.

Kit joined the American Committee for Civilian Relief (in French, CARD, the members called themselves Cards) founded by JP Morgan’s daughter, Anne Morgan. As Wendy continues her research of the Cards, her own story unfolds too.

Although much of the novel is set in a WWI backdrop, there’s a hopeful, compassionate and inspiring tone. Both timelines are entertaining and compelling, full of rich, realistic characters. I highly recommend this book especially for readers looking for WWI historical fiction with female protagonists.

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.

{3.5 stars}

Thanks to Atria Books for the gifted copy. All opinions below are my own.

This story takes place in two timelines: during WWI in France and in the 1980s in NYC. It is about two librarians passionate about stories and their ability to inspire and heal. Jessie has gone to France to support JP Morgan's daughter's initiative American Committee for Devastated France. She believes her job is to rebuild a devastated library but is quickly embroiled in the realities of war finding so many people she can help and also finding love. Wendy is researching Jessie years later.

This is a nice piece of historical fiction that highlights a piece of history that is little known. I didn't love this one as much as I loved The Paris Library, I’m not sure why. It has lots of heart but perhaps was missing intrigue? I didn’t connect with the modern storyline at all.

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.