The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray is historical fictional about J.P. Morgan’s personal librarian Belle da Costa Greene, a black woman born Belle Marion Greener, passing as white, who became one of the most influential women in the world. Hired to curate his collection of rare books, manuscripts and artwork, Belle proved herself invaluable to J.P.Morgan both in New York and Europe. She rose to incredible fame during her lifetime, all the while hiding her true identity to protect herself and her family.

Through much research, Benedict and Murray bring Belle’s fascinating story to life. Although I found the writing itself to be average at best, the story is captivating until the end. Written at a time when racism should be a thing of the past, Belle’s struggles ring only too true for women of color even today.

A recommended read.