The Personal Librarian Review
By Celeste Daniels
TW: Racism, mentions of lynchings
Hello, audacious readers!
It’s almost springtime! We’re finally warming up, the flowers are coming back, and we’re ready to grow with it. Last month, we weathered the storm with badass pirates in The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty. This month, we’re walking a tightrope of success and discrimination in The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray.
It’s 1905 New York City and librarian Belle da Costa Greene is granted the opportunity of a lifetime. She was chosen to manage and develop the personal library of J.P. Morgan, what would eventually become the Morgan Library & Museum. This is no ordinary position. Instead of managing books for the public, she’s jet-setting around Europe, in auctions buying the rarest items, and rubbing elbows with New York socialites for high-value art.
The position is prestigious and immediately launches Belle into high society as she . Seemingly overnight, she quickly becomes one of the most powerful people in the art and book world, providing a better life for her and her family as well as becoming the right-hand of J. P. Morgan, one of the most powerful men in New York.
Yet, one dangerous secret hangs over her.
While the world sees her as a white woman, tan from her Portuguese heritage, she’s actually African American. Born Belle Marion Greener, she grew up the daughter of the first Black Harvard graduate, a well-known advocate for equality. However, a choice made by her mother when she was young, forced Belle into a lie that not only threatens her career but her life. With every success comes scrutiny that it can all go away in the blink of an eye and, the deeper she goes, the more determined she is to make history.
The thing I appreciated the most about this book is that it acknowledges the fact that, because Bella could pass for white, she was able to gain access to a high-profile life and wealth. However, it wasn’t an easy choice to live with and one she felt constantly conflicted over it.
A big focus of the story was the distance between her professional accomplishments as well as her personal ones. We watch her grow up with that decision from the bold character she creates to stand out to the reckless partier when she’s conflicted to the confident but secluded woman. This becomes very evident with her romantic relationships, specifically with Bernard Berenson. Though she fell in love with him, she could never fully trust him, which became evident when she got pregnant, and he pushed for her to have an abortion.
She would also have a interestingly intimate relationship with J.P. Morgan. While never acted upon, there was romantic tension and possessiveness between them us, though they both understood that they could not cross the line. Too much—their work relationship, Bella’s reputation, the library’s legacy—was at stake.
And while both relationships would test and tempt Bella, she would stay strong and ultimately choose herself. She would choose her own legacy and build a monument that still stands tall today. While it was difficult at times to read about the sacrifices she made, I can only hope thats she’s proud of this book. Though fictional, I hope she’s able to rest easy knowing her legacy is being celebrated, especially because of all she accomplished as a black librarian in a would that tried to make her invisible.
I hope you enjoyed The Personal Librarian! Feel free to comment your thoughts below and make sure to check out March’s read, coming tomorrow. Also make sure to check an upcoming project from me and Audacity’s founder, Jessica Wise, The Bridge Club. It’s a one-act play coming to Atlanta in May! Until next time, don’t forget to read audaciously!
