The Personal Librarian
In her twenties, Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J. P. Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books, and artwork for his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library. Belle becomes a fixture in New York City society and one of the most powerful people in the art and book world, known for her impeccable taste and shrewd negotiating for critical works as she helps create a world-class collection. But Belle has a secret, one she must protect at all costs. She was born not Belle da Costa Greene but Belle Marion Greener. She is the daughter of Richard Greener, the first Black graduate of Harvard and a well-known advocate for equality. Belle’s complexion isn’t dark because of her alleged Portuguese heritage that lets her pass as white—her complexion is dark because she is African American. The Personal Librarian tells the story of an extraordinary woman, famous for her intellect, style, and wit, and shares the lengths she must go to—for the protection of her family and her legacy—to preserve her carefully crafted white identity in the racist world in which she lives.
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In 1905, twenty-six-year-old Belle da Costa Greene takes a job cataloging J. P. Morgan's manuscripts and rises to run his Pierpont Morgan Library. Born Belle Marion Greener to the first Black graduate of Harvard, she rebuilds her name as Portuguese to keep her place at his auctions.
Yes. The Personal Librarian is fictionalized history of Belle da Costa Greene, J. Pierpont Morgan's personal librarian who passed as white throughout her career. Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray researched her documented life.
The Personal Librarian was an NAACP Image Award nominee and a Reese's Book Club pick. The dual-authorship combined Marie Benedict's historical-novel approach with Victoria Christopher Murray's African American historical writing.
The Personal Librarian was written by Marie Benedict, published in 2021 by Penguin Publishing Group.
The Personal Librarian is 352 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, The Personal Librarian takes most readers 5 to 8 hours to finish.
The Personal Librarian is a standalone novel by Marie Benedict, not part of a series.
The Personal Librarian is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.
