The Personal Librarian: A GMA Book Club Pick pdf

The instant New York Times bestseller! A Good Morning America* Book Club pick! Named a Best Book of the Year by NPR! Recognized as a Notable Book of the Year by the Washington Post! “Historical fiction at its finest!” * A remarkable novel about J. P. Morgan’s personal librarian, Belle da Costa Greene, the Black American woman who had to conceal her true identity and pass as white to leave a lasting legacy that enriched our nation, from New York Times bestselling authors Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray.

In her twenties, Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J. P. Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books, and artwork for the newly established Pierpont Morgan Library. She was born not as Belle da Costa Greene but as 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 due to her supposed Portuguese heritage that allows her to pass as white—her complexion is dark because she is African American.

The Personal Librarian tells the story of an extraordinary woman, renowned for her intellect, style, and wit, and reveals the lengths she must go to—for the protection of her family and her legacy—to maintain her carefully constructed white identity in the racist world she inhabits.