Her Story is Reading The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
March 2nd 2022
| 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Her Story is a book club that meets at Hub City Bookshop on the first (and sometimes second!) Wednesday of every month to discuss books about women, by women. This month we're discussing Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray's The Personal Librarian. Book club will be held virtually via Zoom, and will begin at 6pm. The club is free and open to all; please access the link to the Zoom room via the button below!
About the Book
A remarkable novel about J. P. Morgan’s personal librarian, Belle da Costa Greene, the Black American woman who was forced to hide her true identity and pass as white in order to leave a lasting legacy that enriched our nation, from New York Times bestselling authors Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray.
"An untold story that is simply amazing. It's timely and impactful."
—Brenda Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of Follow Your Heart
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.
“Historical fiction at its best…The Personal Librarian spins a complex tale of deceit and allegiance as told through books.”
—Good Morning America
About the Authors
Marie Benedict is a lawyer with more than ten years' experience as a litigator. A graduate of Boston College and the Boston University School of Law, she is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Only Woman in the Room, The Mystery of Mrs. Christie, Carnegie's Maid, The Other Einstein, and Lady Clementine. All have been translated into multiple languages. She lives in Pittsburgh with her family.
Victoria Christopher Murray is an acclaimed author with more than one million books in print. She has written more than twenty novels, including Stand Your Ground, an NAACP Image Award Winner for Outstanding Fiction and a Library Journal Best Book of the Year. She holds an MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business.
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