The Personal Librarian

Could you risk everything to live the life you were meant for? Discover the incredible true story of Belle da Costa Greene, a brilliant woman who became the personal librarian to J.P. Morgan while hiding a dangerous secret—that she was a Black woman passing as white. This summary reveals how Belle navigated the opulent, yet treacherous, world of New York's elite at the turn of the 20th century. You'll learn how she used her intellect and ambition to build one of the world's most magnificent private libraries, all while protecting her true identity and her family from a society that would have destroyed them.

Marie Benedict is a lawyer and New York Times bestselling author of historical fiction, while Victoria Christopher Murray is an acclaimed, bestselling author with more than thirty novels to her name. Their collaboration on The Personal Librarian was born from a shared passion for uncovering the hidden stories of remarkable women from the past. Together, they combined their distinct research and storytelling skills to bring the powerful, complex life of Belle da Costa Greene out of the shadows and into the literary spotlight.