Name: The Personal Librarian
Price: 9.89 GBP
Availability: InStock
Author: Marie Benedict
ISBN: 9780593101544

Type

Physical Book

Author

Marie Benedict

Victoria Christopher Murray

Publisher

Berkley Books

Year

2022

Language

English

Pages

352

Format

Paperback

Dimensions

20.6 x 13.7 x 2.5 cm

Weight

0.32 kg.

ISBN13

9780593101544

Synopsis "The Personal Librarian "

The Instant New York Times Bestseller! A Good Morning America* Book Club Pick! Named a Best Book of the Year by NPR! Named a Notable Book of the Year by the Washington Post! "Historical fiction at its best!"* 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. 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.

Marie Benedict

(Author)

View Author's Page

Marie Benedict, pseudonym of Heather Terrell, is an American writer and lawyer born in Pittsburgh in 1973. After more than a decade as a litigator in New York, she turned to historical fiction with the purpose of rescuing the stories of notable women who have been forgotten by official history. Graduated in History and Art from Boston College and in Law from Boston University, Benedict has focused her work on influential but little-recognized female figures.

Among her most notable novels are In the Shadow of Einstein (2016), about Mileva Marić; The Only Woman (2019), centered on Hedy Lamarr; The Mystery of Mrs. Christie (2021), which addresses the mysterious disappearance of Agatha Christie; and The Personal Librarian (2023), co-written with Victoria Christopher Murray, about Belle da Costa Greene. Her work falls within the genre of historical novel, focusing on fictionalized biographies of influential women. Her books have been translated into more than thirty languages and selected by book clubs such as those of Barnes & Noble and Target.

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