The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict

 

The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray misses the mark for me. Benedict has made a career of writing about admirable women such as Mrs. Einstein, Mrs. Churchill, and Mrs. Christie. In this book, she has collaborated with another writer to provide a look into the story of a woman whose whole life is nothing but deception. Worse, this woman feels she deserves to experience a “grand passion with a man” even if it is someone else’s husband. Try as I might, I find this book and this person wanting. I agree that this is a “little-known story,” but I do not find it “remarkable.” In this case, the man behind the woman is also not admirable but a serial philanderer.

This historical fiction explains the charade put on by Belle Marion Greener as she passes for white to work for J.P. Morgan as his personal librarian for his collection of rare books and such for the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York City.

Heather Marie Benedict left her litigator career in New York City to focus on writing novels. Her first novel, The Chrysalis, prompted her to write full-time. As Marie Benedict, she has written historical fiction about famous women including The Mystery of Mrs. Christie, The Other Einstein, Carnegie's Maid, The Only Woman in the Room, and Lady Clementine. She lives in Pittsburgh with her family.

Victoria Christopher Murray is the author of nine novels including The Ex Files; Too Little, Too Late; and Lady Jasmine. She splits her time between Los Angeles and Washington, D.C

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting April 7, 2021.

I would like to thank the Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.