In typical bibliophile fashion, I love reading about books, libraries, and other readers so it was quite enjoyable to follow Belle da Costa Greene as she navigated the world of elite manuscripts and high class expectations while hiding her heritage to maintain her job.
These 338 pages take the reader along the journey of Belle’s family changing their name in order to pass as white in New York as racial tension mounts around the country and even Northerners are not safe from prejudice. Belle’s sisters attain jobs as teachers and she as a librarian which leads to her placement as JP Morgan’s personal librarian as he seeks to build up a collection to rival libraries and museums around the world, placing himself in a place of prominence in the art world.
I’ll be honest, when I am reading a great book I often struggle to make notes for a review and am left just saying I liked it and it was put together well. There is something to be said of a well written book that keeps the reader engaged so I certainly will bestow the credit there, especially with two authors bringing this work to life. It is also important to note that I didn’t experience anything detaching me from the story, whether it be bad grammar, plot holes, or unrealistic moments.
It is also fun to see a historical figure brought to life amid the limited knowledge we have of Greene. The authors have some additional chapters where they each share a note with the reader and then go into detail of how they constructed the story from different small details recorded about Greene over time. As a reader and writer I loved learning the backstory of how they brought this novel to fruition, forming whole chapters originating from one sentence quoted to Greene.
Definitely an enjoyable read I would recommend for adults. There is no explicit content, but I would just put the 18+ rating on it to be safe as there is mention of affairs and abortion.
Sonya was here 