Summary of the Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Murray

Summary HUB

In her twenties, Belle da Costa Greene is employed by J. P. Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books, and artwork for his newly set up Pierpont Morgan Library. Belle becomes a fixture on the New York society scene and one of the most influential people in the art and book world, well known for her flawless taste and shrewd negotiating for critical works as she helps build a world-class collection. But Belle has a secret, one she must conceal at all cost. She was born not Belle da Costa Greene but as Belle Marion Greener. She is the daughter of Richard Greener, the first Black graduate of Harvard and a popular advocate for equality. Belle's complexion isn't black 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 lady, well known for her intellect, style, and wit, and shares the lengths to which she must go--for the protection of her family and her legacy--to preserve her carefully crafted white identity in the racist world in which she lives.