Marie Benedict and Victoria C. Murray have collectively written a new novel about J.P. Morgan’s librarian, who curated his personal library of art, books and other rare materials. Belle da Costa Greene was hired by Morgan in 1905 and she was very successful in adding to his vision for the library. But what no one knew (except her family) was that Belle was keeping a huge secret. She was not descended from a Portuguese grandmother, the reason she used for her darker skin color, but she was in reality Belle Marion Greener, an African American woman. Belle successfully kept her secret and her job throughout her life, and was left an inheritance from J.P. Morgan, at least in the story. I would recommend this to fans of historical fiction, one of my favorite genres. If you would like a glimpse of this amazing library, check it out here.
Palisades Free Library Blog 