THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN

“Changing your name is easy. Changing your soul is impossible.”

This historical fiction novel tells the extraordinary story of J.P. Morgan’s personal librarian, Belle da Costa Greene, who spent her life “passing” as white in order to build her career directing one of the country’s most impressive collections of books and art. Belle was able to dazzle New York society, spot art forgeries, and shrewdly negotiate acquisitions, but the sacrifices she made reflect how few opportunities were available to women of color during this era. Spanning two decades, the book follows Belle’s transformation from entry level librarian to powerful curator of some of the most important works in the world - all while hiding her true identity from her employer and everyone who knew her.

The Personal Librarian is an exploration of identity as a choice. In Belle’s case, it would seem she decided to forego authenticity in favor of success - but it’s not so simple. Can women define for themselves which of their authentic selves to honor, like Belle? I confess at first I wasn’t sure I’d connect with her sometimes detached narrative voice, but I soon realized her guarded demeanor was necessary to the life she chose, creating a public face of gaiety and charm while hiding in plain sight. I loved Belle’s confidence and ambition, and found her story fascinating - especially her twin conflicted relationships with her father and her employer. Hoping to re-visit the @themorganlibrary soon to see her legacy in person!

Last year I had the honor and thrill of creating book-inspired holiday cookies for @oprahsbookclub ! It was so much fun that I plan to make holiday cookies a tradition every December, starting with these lacy cranberry-orange Florentines to represent Belle’s trip to Italy and interest in Italian Renaissance art (recipe in stories). These were some seriously labor intensive cookies but worth every minute and calorie!