Name: Nov Book & Pie: The Personal Librarian
Start: 2024-11-19T14:00:00-05:00
End: 2024-11-19T16:00:00-05:00

By Marie Benedict
Note: I moved meeting from Thanksgiving week to a week earlier.

I have books from the library. I will bring them to lunch Tuesday.

A remarkable novel about J. P. Morgan’s personal librarian, Belle da Costa Greene, the Black American woman who was forced to hide her true identity and pass as White in order to leave a lasting legacy that enriched our nation, from New York Times bestselling authors Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray.
In her twenties, Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J. P. Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books, and artwork for his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library. Belle becomes a fixture in New York City society and one of the most powerful people in the art and book world, known for her impeccable taste and shrewd negotiating for critical works as she helps create a world-class collection.
But Belle has a secret, one she must protect at all costs. She was born not Belle da Costa Greene but Belle Marion Greener. She is the daughter of Richard Greener, the first Black graduate of Harvard and a well-known advocate for equality. Belle’s complexion isn’t dark 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 woman, famous for her intellect, style, and wit, and shares the lengths she must go to—for the protection of her family and her legacy—to preserve her carefully crafted White identity in the racist world in which she lives.

Read, Chat, Craft!

Parents & Family

Reading

Book Club

Women's Book Club

Book Swap

Dining Out

Coffee and Tea Socials

Watching Movies

Festivals

Theater

Coffee, Tea & Dessert

Coffee

Road Trips

Nov Book & Pie: The Personal Librarian

This content is available only to members

Share this event

Nov Book & Pie: The Personal Librarian

Details