Tuesday Tea: The Personal Librarian

Tuesday Tea is a weekly post where I share what I am reading and drinking and whether I think they compliment each other.

The Book

The Personal Librarian
by Marie Benedict, Victoria Christopher Murray
Pages: 352
Published by Berkley Books
Publication Date December 29, 2021
Goodreads

The remarkable, little-known story of Belle da Costa Greene, J. P. Morgan's personal librarian—who became one of the most powerful women in New York despite the dangerous secret she kept in order to make her dreams come true, from New York Times bestselling author Marie Benedict and acclaimed author 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 on the New York society scene 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 build 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 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.

The Tea

Over the weekend I had my first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season. It was just as wonderful as I remembered it being.

The Assessment

While I strayed from the point of this meme just a little bit, I do think a pumpkin spice latte compliments The Personal Librarian. For me, books about books are always warm and comforting and like my beloved PSL they don’t come around every season.

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