These questions have been tailored to this book’s specific reading experience, but if you want more ideas, we also have an article with 101 generic book club questions. 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.ġ0 The Personal Librarian Book Club Questions 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. She is the daughter of Richard Greener, the first Black graduate of Harvard and a well-known advocate for equality.
She was born not Belle da Costa Greene but Belle Marion Greener. 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.īut Belle has a secret, one she must protect at all costs. Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books, and artwork for his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library. In her twenties, Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J. The Personal Librarian, by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray This means that if you choose to purchase, I’ll make a small commission.) The Personal Librarian Synopsis If you liked the book, then keep scrolling, because we have three books like The Personal Librarian for you to consider for your next book club read.
The Personal Librarian discussion guide also include the book’s synopsis and some selected reviews (which are worth discussion). These include the stresses of passing, the effort of carefully constructing a public persona, love and innocence in the 1920’s, and the price you pay for keeping secrets. Our book club questions for The Personal Librarian will help you get the conversation started by pulling at the threads of the books themes. So both the gender and the race dynamics are what makes this such a great book club choice. But what he didn’t know (and only a few others suspected) is that her position as a library curator was also notable because she was an African American passing as White.
Her hiring by JP Morgan was notable in its day because of her gender. The Personal Librarian is a surprising personalized account of true life librarian Belle da Costa Green.
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