My reading was a little eclectic in December and I liked it! After reading several holidays books back to back to back in 2020 and…
Books
I love looking back and picking out my favorite reads each year. Some years it feels like agony trying to narrow down the list (dramatic…
Synopsis In an alternate version of 1893 America, New York is part of the Free States, where people may live and love whomever they please…
Each month I’d love to highlight a few different upcoming releases that I’m excited about. I did this a couple times last year, but I’m…
Fa la la la la, it’s my favorite time of year! Now that Thanksgiving has passed and we’ve put up our Christmas tree, I’m officially…
Hello!
I’m Nnenna and this is my online journal where I write about the books I can’t put down, my personal style, the places I’ve traveled to, the products I love, my favorite spots in NYC, and more!
![THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray (@berkleypub #gifted) • What was the last historical fiction book that you read?
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This was a fascinating tale about the little-known historical figure of Belle da Costa Greene. She served as the personal librarian to J.P. Morgan for many years and she was also a Black woman passing as white in the early 1900s. I first heard about this book through an NPR article and as soon as I heard the premise, I really wanted to read it.
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Belle is a woman trying to succeed in the world of art, which is dominated by old white men, and at a time when women having a career is only slowly starting to become acceptable in society. In addition to those struggles, she has this secret that she has to maintain every day of her life because her family’s livelihood depends on it. If her secret is discovered, the consequences would be dire. It's a lot of pressure and Belle certainly struggles with the weight of it.
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I felt the writing here was good, although it did feel a little heavy-handed at times. But I was impressed by the way that these two authors were able to weave together Belle’s singular voice and it made me curious about their writing process. I really enjoyed this novel and I want to learn more about the real Belle!
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[ID: Nnenna stands in front of a bookshelf filled with books, holding a copy of the book and smiling at the camera.]
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