capture stories's Reviews > The Personal Librarian

Finally, finishing “The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray.” The novel unravels and focuses on Belle, a woman of color who passes her life as a black woman and goes on living a life of a white woman because of her light skin color. Is her life fake or real? Will I judge her for that? These thoughts were constantly swirling in my head during the read. There were moments, as I have read, Belle contemplated; she hesitated on her choices. She, too, judged none other but herself for that life.

It all began when she was selected as the Librarian of the magnificent Pierpont Library back when racial discrimination was rampant all over the city. Yet, she was ever successful in building a legacy despite her humble background. In between chapters, choices, sacrifices, and secrets were discussed. Some ancient manuscripts, historical art pieces, historical dates, and places are mentioned here, which can be eye-opening and become perks of interest for some readers.

I find the writing styling like a journal rather fascinating. Though a fictional story, the book is set on a heavy tone of historical facts and events, thus making the story lengthy and dissipating one’s interest towards the second half of the book. Nonetheless, there were many other aspects regarding unusual love relationships, sexual differences, regrets, and the dynamics of the affluent families with the social norm back in the 1900s, making the storyline compelling and exciting. Having read the story from the first-person point of view allows me to engage in the inner thoughts of the main character Belle, sharing her secrets and learning from her mistakes and success.