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November Book Club

About this event

The Personal Librarian

Marie Benedict &
Victoria Christopher Murray

Note: There will be no Book Club meeting in December.

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.

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, becoming a fixture on the New York society scene and art and book world. But Belle has a secret that she must protect -- she is the daughter of Richard Greener, the first Black graduate of Harvard and a well-known advocate for equality. Her 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 to preserve her carefully crafted white identity in a racist world.

~ Goodreads

For more information contact
Maureen Kinney at:
kinneymaureen6@gmail.com

Date and Time

Monday, November 27, 2023, 6:30 PM until 8:00 PM Central Time (US & Canada) (UTC-06:00)

Location

RiverPlace Apartments meeting room
1 Riverplace Dr.
La Crosse, WI 54601
USA

Registration Info

Registration has closed - Event is past