This novel was the February pick for the Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club.

While this novel is historical fiction, it tells the story of a real but little-known woman named Belle da Costa Greene. She was J. P. Morgan’s personal librarian, helping him obtain works of art and antiquities as she curated his collection at the Pierpont Morgan Library. She became a powerful force in the art world and in New York society. But Belle was hiding a secret: she was a black woman passing as white in a racist world.

I really enjoyed this fascinating look into Belle’s world and what life was like for a young black woman trying to support her family while striving for her dream career. It was an education in the lengths one might have to go to if they are a black person passing as white. The novel explored the mental toll it could take on the person passing, and the fear they lived with every day. Belle became such a force in the art world that she was often the only woman at art auctions, bidding on behalf of J. P. Morgan. It was also interesting to get a peek into what the art and antiquities scene was like in the early 1900s. Overall, I enjoyed this portrait of a woman who deserves to be more well-known for her contributions to creating a distinguished library that is still open to the public today.