Michèle was our host for the November meeting and we also had, after our discussion a pot luck dinner to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the existence of the Muse & Views Book Club. We began our meeting with a glass of bubbly offered to us by Janet's husband. After our discussion we had a great meal provided by all of us!
Present were Beth, Betty, Carla, Colette, Janet, Linda, Marg, Marilyn, Michèle & Shirley. All were present. Shirley presented our book for November, The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray.
Marie Benedict is an American writer and lawyer. She writes principally fictionalized novels of real women. Her first book was The Other Einstein, the story of Mileva Maric Einstein, who was Albert Einstein's wife and a brilliant physicist herself. She has written 9 historical novels about women of this world who had extraordinary lives. For The Personal Librarian, she partnered with Victoria Christopher Murray a business woman and an author of 30 books.
The Personal Librarian is the story of Belle da Costa Greene who was the personal librarian of J.P. Morgan and who maintained and built up the collection of rare manuscripts, books and artwork for the Pierpont Morgan Library. Belle had a closely guarded secret, she was from a family of "coloured folks" but he skin was pale enough to pass as a white person. Belle became well known in New York High Society and soon had close acquaintances in her professional and personal life, none who knew her secret.
Most of the members found the story intriguing, many saying it is a "page turner" and also enjoyed the historical aspects of the book. We could easily visualize the characters, especially the 2 main characters. J.P. Morgan, such a strong character who dominated everyone, both family and professional colleagues. Belle da Costa Greene, from the beginning was confident in her abilities and knew, for example, how to convince J.P. Morgan to acquire a particular manuscript or artwork that she believed would be worthwhile for the library. Several members mentioned how the business relationship grew so each had confidence in the other.
A couple of our members thought that her anxiety and fear that her secret would be divulged was too often repeated in the story. Every time she met J.P. Morgan's daughter Ann, her fear and anxiety came to mind. When she was home with her family, the topic was often part of the conversation. It was a way for the authors to emphasize how important it was for her to keep her heritage a secret, but some found it repetitive.
Marie Benedict has written 9 books about women, all true stories and several members had read more than one of her books and enjoyed them. Thank you Shirley for introducing several of us to an interesting author.
