I wanted to love this book, and I definitely appreciate knowing more about the background of the Morgan Library and Museum in NYC (originally JP Morgan’s private library), a place I’ve never been to but would now like to visit. This novel of historical fiction centers around Belle da Costa Greene, a Black woman passing as white, who becomes JP Morgan’s personal librarian, a job that is more curator and dealer/buyer than how we’d define librarian now. She remained in charge of the library her entire career, growing its contents and offering scholarly info and analysis. Yet, I found the depiction of Belle’s character—written in first person—stilted and distant and overt. I did a lot of eye rolling throughout the book, even some cringing. Still, I finished it, and she seems an extraordinary person, but not real or likable in this book.