The Personal Librarian is based on the true story of Belle da Costa Greene, J.P. Morgan's personal librarian and one of the most well-known, self-made women in the early 1900s. Despite her confidence and grace living in a world of rare arts and manuscripts occupied by men, Belle harbors a grave secret; she is a light-skinned African American woman passing as white.

The plot moves a bit slow until the 50% mark, and I had qualms about how Belle continues to look for validation through her relationships with men, her employer, father, and secret lover. For fictional work based on Belle's courage and sacrifice, I would like to see more portrayals of her relationships with women, especially during the height of the women's suffrage movement. Nonetheless, The Personal Librarian offers a glimpse of the length a brilliant woman must go to survive racism.