Victoria Christopher Murray speaks about her new novel, The Personal Librarian, co-written with Marie Benedict. The book tells the story of Belle da Costa Greene, who was J.P. Morgan's personal librarian. But she has a secret; she was actually a Black woman passing as white. In this historical fictional imagining of Belle's story, she navigates the world of the rich and famous, gaining Morgan's trust and amassing an impressive collection, all the while wrestling with her hidden life. In conversation with novelist Laurie Albanese.

All authors appear for free and the best way you can support them is to buy their book. This book is available from Festival partner Watchung Booksellers here.

Victoria Christopher Murray is an acclaimed author with more than one million books in print. She has written more than twenty novels, including Stand Your Ground, a NAACP Image Award Winner for Outstanding Fiction and a Library Journal Best Book of the Year. She holds an MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business.

This event is part of Succeed2gether’s Montclair Literary Festival.

Any proceeds from the festival benefit parent organization, Montclair-based non-profit Succeed2gether, which offers after-school one-on-one tutoring and enrichment classes with the aim of closing the education and opportunity gaps in Essex County, NJ. You can read more about Succeed2gether and the festival at www.succeed2gether.org.

The festival organizing committee wishes to thank event partners Montclair Public Library and Watchung Booksellers, and festival sponsors Rao's, West of Hudson Realty Group, Montclair State University, Jill Williams (Ameriprise Financial), Ferguson Dental, the County of Essex, and community members.

Victoria Christopher Murray 'The Personal Librarian'