This is part of my Summer Reads series where I’ll be sharing book recommendations – a series of “not just cookbooks”.
As soon as I saw that Janet Skeslien Charles had a new book coming out, I immediately requested it from the Toronto Public Library. I must have got lucky because shortly after Skeslien Charles’ latest, Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade (or The Librarians of Rue de Picardie in some parts of the world) launched, my hold notice arrived! You don’t often get a new release within a week of it publishing!
Skeslien Charles is the New York Times (and internationally) bestselling author of The Paris Library (which I read, loved and reviewed in 2021). Her work has been translated into thirty-seven languages. She has spent a decade researching Jessie Carson (Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade) at The Morgan Library, the NYPL, and archives across France.
From the publisher:
1918: As the Great War rages, Jessie Carson takes a leave of absence from the New York Public Library to work for the American Committee for Devastated France. Founded by millionaire Anne Morgan, this group of international women help rebuild devastated French communities just miles from the front. Upon arrival, Jessie strives to establish something that the French have never seen—children’s libraries. She turns ambulances into bookmobiles and trains the first French female librarians. Then she disappears.
1987: When NYPL librarian and aspiring writer Wendy Peterson stumbles across a passing reference to Jessie Carson in the archives, she becomes consumed with learning her fate. In her obsessive research, she discovers that she and the elusive librarian have more in common than their work at New York’s famed library, but she has no idea their paths will converge in surprising ways across time.
Based on the extraordinary little-known history of the women who received the Croix de Guerre medal for courage under fire, Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade is a tribute to the resilience of the human spirit, the power of literature, and ultimately the courage it takes to make a change.
Ok, I found this premise absolutely fascinating – I have read a lot of WWI historical fiction but had never heard of the American Committee for Devastated France (also known as CARD – Comité Américain pour les Régions Dévastées de France) but immediately my curiosity was piqued.
Founded by Anne Morgan (yes, daughter of JP Morgan and of the Morgan Library), CARD was “extraordinary work undertaken by a small team of American women volunteers who left comfortable lives in the United States to devote themselves to relief work in France during and after World War I.” (source).
Furthermore, the character of Jessie “Kit” Carson who “rehabilitated four libraries devastated by the war […] is credited with making lasting change in French libraries, particularly by extending services to children, who had not traditionally been served by French libraries” (source), though as seen in this story, the work she undertook was so much more than the library work.
A whole piece of war history I had absolutely no knowledge of wrapped up in a modern(ish) day tale of a librarian who comes across references to this work and becomes obsessed with tracking down more information – never imagining how close to home her search would bring her.
The dual timeline (which can sometimes be problematic for me) was well-handled and easy to follow (Skeslien Charles does a good job with this in The Paris Library too), despite there being multiple storylines in both 1918 and the 1987. Both timelines deal with strong women championing libraries and books so I mean, what’s not to love?
10 years (!) of research shows in this detailed account of the war (don’t miss the author’s notes at the end!). Add in strong, engaging characters and storylines you actually care about and you have an absolute page-turner of a book. If you love books, strong female characters, libraries and historical fiction add this to your summer (or anytime!) reading list.
_________
Buy Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade on Amazon (this affiliate link should bring you to the Amazon store in, or closest to, your country).
For free worldwide shipping, find Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade on Blackwell’s.
Support your local Indie bookstore and purchase Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade on Bookshop.org.
Please note: This post contains affiliate links. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. This post also contains other affiliate links. This means that if you click over and purchase something, I will receive a very small percentage of the purchase price (at no extra cost to you). Thank you in advance!
_________
Buy my books! In the French kitchen with kids and French Food for Everyone: le goûter (after school snacks), le dîner (dinner) and le petit déjeuner (breakfast) are out now! Click here for details and how to order!
_________
Like this post? Get blog posts delivered to your inbox! Sign up here!