2 of 2 copies available
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 destroyed 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 "rich, glorious, life-affirming tribute to literature and female solidarity. Simply unforgettable" (Kate Thompson, author of The Wartime Book Club).
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
April 30, 2024 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781797168647
- File size: 274387 KB
- Duration: 09:31:38
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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February 19, 2024
Charles (The Paris Library) follows up her bestselling debut with a dramatic story of war and literature in WWI France. In January 1918, Jessie Carson, a librarian for the New York Public Library, accepts an invitation from Anne Morgan, the daughter of J.P. Morgan and founder of the American Committee for Devastated France (“CARD,” after the French name), to help establish a library for civilians living near the front lines in northern France. Overcoming worries that she won’t be up to the task, Jessie devotes herself to distributing books, especially to local children. A parallel narrative set in 1987 follows aspiring author Wendy Peterson, whose day job involves scanning old documents into the NYPL’s microfiche system. When Wendy comes across a box of CARD records, she’s instantly intrigued by the women who volunteered for the organization and determines to tell their story. Wendy’s interest is especially piqued by Jessie, as it’s clear from the records that she didn’t return to the NYPL after the war. Charles packs Jessie’s story with emotion, particularly in scenes where the librarian shares a French copy of her beloved Anne of Green Gables with a French girl, and when she takes comfort in her own love of reading during moments of despair. Bibliophiles are in for a treat. Agent: Heather Jackson, Heather Jackson Literary. -
May 31, 2024
In 1918, Jessie Carson takes leave from her job at the New York Public Library to join the American Committee for Devastated France (CARD), which is rebuilding French villages just miles from the front lines. Jessie's job is to rebuild a village library. Under almost impossible conditions, she accomplishes this and much more, revolutionizing libraries and women's lives in France. In a parallel plot set in 1987, budding writer Wendy Peterson stumbles across a reference to Jessie in the NYPL's archives. Determined to use Jessie's story as the basis for her novel, Wendy scours the archives until she finds information that leads her to a surviving CARD member. Charles (The Paris Library) bases her story on the history of the brave American women who brought hope and help to the people of France in a time of crisis and loss. The team of narrators, including Marin Ireland, Sarah Gadon, Jackie Sanders, and Cassandra Campbell, evokes the WWI setting and provides excellent voices and accents for the international cast of characters. VERDICT For fans of World War I historical fiction celebrating women, resilience, and the joy of living.--Joanna M. Burkhardt
Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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