A story that touches upon themes of the horrors of war, trauma, resilience and survival, friendship, compassion and the healing power of books and reading Miss Morgan's Book Brigade by Janet Skeslien Charles is a remarkable work of historical fiction. Based on the true story of Jessie Carson, an American librarian known for her efforts to establish children’s libraries in war-torn France and training young French women librarians, the novel also sheds light on CARD, the American Committee for Devastated France, (Le Comité américain pour les régions dévastées), an initiative headed by wealthy American philanthropist Ann Morgan and the women who volunteered to travel to France to help rebuild devastated French communities near the war front in the aftermath of The Great War.

The narrative is shared through dual timelines set in 1918 France and 1987 New York City. The 1918 timeline is shared from the perspective of Jessie, as she travels to CARD Headquarters in the village of Blérancourt, France, where she joins fellow volunteers. Miss Morgan and CARD president Dr. Anne Murray Dike. Hoping to begin her work as a librarian immediately upon arrival and share her love for favorite books and reading with the children in the village providing them with moments of much needed respite, she is unprepared for the sounds of shelling coming from the front, the hazards of the Red Zone and the destruction in the wake of the retreating German forces. The narrative follows Jessie and her friends as they go above and beyond in their efforts to offer support to the communities who are struggling to rebuild their lives after experiencing unimaginable losses.

The 1987 timeline follows aspiring writer and NYPL employee Wendy Peterson, who finds several old CARD bulletins published in 1918 that describe the work of CARD volunteers in Northern France. When she comes across a brief reference about Jessie, she is inspired to find out as much as she can about the NYPL librarian and her work – not an easy task because of limited source material and the fact that there is not much mention of Jessie in existing records. Wendy’s quest inspires her to reevaluate her own life and priorities.

Compelling characters, a strong historical backdrop and vivid prose make for a rewarding reading experience. The author deftly weaves past and present timelines into an engaging narrative that flows well. I enjoyed the 1918 timeline more and though I enjoyed following Wendy’s research in 1987, I wish the narrative had followed Jessie a little longer in her timeline. However, I did how the author brings everything together in the end.

I loved the author’s The Paris Library and was eagerly looking forward to reading her latest offering, and I’m happy to say that I was not disappointed. Well-researched and informative, this is an exceptional work of historical fiction that I would not hesitate to recommend. I always enjoy historical fiction from which I can learn something new. I appreciate the author’s effort to highlight the contribution of this group of women in WWI. I loved Jessie’s story and was inspired to read more about her and the other real characters featured in this story. Do read the Author’s Note wherein she shares details of the people, places and events that inspired this work of historical fiction.

Many thanks to Atria Books for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This novel was published on April 30, 2024.

Connect with me! ? Instagram ? My Blog ? The StoryGraphnetgalley-arc82 s35 comments Dea127 698 Shelved as 'arc'

My two favorite things are books about WWI/WWII and books about books, so I couldn't wait to get my hands on this. Having read so much about this time period, it's rare for me to discover a vantage point that hasn't already been explored to death already in historical fiction, so I was very intrigued by this focus on the women of CARD and their work in France in the aftermath of WWI.

Dual storylines and timelines often mean that one is more fully fleshed out than the other, but that's not the case here - our two protagonists are nuanced, fully realized human beings. The historical research is sound and the two time periods are distinct and accurately represented. Overall, well worth a read. 74 s2 comments Maureen389 97

Happy Publication Day
This is a compelling story of Jessie Kit Carson. She is a librarian at the New York Public Library in 1918. Jessie is recruited by Ann Morgan, daughter of JP Morgan, to join The American Committee For devastated France known as Card. She is to travel to France to establish a library.
70 years later, Wendy Peterson, and inspiring writer, stumbles upon documents, referring to Jessie and Card. She is intrigued as she also works for New York Public Library. She wants to write a story about Jessie and Card.
This book is written in two time lines 1918 and 1987.
The women of the Card are stationed 40 miles from the front and endure the daily devastation of the war. Jessie does her best with what she has. She even builds a library from a burned out ambulance. She establishes a children’s library and has readings with the children.
The brave women of the Card did more than bring books to this ravaged country. They also helped evacuate people and tend to their wounds.
I really enjoyed reading this captivating novel. It was enlightening to read a book about a subject I knew little about.
An outstanding historical fiction novel not to be missed.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for this advanced readers copy.historical-fiction net-galley57 s10 comments CarolG744 338

This novel is based on the true story of Jessie "Kit" Carson, an American librarian who, in 1918, attempted to establish children’s libraries in France as the Great War raged just miles away. She becomes an important member of the American Committee for Devastated France or CARD (Le Comite americain pour les regions devastees) founded by millionaire Anne Morgan, daughter of J.P. Morgan. In 1987 librarian and aspiring writer Wendy Peterson stumbles across reference to Jessie Carson in the archives and becomes consumed with learning her fate.

The story is told by Wendy and Jessie in alternating chapters and I was engrossed in the stories from both eras. The characters were admirable, very realistic and able. Once again, my heart was breaking and tears threatened while reading about the hardships the people of France suffered. This is another of those stories from wartime (in this case WWI) where we learn of important contributions made by little-known characters and of how those contributions resonate in the future. The amount of research the author did is absolutely staggering. The Author's Note at the end contains a wealth of information, some pictures and many related websites for further information.

I previously read "The Paris Library" by this author and highly recommend both books.

My thanks to Atria Books via Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this historical fiction. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: April 30, 20242024-all-reads-challenge 2024-netgalley-challenge netgalley45 s17 comments Grandma Susan574 52

Based upon a true story. This book is a dual timeline. Jessie Carter was working at the New York Public Library when she became a CARD. As a CARD she was sent to France as a librarian to help restore communities. WWII was still being fought in this area. Most of the women in the CARD weren’t compensated because they were wealthy. Jessie was compensated. She was constantly stressing to the two Directors how important books were to life. She realized having bookmobiles and story hours would be advantageous, she started these programs. This was some of the many things she did.

Wendy is a writer in more contemporary times, also an employee at the NYPL. She worked in a section that scanned documents to preserve. She came across a newsletter that talked about the CARDS. She became engrossed in them and decided to write a book about them. This process was fascinating as well. Definitely read the author’s notes and pictures are included.

Great book. I highly recommend. I was given a free advance reader copy, and I am submitting my review voluntarily.netgalley27 s11 comments Andrea | andrea.c.lowry.reads644 29

Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade is a perfect example of why I love historical fiction. This story brings a wonderful opportunity to learn something new and to connect with the experiences of those who helped so many during WWI.


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