⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)
Janet Skeslien Charles truly levels up with Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade, a novel that surpasses her debut The Paris Library in both heart and storytelling power. Inspired by the real Jessie Carson—an American librarian who helped restore wartime France through the written word—this book highlights a forgotten chapter of literary history.
Charles’s fictionalized Jessie is brave, grieving, and driven. Her journey through WWI-ravaged towns, delivering books to soldiers and rebuilding libraries, is both emotionally resonant and vividly detailed. The novel explores how stories create connection, community, and healing—especially when everything else has been shattered.
The dual timeline follows a modern-day librarian, Wendy Peterson, in 1987 New York, who stumbles across Jessie’s name in the NYPL archives and becomes obsessed with uncovering her fate. While Wendy’s storyline adds a layer of literary mystery, I personally found it less compelling. These split narratives are everywhere lately, and in this case, the historical plot was strong enough to stand on its own.
Still, Miss Morgan and her brigade remind us that books don’t just entertain—they heal. This is a heartfelt, inspiring story for anyone who’s ever believed in the power of a library card.
** Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for a comp of this title. All opinions are my own.