New York Times bestselling author Janet Skeslien Charles, known for her acclaimed novel “The Paris Library,” delves into another fascinating chapter of history with her latest work, “Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade.” This novel, set in 1918, follows the journey of Jessie Carson, an American librarian who arrives in war-torn France with a mission to restore library services. Carson’s efforts, under the auspices of the American Committee for Devastated France (CARD), revolutionize the French library system.
Jessie Carson’s story is one of resilience and innovation. Unlike many of her contemporaries in the relief organization, Carson did not come from a wealthy background. Despite lacking financial resources and a safety net, she bravely ventured to France to make a difference. Her work included training the first French female librarians, establishing children’s libraries, and converting ambulances and trains into mobile libraries. These efforts opened the doors of French libraries to children and the general public, a significant shift from their previous exclusive access by scholars and researchers.
Fast-forward to 1987, the novel introduces Wendy Peterson, a librarian and aspiring writer who stumbles upon Carson’s name in the New York Public Library archives. Wendy becomes consumed with learning about Carson’s fate, discovering that they share more in common than just their work at the New York Public Library. Their paths converge in unexpected ways across time, adding a layer of intrigue to the narrative.
Janet Skeslien Charles, a native of Shelby, Montana, now residing in Paris, discovered Jessie Carson’s name while researching in library archives. Intrigued by Carson’s modest background and significant accomplishments, Charles felt compelled to bring her story to life. “Jessie Carson was from a more modest background and worked,” Charles said. “She didn’t have the money, or resources, or safety net and she went to France anyway. It was brave of her.”
The American Committee for Devastated France, or Comité Américain pour les Régions Dévastées de France (CARD), was founded by philanthropist Anne Morgan, daughter of financier J.P. Morgan, and her friend Anne Murray Dike. The organization, composed of up to 350 women, aimed to help France rebuild its war-ravaged villages and communities. This included placing and training women in roles traditionally dominated by men, such as librarians.
Carson’s work at the Paris Library School, nicknamed the “Wild West Library School” due to its unorthodox approach, was groundbreaking. She introduced the open stack concept, allowing patrons to browse and select books themselves, a revolutionary idea at the time. “It seemed very revolutionary at the time to have open stacks where you could just walk in and choose a book,” Charles noted. “In that time, you stood behind a railing and a librarian would go in the back to get books and bring them to you.”
Charles worked on “Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade” and “The Paris Library” simultaneously, switching between the two projects when she encountered writer’s block. Her research for the novels included extensive travel and visits to the Morgan Museum in New York to examine non-digitized documents, letters, and photos. She also visited the Château de Blérancourt, CARD’s headquarters, to read letters from volunteers.
Despite the challenges in uncovering details about Carson’s personal life, Charles was able to piece together a compelling narrative. “‘Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade’ is what one person can do, who doesn’t have a lot of money,” Charles said. “She gave all she could. All of her time, all of her effort. All of her knowledge.”
Charles hopes readers of “Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade” will take away the message that one person can make a difference. The decision to write the library trilogy as historical fiction rather than nonfiction was influenced by the availability of source material. “To flesh out her character I had to do some guesswork,” Charles explained. “You kind of have to put yourself in someone else’s shoes.”
After the novel’s publication, a reader named Gail Baden, a descendant of a CARD volunteer, contacted Charles with a personal letter written by Jessie to her mother. This letter confirmed many of Charles’s educated guesses about Carson’s motivations, finances, and feelings.
At a time when American libraries are at the center of cultural debates, Charles emphasizes the importance of libraries and librarians in communities. “I do think libraries are under fire and our freedom to read and think,” she said. “It’s really one of the only places left where people can go to for free and enjoy themselves.”
Charles is currently working on the third novel in her library trilogy. In addition to her writing, she has taught English as a second language in Odesa, Ukraine, and in France, where she moved in 1998 and eventually met her husband. Her experience working part-time at the American Library in Paris in 2010 and 2012 served as inspiration for “The Paris Library.”
Janet Skeslien Charles will be in Kalispell for a book signing event on July 16 from 4 to 6 p.m. at Hooper’s Garden Center, 2205 Montana 35 E., Kalispell. Copies of “The Paris Library” and “Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade” will be available for sale.
Source: Daily Inter Lake
