In Becoming Belle da Costa Greene: A Visionary Librarian through Her Letters, Deborah Parker chronicles the making and empowerment of a female connoisseur, curator, and library director in a world where such positions were held by men. Belle da Costa Greene (1879–1950) was Pierpont Morgan’s personal librarian (1908–1913) and the first Director of the Morgan Library (1924–1948). She was also the daughter of two mixed-race parents and passed for white. In the nearly six hundred letters that Greene sent to art historian Bernard Berenson (1865–1959), Parker identifies Greene’s energetic pursuit of exceptional opportunities, illuminating the artistry and imaginative features of Greene’s writing―her self-invention, her vibrant responses to books and art, and her pathbreaking work as a librarian. As Greene transformed a private library into a magnificent public institution, she also transformed herself: hers was a life both lived and writ large. “The ample cache of letters Greene left behind, gathered…in [this book]…reveals an indefatigably witty, puckish soul who savored books and art, had an active social life and loved gossip and a good story.” ― John McWhorter , New York Times “In Becoming Belle da Costa Greene , a study of the letters (which prints several of the juiciest in full), Deborah Parker suggests that in the letters to Berenson we come closest to an expression of her private life.” ― Francesca Wade , London Review of Books “Depicts the career of this great scholar of manuscripts and early printed books through Greene’s letters, mainly to her mentor and lover Bernard Berenson, while also providing insightful connecting commentary. The result makes for compelling reading on multiple levels, not least for its evocation of the last years of the Gilded Age.” ― Michael Dirda , Washington Post “The letters to [Bernard] Berenson are by far the most significant group of Greene’s surviving personal papers and are the subject of Deborah Parker’s Becoming Belle da Costa Greene , which documents her emerging sense of herself as a critic in conversation with Berenson, another unreliable narrator with a great eye.” ― Heather O'Donnell , New York Review of Books “[This] excellent study introduces us to Belle’s private and professional life with scholarly knowledge, with elegance, talent and ease…I highly recommend this marvelous work to libraries and book lovers everywhere.” ― Opritsa D. Popa , Rare Book Hub “Offers readers insight not only into the creation of one of America’s foremost scholarly institutions, but also into the art and craft of writing as a powerful means of self-transformation.” ― Timothy Kircher , Humanities Watch “A nimble study that touches on a wide range of subjects…more than anything, [Greene’s] correspondence with Berenson communicates the vivacity of a woman, rare in her time, for whom the personal sphere…and the professional one were inseparable. These excerpts testify to the scope of her interests and competencies.” ― Francesca Trivellato , Il Sole 24 Ore “What Parker has done is something special in this book – that is to show the growth of Belle da Costa Greene emotionally and intellectually through her own words and her education…a wonderful book.” ― Jessica Moore , Caxtonian “[Greene’s] correspondence to Berenson is crucial in painting a portrait of her life outside of the library…an easy and enjoyable read and illuminates the life of Belle da Costa Greene.” ― Cassie Brand , SHARP News Deborah Parker is Professor of Italian at the University of Virginia, and her books include Commentary and Ideology: Dante in the Renaissance, Bronzino: Renaissance Painter as Poet, and Michelangelo and the Art of Letter Writing . Her writings also appear in the exhibition catalog for the Morgan Library & Museum’s centenary exhibition, Belle da Costa Greene: A Librarian’s Legacy.