Miss Morgan's Book Brigade

The secondary narrator and deuteragonist of the novel, Wendy Peterson is an aspiring writer who works in the “Remembrance” department of the NYPL in 1987. Wendy’s job is an example of ​The Preservation of Cultural Artifacts; she spends her days photographing and filing documents and other artifacts of the past in the library, and her immediate fascination with Jessie Carson and the Cards emphasizes the relevance of these historic women in the contemporary world. In many ways Wendy is a modern mirror for Kit: She’s shy and often has difficulty connecting with others, prefers the company of books, and feels her father doesn’t understand her literary interest in the way her mother did before she died. Unlike Kit, Wendy is not a librarian, though she has deep admiration for the profession and for libraries themselves as a source of knowledge and inspiration:

When I arrive, I greet Patience and Fortitude, the mud-smeared marble lions who guard the New York Public Library. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, Patience and fortitude conquer all things, and since I began at the NYPL two years ago, it’s been my motto. Not so much for the job, but for my writing career (27).

Wendy’s fledgling writing career and interest in Jessie Carson and the Cards frames the historical narrative; as Wendy unearths new research, Kit’s narration describes the people and events she discovers in greater depth. Wendy’s search for information underscores The Impacts of Women in History and the value of remembering them. The guidance Wendy receives from Roberto, the librarian she’s in love with, also demonstrates the importance of librarians and the work they do. Wendy’s desire for a relationship with Roberto is complicated by the lasting scars of an interrupted sexual assault she experienced in college, which has made her even more closed off toward other people. Because of this, she struggles to form relationships with the other writers in her class, even when she wishes she could.

As they work together on her research, Wendy finds the courage to get closer to Roberto and embark on the romantic relationship she’s been hoping for, remarking that “from our first conversation, I have wanted this. I have spent two years scared to reach out, but I’m not scared now. The Cards’ courage has rubbed off on me” (189). That courage sees her transform in ways that continue to mirror Kit’s journey, as she shares the details of the assault with Roberto, finds friendship with Meredith from her writing class, stands up to Professor Hill’s negative and misogynistic critiques, and gets a promotion that enables her to propose a new program and contribute to the legacy of the NYPL. Through her efforts to locate and research the Cards, Wendy is an avatar for Skeslien Charles herself, and a symbol of how learning about people from the past can change lives in the present.

Anne Morgan and Anne Murray Dike were real historical figures, founders of CARD awarded numerous honors for their philanthropy and courage during WWI. In the novel, Skeslien Charles sketches the outlines of each woman and then embellishes based on the historical record. Kate Lewis, a fictional Card based on two real women, introduces their matter-of-fact approach to leading the volunteers: “For the most part, the girls are kind and hard workers. Miss Morgan and Dr. M.D—that’s what we call CARD president Dr. Anne Murray Dike—run a tight unit. When a debutante hurkle-durkled in bed until 10: 00 a.m., Dr. M.D. shipped her back to Boston” (10). This is a paraphrasing of Murray Dike’s statement in an Under Two Flags bulletin that a “probationary period will allow us to eliminate any undesirables” (33) as new volunteers arrive. A trained physician, Dr. M.D. is “pensive” and strict, the keeper of CARD’s immaculate records. She functions as a check on Anne Morgan’s more generous impulses, and her budget-minded refusal to give Kit the proposed bonus is what spurs her to take a job in Paris.

Anne Morgan is an intimidating and commanding figure, “fiercely intelligent, and her chin was slightly raised, as though she was accustomed to doing battle” (13). Her ferocity is tempered by her generosity, demonstrated when she defies the other Anne’s budgetary concerns by spending her own funds on a wedding dress for the destitute Jeanne Petit. Skeslien Charles describes the two Annes as “inseparable” and touches briefly on their romantic relationship when describing an interaction during Jeanne’s wedding, where Kit remarks, “I perceived their love, and understood that not all weddings were blessed by an officiant. Some marriages were lived between souls” (155). Interactions between the women build their professional and personal relationship as one of compromise and cooperation; as a team, they keep CARD running, debate the safest way to evacuate the villages during the German offensive, and determine how to support the people as they rebuild.

The other Cards are a blend of real and fictionalized historical figures. By punning on the word “Card,” they humorously highlight their roles and characteristics: Kate Lewis (the Wild Card) is a chauffeur who changes tires and fearlessly drives throughout war-torn countryside; Mary Breckinridge or Breckie (the Calling Card) is a nurse who checks on village families and tends to their needs; and Marie Jones or Cookie (the Recipe Card) nourishes the rest of the Cards with delicious meals but keeps to herself in the kitchen. By calling Kit their Library Card and giving her a place among them, they demonstrate good-natured acceptance and convey the sense that they are all in it together. As an heiress, the daughter of an ambassador, and a working-class woman, respectively, each Card also represents the different types of women who volunteered or were hired by the real program. Like the two Annes, their independence, camaraderie, and professionalism emphasize The Impacts of Women in History and the growing opportunities for women who wanted to set their own path through life rather than automatically becoming wives and mothers.

Marcelle Moreau is 15 years old, the daughter of Madame Moreau and sister to three rambunctious younger brothers. Her father died in the war, and Marcelle seems older than her years, pointing out that her mother said the war aged everyone 10 years, “[w]hich makes me twenty-five” (108). She is unafraid to speak her mind and correct her elders, even Anne Morgan. From their first meeting, Marcelle becomes Kit’s protégé, lapping up the pages of the novels Kit loans her with gratitude and admiring the courage and independence of Kate Lewis’s role as chauffeur. Marcelle’s indomitable spirit represents the power of hope to overcome despair and the journey toward Self-Discovery, Resilience, and Transformation. Initially bored and restless in their deserted village, where her mother hopes to protect her from heartbreak and danger but also prevents her from seeking happiness, Marcelle often demonstrates a wisdom beyond her years, and Kit comments admiringly that “that girl never missed a trick” (101). Marcelle’s determination to become a Card, learn to drive, and later become a librarian symbolize the resourcefulness and indefatigability of Frenchwomen despite the war’s hardships.

Skeslien Charles also uses Marcelle’s journey to drive the plot and a connect the two timelines: Marcelle is the novel’s first voice, narrating the Prologue, and the fulcrum around which the climax and resolution of both narratives pivot. Marcelle’s meeting with Wendy at age 87 allows the aspiring writer to fill in the blanks in her story about the Cards, fulfilling Wendy’s journey; the story Marcelle shares about how Kit saved her from the German soldier’s attack and then brought her to Paris concludes the World War I timeline. After Marcelle speaks at the NYPL Living Legends program, her act of giving the handkerchief to Wendy emphasizes her role as a thread through history, connecting past and present.

While World War I is the primary antagonist of the narrative, Winnifred Smythe and Professor Hill are also antagonistic figures for Kit and Wendy, respectively. Both characters demonstrate how external criticisms can create internal doubts about self-worth; both are high-achievers in their fields who believe their way is the only correct way of doing things. Winnifred, whom Roberto describes as “a pioneer, a legend […] imbued with […] a certain mental toughness” (259) created the children’s reading program and other popular programs at the NYPL, but criticizes any measure of frivolity with condescension, insisting children need moral stories rather than fairy tales. It is Winnifred’s voice Kit hears in her moments of self-doubt—“This foolishness is what comes of reading fanciful books. You’re a failure, a librarian without a library” (63). Her arrival in France to inspect the library Kit has built, and her surprising approval of it, is a turning point for Kit; she realizes her potential by contradicting her boss, quitting, and setting her own path.

Hill performs a similar function for Wendy, evaluating all his students’ stories with pithy criticisms like, “This is just notes. There’s no story here” (36). Hill’s insults are the result of his own cynicism and disillusionment with the publishing world; once Wendy recognizes his words as an effort to inoculate the students against disappointment she finds the will to stand up to him, openly contradicting him in class to defend Meredith’s story and her own work on the Cards’ history. Both of these flat and static characters contrast the protagonists’ personal growth.

As the romantic interests of Kit and Wendy, Tom and Roberto both uplift and support the protagonists on their journey to Self-Discovery, Resilience, and Transformation. Tom’s encouragement and interest in Kit’s work helps her personal and professional confidence to grow. Kit’s decision to develop a romantic and physical relationship with Tom, without concern for her “reputation,” illustrates a turning point in her characterization: “I’d lived long enough worrying about what I shouldn’t do. I was finally going to do what I wanted” (143). Tom’s death in action is also a turning point for Kit in a time of substantial grief, emphasizing the fragility of life and the need to find joy wherever and whenever it appears.

Roberto serves a similar function for Wendy; their deepening relationship helps her overcome the trauma of her past and be more open to both romantic and platonic connections. While Roberto gets his own backstory of library intrigue and hierarchical power-struggles, he’s also a mostly static character who represents The Preservation of Cultural Artifacts and The Value of Literacy as a Means of Connection and Escape. Roberto inadvertently introduces Wendy to the Cards’ history: “Roberto orchestrated a shell game in which he swaps out archive boxes featuring bearded grumps in bowler hats […] to make sure I get first pick of the suffragettes, the flappers, and the Barbizon. For this, I love him” (29). His knowledge of the workings of libraries and research supports her through her journey and emphasizes the importance of the work librarians do.