“Victoria and I are excited to explore the importance, the transformative power of friendship,” Benedict said.

But Roosevelt and Bethune came together to work on issues such as education and equal rights. “They became friends before FDR became president and their friendship was the subject of much protest,” said Benedict, who explained how it was unheard of during the 1930s and ‘40s for a Black woman and white woman to be friends. This time, the two authors are exploring the friendship between Eleanor Roosevelt and Mary McLeod Bethune, who was a Black educator and activist. With the success of their first novel together, Benedict and Murray have a new novel underway. MORE: The 'GMA' Book Club pick for July is 'The Personal Librarian' What’s next Based on the research Benedict did on Greene, she said if she were to have any of these things, it would reveal her true identity. Some of the sacrifices Greene made to hide her identity included not getting married, cutting off extended family and not having children of her own. “I learned so much about passing itself that I really had no concept, no notion, in particular the sacrifices that people had to make.” “I learned so much in the process of writing this, the research, our conversations, talking about Victoria’s family experience with passing,” said Benedict. As we were writing this book, we developed a deeper bond because we were able to have deep discussions about race.”īenedict said she learned a lot from Murray in the writing process of the book and through Greene’s story about passing. I was able to talk to Marie about the microaggressions that I suffered through every day and all of those things and see in real-time her shock at all of that and not knowing. “Here we were, a Black woman and a white woman, talking honestly in a way I had never talked to anyone who was white before about race,” Murray said.

Joy by Victoria Christopher Murray