📖 Book Review 📖

📱 "The Quiet Librarian" by Allen Eskens

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
published February 18, 2025

Wow, this is one great survival story that will stay with me.

Hana is a single, forty-seven year old librarian living in Minnesota. She acts and dresses much older than she is and keeps to herself. Amina, her oldest and only friend, has been murdered, and Hana knows it has to do with her past. Some thirty years ago, Hana was Nura Divjak, growing up in the mountains of war-torn Bosnia with her family. When Serbian soldiers arrived, she hid to then watch her entire family be slaughter. They tried to burn her alive but she escaped with only burns. From that horrific moment on Nura was ignited with revenge, joining militia fighters and becoming the deadly Night Mora. Serbian soldiers feared her, mystified her and the final act forced Nura to flee to the US a wanted woman. Amina wouldn’t give up Hana’s secret and now someone is hunting Hana.

A unforgettable, unbelievable strong woman becoming an adult in a war-torn country, making her own family and avenging her old one.

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Hana is a quiet, unassuming library assistant in a library outside the Twin Cities. She is hiding a secret from her past. When a friend dies under questionable circumstances, and a handsome detective contacts her about the death, she is afraid her quiet life may be over.

I'm sorry to say that I knew little about the Bosinian/Serbian war before reading this book. I remember hearing about the conflict on the news and about the destruction and deaths in Sarajevo, but knew little about the details. This story fills in some of those details. I love reading historical fiction for this reason. This story alternates between present day Minnesota and 1990s Bosnia. From the beginning, it's clear that Hana's and Amina's pasts are rooted in Bosnia, but the details are revealed slowly with some surprises that kept me turning pages. Although the storyline is often violent and incredibly sad, I really liked this book. I learned a great deal about the war, and I really connected with the characters and their motivations. Although this is really just another story of secrets and lies and revenge, the unusual setting kept me interested throughout the book. The ending is satisfying, if a bit too pat, but overall I good story.

All I can say after reading this one never underestimate a librarian. There's more to them than meets the eye. Sometimes they hide a dark side, like Hanna.

The Quiet Librarian was my first book by Allen Eskens, and it certainly won’t be my last. The character development in this story was exceptional, and I found myself deeply connected to Hana. Her journey is filled with profound sadness and grief, yet equally marked by her unshakable grit and strength. Eskens has masterfully woven a narrative that blends raw emotion with resilience, creating a character that feels both heartbreaking and inspiring.

While historical fiction isn’t for everyone, Eskens has crafted a story that transcends the genre. His impeccable writing will appeal not only to fans of historical fiction but also to those who enjoy mystery and suspense. The way he builds tension, explores complex characters, and delivers a story full of depth ensures that this novel will resonate with a wide range of readers.

Eskens is truly a master at his craft and I’ve loved everything I’ve read of his, so I was excited to pick this one up. In this book — a bit of a departure from his other books — we meet a quiet librarian who is doing everything she can to fly below the radar, until events from her past catch up with her and she is forced to grapple with her past. Told in dual timelines, this book is part historical fiction, part mystery and part literary fiction.

I really enjoyed the mystery element and I wanted to see what happened. I learned a lot about Bosnian history in the story — which I really didn’t know anything about. I will admit though, I got a bit lost in some of the war story (though honestly that’s probably just me) and I did want a bit more character development for the main character, and a bit more showing the friendship between her and the other main female character.

Was a good book!! Didn’t know what to expect going into but enjoyed it a lot. Not my first historical fiction but definitely won’t be my last!

Phew, I did not know if my heart could take any more after the beating this novel gave it. This is an all around beautiful story; with a spectacular cast of characters led by the most badass FMC I've read in a while. This will break your heart and mend it, and it will happen without you even realizing it, you will be so engrossed in this story. Once again, I find myself absorbed by Eskers' extremely skilled writing and masterful storytelling. This is suspenseful historical fiction at its finest! Absolute perfection!

The minute I finished reading The Quiet Librarian, I immediately went and searched my library for other Allen Eskens' books, always a good sign.

The quiet librarian was a bit of a surprise for me. I went into it not knowing what to expect and it slowly stole my heart. When I finally closed the pages I felt a little more informed about a conflict which I really knew nothing about: Bosnia and Serbia. And my heart was warm and full from the effects of the ending of this story.

The author unveils our heroine to us slowly. We first meet Hana when a detective comes to the library where she works in Minnesota to tell her that her good friend Amina has been murdered, and she eventually learns that Amina has left Hana to raise her eight year old grandson. There are dual timelines, and in this instance the device is well done and adds to the story. There is Hana, the quiet unobtrusive librarian in Minnesota who just wants to stay under the radar. And there is Nura, a teen in 1990's Bosnia, whose world is turned upside down. We see her evolution from a scared schoolgirl to a feared resistance fighter who wants to avenge her family.

Hana has assimilated into life in Minnesota, but when her past comes looking for her, she is fearless and ready to take it on.

I just love strong feminine characters. I remember thirty years ago reading Ken Follet's Eye of the Needle with its strong female lead, and being thrilled at the conclusion. That is how I felt about this book. I loved her strong, unwavering commitment to right and protecting those she loved. A lot of books have a great story but disappoint in the end. This book gathered momentum, getting more and more engrossing, and the ending was perfect, chef's kiss.

I was able to get my hands on an audio version, and the narrator's gentle accent is just perfect and added enjoyment to my listen.

I give it 5 big glowing stars. A must for anyone who loves historical fiction, but even if you don't, there is a compelling mystery in the story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Allen Eskens, and Mulholland Books for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

📚 The Quiet Librarian by Allen Eskens 📚

Five. Million. Stars. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

This book? Absolutely stunning. Part historical fiction, part crime thriller, The Quiet Librarian is an intricately woven, deeply researched, and completely immersive read that had me hooked from page one.

Set across multiple timelines, the story unfolds in gripping detail, painting a vivid picture of the Bosnian War and the unimaginable tragedies faced by not only one humble Bosnian family. The way Eskens captures the human cost of war—especially what girls, women, and families endured—was gut-wrenching, haunting, and profoundly real.

I was 15 when this war happened, living a life completely removed from these horrors, and this book sent me into a visceral spiral. It forced me to reflect on the stark contrast between my teenage reality and the unfathomable experiences of those across the world. While The Quiet Librarian is a work of fiction, it’s clear that Eskens has drawn from deeply real, horrific, and impactful truths—and the result is devastatingly powerful.

The pacing? Flawless. The storytelling? Masterful. The impact? Unforgettable. I literally could not put it down—I had to know what was going to happen next. And now? I don’t think I’ll ever forget this story. Quite frankly, I don’t want to.

This was my first Allen Eskens novel, but it will ABSOLUTELY NOT be my last. I am changed.

✨ READ THIS BOOK. ✨

Thank you to Mulholland Books and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I thought this was a great book. It was very thought provoking, and taught me a lot that I didn't know. I'm not crazy about the title or the cover because I think it cheapens the content. It looks like fluffy chick lit. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I need to preface the review with this: I love this author. I've read some of this other books, have 2 waiting for me in my "read now" TBR list and have enjoyed his writing so very much, so when this book came up for request, I was truly excited to read it; historical fiction AND a favorite author? Yes please!! What could possibly go wrong?

This book [actually, just parts of it] really didn't work for me. I am not a huge fan of a dual timeline [another disclaimer - I did not really read the description; I saw it was in the HF category and it was a favorite author so I just ran with it, so some of the fault lies with me. I just hate getting basically the whole story in the description so I tend to skip that] as they rarely [for me] work well, and I feel like that was the case here.

* The historical fiction parts of the book are just spectacular. It is an intimate look at a war where one day people were friends and literally the next one was trying to kill the other [the author lives amidst a large Bosnian community and used the stories he has heard over the years in forming this book, especially the historical fiction part], and the story and the writing was so personal and so deep and emotional and I will admit that those parts just wrecked me. Had the book just been a straight historical fiction book, this would be a much different review and would have been at least a 4, if not 5 star read for me.
* The modern-day parts were really what didn't work for me. So much of it just fell flat and much of it was very unbelievable for me, especially the relationship between Hana and the cop [David]. It all felt forced and contrived and every time we flipped from the past to the present, I'd just sigh in frustration. I rarely enjoyed those parts of the story. And please, DO NOT even get me started on that ending. P L E A S E. Ergh.
* Though I am not sure this would have changed my struggle with this story [as I really did not like the modern part], but my experience with the narrator [While I commend the publisher using a Bosnian-American as a narrator, I still with they had found one with more experience and with more expression in their voice] was very problematic. Her delivery and cadence is very flat [even in extremely emotional times, and folks, there are M A N Y emotional parts], she struggles to keep her "voices" straight, and had a real problem with pronunciation in many parts of the book, and because of that, I struggled to connect with the overall story [even the parts that I thought were amazing].

I am truly disappointed over this one. I just wanted so much more. :-(

Thank you to NetGalley, Allen Eskens, and Mulholland Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The information I learned in this book was amazing! I had little knowledge of the tragic events that occured in Bosnia at the hands of the Serbians. This historical fiction novel begins in a library in Minnesota where a woman has been working for many years under the name of Hana as a refugee from Bosnia. As she learns of her best friends murder, she begins to realize her past from the war has caught up to her. Hana has a large bounty on her from her alleged war acts. Her friend left behind an 8 year old grandson who she left Hana as his guardian. Hana, before she can take him and keep him safe, must figure out who and why her friend was killed and is she now under the same danger. This novel reflects back to her time in the war and the present where she is trying to figure out who is responsible for killing her friend and what more danger is out there. I learned so much and the story was told very well! I did not want to put it down! This is a case of a person you do not want to judge the book by its cover!!!

Page-turner about a Bosnian refugee living under a new identify in Minnesota. The book alternates between her life in Bosnia after her family is slaughtered by the Serbs and her heroic efforts for the Bosnian militia, with the present when she poses as a mousy librarian util her friend is killed and the past courage and cunning has to be resurrected. I feel a bit mislead by the title which really was not what the story was about, but I highly recommend the book.

I found the pacing of this book a little slow. I found myself putting the book down a lot and having a hard time picking it back up. Don't get me wrong the writing and story line are great. I just found it a lot different than the other books I've read from this author. Still a good read just not my favorite.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mulholland Books for the E-ARC

All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.

Wow. Eskens really took us on a ride with this one. I loved Hana’s character and I loved learning more about the war in Bosnia in the 90s. I was a kid and remember it happening, but was too young to understand why it was happening and the impact. This book did a great job of showcasing the impact of war on people long after the war is “over.” Hana’s character was strong and powerful, and I love seeing a librarian portrayed that way. Ultimately this book was a great thriller, but also had many other qualities that made it something that will stick with me for a long time.

I go into a book by Allen Eskens with high expectations, and this, his latest book, definitely lived up to my expectations. This dual timeline book grabbed me early on and never let go, despite the fact that at times it's a very difficult, heartbreaking read. The time switches between "now" and "then" - now being modern day in Minnesota, then being over 30 years ago. We watch Nura go from a young girl living with her family on a mountain farm in Yugoslavia in the 80s, to a teenaged Nura living on that same farm in what has become war-torn Bosnia. When she sees her family slaughtered before her eyes, her mission in life becomes to avenge their deaths. In the "now" - Nura is living a quiet life in Minnesota with a new name. When her past begins to catch up to her, she finds herself needing to resurrect her old life. It's well-paced, compelling, and heartbreaking - an excellent story of strength and resilience in the face of absolute horror. I tend to be stingy with 5-star reviews, but for me this one definitely earned that fifth star.
Thanks to Netgalley and Mulholland Books for providing a digital copy for an unbiased review.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Allen Eskens, an award-winning storyteller, delivers another stellar historical novel with his book The Quiet Librarian.

Hana Babic is a quiet, middle-aged librarian in Minnesota who wants to remain unseen.

The protective anonymity she has carefully created shatters when a detective visits to inform her of her best friend's murder.
Hana is left to care for her best friend's eight-year-old grandson.

Suddenly Hana's chaotic past in war-torn Bosnia and the quiet life she has carefully constructed in the United States collide, and she once again puts on the mantle of her past identity and becomes Night Mora, a fearless warrior that Hana had hoped would remain in the country she left behind.

The past and present meld together in this story of a woman's previous identity, forged from the ashes of who she became after she witnessed the atrocities of war and the slaughter of her entire family.

Different from Allen Eskens other books but not different in a bad way... different in an amazing way that just shows the depth and talent this writer truly has!

The Quiet Librarian was not what I expected, and yet, I don't know what I expected because I went into this blindly. I am a fan of Allen Eskens because he is such a good storyteller. The jumping between time periods was seamless, and left a reader wanting more. I felt a great sense of empathy and compassion for Hana and all that she has endured. While I wouldn't quite put this in the thriller genre, it is a mystery nonetheless, and it is a slow burn. A slow burn that will have a reader captivated from the start!

This book was an intense. The switching back and forth between times made it even more suspenseful. Hana/Nura had a lot of split second decisions to make. The ironic title is perfect.