I'd like to say I'd enjoy that but that's not the right word for the subject matter of this book. However, this kept me rapidly turning the pages. I've never read anything about the Bosnian war, and my understanding of it was sorely lacking. This was a story of survival and revenge and bravery. This was a departure from the other Allen Eskens novels I've read, but I think it was just as good, if not better. I won't quickly forget this one.

Book: The Quiet Librarian
Author: Allen Eskens
Publisher: Mulholland Books
Pub Date: February 18, 2025

This in so many different ways was not my usual read and yet it’s ended up being a five star book for me. I don’t believe I have ever read anything like this before. I guess if I had to compare it to anything else I have read it would be Kristin Hannah books. This is a wonderful heartfelt survivor story and yet gut wrenching all at the same time. These are absolutely heinous crimes and while this is fiction the fact is people have actually endured this. I find that stories like this are told at a slower pace which may be one reason I don’t usually choose them but the strength of this book is in the characters and their emotional journeys. I thought about this story long after I finished the book. I don’t believe I have a favorite heroine but I found one in Hana. Oh and this book will make you think twice before underestimating a librarian.

Thank you Mulholland Books and NetGalley for this sneak peak! Publication date is February 18, 2025

Historical ficiton novels that shine a light on events that are not commonly taught or discussed are some of my favorites, so this book was a winner for me. This dual timeline novel from Eskens provides a glimpse into the Bosnian War, genocide, and its aftermath. Hana's story is one you're not likely to forget.

This is by far one of my favorite books this year. I absolutely loved it.

The writing is superb. I mean every thing just flows beautifully and you can clearly see the talent the writer possesses. The story is developed and the complex narrative structure with glimpses back in time while still flowing with the present day story is so well done. Clearly, every piece to this puzzle fits so well together.

The characters have depth and meaning. Nothing is left to chance or the reader figuring anything out. Hana is a top notch FMC. She has secrets that can quite literally get her killed. She is a refugee from the Bosnian War living and working as a librarian, but she is more than meets the eye. Her past comes to haunt her when her best friend, Amina is murdered. Someone from Bosnia has come to kill and the ever elusive Night Mora is called back into action.

The story mostly focuses on and develops Hana but the addition of other characters like Dylan and the detective make Hana's most secret instincts come to the forefront: Protect and Survive.

The blend of the stories from the war and from the present day show us the best and the worst of humanity. Human suffering is the cost of war and it leaves trauma and loss no matter how much one tries to start anew.

This is a book you won't want to put down and will leave an impression long after the last page.

Thank you to Mulholland Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

An amazing and beautifully written story of the bravery of a 17-year-old girl during the Bosnian/Serbian War and how 30 years later, while living in Minnesota, she draws on her past strength to avenge the death of her one and only friend and to protect the life of her friend’s 8-year-old grandson. Hana, the quiet librarian is anything but quiet and timid when her life is shattered, and she is forced to relive her tragic past.

Hana Babic is The Quiet Librarian in this historical fiction offering from Allen Eskens hitting shelves on February 18, 2025. Being a librarian in Farmington, Minnesota is a refuge for Hana who was born Nura Divjak and became a teenager in the mountains of Bosnia during war there in the 1990s.

Hana does her best to bury the memories of what happened to her family during the war and other atrocities but the recent murder of her best friend Amina Junuzovic has flooded her with feelings and memories she has tried so hard to push away. She suspects the killing of her friend is tied to Nura’s actions as the deadly Night Mora, a fierce warrior. Nura is still “wanted” in Bosnia.

From there the story takes place on two timelines that are interwoven until they lead the reader back to the present. David Claypool, the detective with the St. Paul Police, has brought the news to Hana about Amina’s murder and her request that in the event something happened to her that Hana raise her grandson, Dylan. This announcement sends Hana back to Bosnia in her mind where she recalls her life as a teenager who survived the Bosnian War, first a victim of it and then a soldier fighting in it.

Claypool’s news and the facts she wheedles out of him lead her to the conclusion that Amina was only a stepping-stone to the hunt for Nura, the Night Mora. Hana becomes a soldier once again as she plots to protect Dylan and find Amina’s killer before he comes for them.

Allen Eskens developed this novel about Hana/Nura, Amina, and the Bosnian War after listening to Bosnian refugees in his community who told their stories of survival during the war and of making their homes in Minnesota. Eskens, an award-winning author, first found success with his best-selling novel The Life We Bury (2014), a book club and reader favorite. He and his wife live in greater Minnesota.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting August 27, 2024.

I would like to thank Mulholland Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.

This historical fiction thriller is a captivating page-turner with graphic depictions of life in war-torn Bosnia and life as a refugee in Minnesota years after the war. For me this was a big story told without excess words.

I really enjoyed this book. It took me a while to get through it because it was impactful! I wanted to take my time to get the full effect.

“We have both light and dark within us - written on our hearts - and to do what is right, we need only pay heed.”

I binge-read this compelling story, a stand-alone, by new-to-me author, Allen Eskens. It was so different from anything I’d ever read and the storytelling was so well done that I lost track of time. It’s set in the mountains of war-torn Bosnia and is an enlightening read inspired by the Bosniak refugees in Minneapolis.

Hana Babic is a timid, mousy and invisible, middle-aged librarian in Minneapolis, Minnesota. To the school children, she’s ‘The Sweater Lady’- someone who helps them locate information and find answers to their literary questions. Unbeknownst to them, she’s worn that disguise for thirty years; she’s a work of fiction. Half a world away, she’s known as ‘The Night Mora’ and she’s a wanted person. Furthermore, she's not really Hana Babic.

In searching for her own answers, the quiet librarian operates with the mindset of making the prey come to her. This creates a tension-filled story and pulls readers into the narrative as they root for the protagonist and her quest for vengeance and atonement.

You’ll read about Nura Divjak, a Balkan, whose past has come knocking, seeking vengeance. Slowly, in flashbacks of alternating chapters, you’ll discover the secret past of this fierce fighter and the events that created her resolve.

This great survival story featuring the war crimes of the Balkans and the refugees who escaped the tumult was an enlightening read.

I was gifted this copy by Mulholland Books and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

This was a compelling novel about a part of human history that we should all know more about. I like that the story used interesting characters to draw you into both a mystery and a historical fiction narrative.

A compelling narrative that stands out as another five-star achievement by Allen Eskens. The story centers on Hana, a reserved librarian leading a tranquil life, whose world is abruptly disrupted. The novel shifts between the present day and thirty years prior, when Hana endured a drastically different existence in war-torn Bosnia. Hana emerges as a deeply engaging character, and the suspenseful plot ensures a swift read as readers are eager to uncover the unfolding events. This book offers a profound exploration of survival and resilience, making it a remarkable and impactful read.

Allen Eskens is an author who brings out all the “feels”! Once again he has woven a narrative so powerful that this story will stay with me for a very long time! Utterly terrifying and brilliantly executed.

Hana is a single, forty-seven year old librarian living a quiet life in Minnesota. One day her whole world crashes when a detective informs her that her only friend, Amina has been murdered. Amina is a friend she has known since the war in Bosnia they so frightfully escaped many years ago. Who would want to kill her friend and are they someone from their past seeking revenge?

As Hana grieves, she is also informed she is to take custody of Amina’s eight year old grandson, Dylan. With everything changing and the death of her friend, she struggles to make sense of her secret past coming back to haunt her. Are her and Dylan both in danger now too?

The story is told from the past of the horrific war in Bosnia to the present time. My heart ached for the heinous crimes these men committed against the women and children. The fact that these things actually happened ripped my heart in two. Utterly gut wrenching. The backstories of the characters drew me and held me prisoner alone. I was seriously invested and blew through this in two days!

A masterpiece tale of survival that is nothing less than 5 brilliant ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’m forever grateful for Eskens reaching out to me to read The Librarian. Huge thanks to Mulholland for sending me my gorgeous gifted ARC copy and NetGalley for the opportunity.
Publication date February 18, 2025

What a book! While it is presented as fiction, it sure is an eye open ing account of the real cruelty, inhumanity and desperation of war this war is in the past but certainly resonates in today's world. It certainly illustrated bravery of the oppressed. An absolutely amazing book. I will gladly recommend it.

THE QUIET LIBRARIAN is another winner from Allen Eskens, who continues to write stories both suspenseful and fast-paced, but also richly detailed and emotional. The one is no exception and is a beautifully woven tale of two different worlds that ultimately result in one satisfying ending.

Thanks to NetGalley and Mulholland Books for the opportunity to read and review THE QUIET LIBRARIAN.

A dual timeline following one woman as she currently digs to find her friends murderer. Then switches to her growing up in Bosnia and then as the tensions with Serbia starts and turns into the awar.

A wonderful story of survival and healing, this book is heartfelt and genuine. I enjoyed the switches between present day and the past, which really helped to shape the main character.

<i>The Quiet Librarian</i>, is wartime fiction set during the horrors of the Bosnian Serbian War. Hanah Babić's leads a quiet life in Minnesota where she masks the horrors of her past life in Bosnia. <i>The Quiet Librarian</i> is written by best-selling and award winning author Allen Eskens.

The story begins in present day with Hanah finding out that her friend Amina has been killed. The detective who talks to Hanah indicates that she was indeed murdered, and they are looking for a suspect called Zaim. The story, then flashes back to Hanah's idyllic upbringing in Yugoslavia. Her name is Nura and she lives with her parents on a farm in the mountains. Eventually, the war between the Serbians and the Bosnians begins, and Nura and her family become innocent victims of the war. Nura escapes death and joins the Bosnians in their battle against the Serbians. She witnesses many atrocities, and some of the people she encounters become her lifelong enemies or obsessions. Thirty years after the incidents in Bosnia, Nura, now named Hanah, must deal with the horrors that have followed her from her homeland.

The character of Nura is extremely strong through necessity. She is tormented by the thought that her family are the strong ones and now she is faced with living up to what she thinks they expect. Through perseverance she grows into a feared soldier.

The story is a sad but endearing tale. Nura fights for those she loves and because it is wartime she gains and loses many close relationships. In the end it is her dedication to those she loves that helps her persevere.

I recommend this to anyone who enjoys stories of strength and survival during and after wartime. I give it a 5 in 5. I want to thank NetGalley and Mulholland Books for providing me with a digital copy of this novel. I give this review voluntarily.

This was such a fantastic story! I'm an Allen Eskens newbie and after reading this masterpiece I plan on devouring all of his other books in the near future. His beautiful prose reads like poetry. I was moved to tears several times, not just by the tragic horrors that occurred throughout but by his writing alone. I fell in love with Hana and the courage and bravery that she portrayed. What she and many others endured during the war was devastatingly heartbreaking. Her heroism resonated with me, and she will be one character that I will never forget. I've read many WWII novels, so it was interesting to learn more about the Bosnian War. I never knew much about it, but I feel that Eskens portrayed this conflict with a sense of justice in honoring those forgotten voices that deserve to be heard. This book is going to stay with me for a long time. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I highly recommend it!

Thank you to Mulholland Books and NetGalley for granting me early digital access in exchange for my honest review!

Hana Babic is just an ordinary woman on the surface. She lives a quiet, simple life, but it hasn’t always been that way. When her best friend is murdered, she is faced with several questions from her past. Old memories cannot stay hidden forever, and enemies don’t always stay lurking the shadows of our nightmares.


This book goes back and forth between present day and the past. It is very well written. This was my first book by this author, and I will definitely be checking out more of his work.

This book goes back and forth between the present day and the time of the war in Bosnia. The past sets up the future and I think that this is a book that you have to allow to unwind as you read it. I was brought to tears several times during the course of reading this book.

Hana Babic is the quiet librarian. She is a refugee from Bosnia. She wants peace. She has lived horror. Sometimes we can put away the nightmares of our past and sometimes they come out regardless of how hard we try to forget. If we are lucky, we will find someone to share our worst experiences and help us make it though them. When Hana's greatest friend since those days in Bosnia, is murdered, the past becomes all too present.

I have been to Bosnia-Herzegovina twice. I have heard of the war and how the place where I was, Medjugorje, was saved from any destruction during it. There were many orphans after the war and some were blessed enough (if you can say that) to land in Mother's Village. The atrocities that occurred during that war were diabolical. This novel sheds a light on some of that. I am old enough to remember it and how long it took the International community to get involved. Genocide in the most brutal ways was occurring.

Mr. Eskens does an incredible job of bringing some of that time to light while also giving us an incredible protagonist to root for. I do not think that many of us can ever really comprehend the terror of those times and I thank the author for making it so real.
The ending was not what I expected, but it was a great one!

I thank Mulholland Books and NetGalley for this ARC.