4.25 ⭐️

THE QUIET LIBRARIAN by Allen Eskens (publishing February 18, 2025) is a dual timeline novel that took me to a place that I frankly knew very little about: the Bosnian and Serbian war in 1995.

In the present day timeline, Hana Babic lives a quiet life in Minnesota with her cows and land, working as a librarian. When Hana’s best friend Amina dies under suspicious circumstances, Hana’s past as Nura Divjak back in Bosnia in 1995 comes back to her. The reader learns the tragedy of her family, including her little brother and parents being killed while she survived, and her survivor’s guilt turning into getting vengeance on behalf of her family. The 1995 timeline is absorbing and gripping. However, it is pretty violent.

As someone who is the same age as Nura/Hana, I couldn’t help but think how privileged my life in the United States was at her age when she and her family were under attack by the Serbian villains in the story.

The present day timeline felt pretty thin to me. Hana’s present day personality seemed fairly bland. There was a romantic thread that I didn’t completely buy. And if you’re looking for a story about librarians and books, I think the title might be deceptive.

I really liked how the novel tackled a little talked-about piece of recent world history.

Thank you to NetGalley, Mulholland Books and Allen Eskens for an ARC of this book. I always enjoy Mr. Eskens' books and this was no different. It was a bit slow at first, but the pace picked up and I enjoyed the book. It definitely shed light on a war that's not always been reported, or one that we as Americans tend to think doesn't affect us. The bottom line is that war, any war, deeply affects everyone in different ways--often in ways we can never know. Hana had so many demons to contend with--I'm amazed she was able to "hide" them from those around, but she certainly never forgot the past. We can reinvent ourselves but what we have seen and experienced will always be with us. It was a good read. Thank you!

I always go into books blind, so I had no idea what to expect when I started this one. It was pretty slow at the beginning but when it picked up, it really picked up! I enjoyed this book immensely. Allen Eskens was able to convey the messages and feelings so clearly. This book was heartbreaking over and over but the underlying story of friendship and redemption atoned for the heartbreak.

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

This book is fantastic and the writing superb. I read quite a bit of historical fiction, but this is the first I’ve read about the war in Bosnia. The Serbian crimes are heinous and heartbreaking. This story is about a young girl who witnessed atrocities not only against her own family, but against her country as well. But this girl survives and finds a place in the world where she can hide in plain sight, that is until her secrets and her identity are at risk. She must once again fight for justice and even revenge.

I wish I could give this more than 5 stars. If you like historical fiction, don’t miss this one. If you like a great story, don’t miss this one. Thank you, NetGalley and Mulholland Books for the advanced reader copy of this amazing book.

The quiet librarian is a study in that are past is never faraway. Could a meek librarian really have such a violent past

I was unprepared for the heartbreak of this novel. I have read every book by Mr. Eskens and this is a deviation from his usual cast of characters. This novel is a testament to the willpower, strength and endurance of the human spirit!

Hana Babic has been living a quiet life in Minnesota, invisible as a middle aged librarian who is helpful to patrons but keeps her dark history to herself.

Hana came to the US after the war in Bosnia in which thousands of innocent people were slaughtered. She was very young when she watched - hidden - while her family was killed.She has always vowed vengeance but hasn’t acted on that vow - until now!!

The novel is told in dual timelines with alternating chapters.

In the present timeline Hana’s friend is murdered and a detective has come to tell Hana the news. She has been entrusted with the care of Amina’s 8 year old grandson. Hana knows that someone from her past is responsible for Amina’s death and she will have to fight to bring him/her to justice.

The chapters that take place in the mountains of Bosnia were very hard to read. The novel is based on facts which make it a much more personal story.

Mr. Eskens beautiful writing, in the voice of a female character, conveys the horror of what she went through - along with her will to survive and continue with her life.

This is a must read and very pertinent to our times with wars in foreign countries escalating and innocent people being killed and driven from their homes.

Publication date is set for February 18, 2025.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.

This was definitely a heavy book to read. A historical fiction based off the Bosnian/Serbian war. Its dual timeline goes back and forth to the past and present where a woman must relive all the horrors her and her friend encountered.,the terrible outcomes, and the secrets all along the way. A heavy, but fantastic read.

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.