Psychologically intense and complex story of Hana Babic, a middle aged, nondescript librarian in Minnesota, and survivor of the Bosnian-Serbian war some 30 years before. When her best and only friend is murdered, Hana fears the past has caught up with her, and her friend may have been killed in an attempt to find her. Unwilling to work with authorities because of her past, Hana sets out to find the killer herself. Beside this present day story is that of Nura Divjak, Hana's real name, as a child and teenager in Bosnia as the Serbian war breaks out and true horror ensues. As Hana searches for a killer, her traumatic past is gradually revealed.
This is a powerful depiction of the psychological scars from war and atrocities. Hana and her friend both found different ways of coping, not always successfully, not always that healthy. Subsequent isolation also has its toll. But this is a story of survival, both physical, emotional and psychological, and how both hard and necessary it is to grab on to every scrap of hope available. You don't see characters like these very often. Highly recommended.

Based on other reviews, I'm clearly the unpopular opinion, but I had a really hard time connecting with this book. The characters and events felt unrealistic to me, there was a lot of violence that I didn't expect, and the romance aspects felt flat to me. I think that perhaps that I prefer when female main characters are written by females, so this could very much be a "me" thing. I did really enjoy learning more about the Bosnian war (although absolutely heartbreaking) and appreciated that it brought their conflict to light.

AN ASTONISHING NOVEL WITH AN AMAZING FEMALE CHARACTER

Hana Babic is a quiet, dowdy librarian in Minnesota who wants nothing but to be left alone.  This middle-aged woman prefers to be invisible. When a St. Paul police officer comes to the library to tell Hana that her best friend of many years, Amina, has been murdered in her apartment.  Hana is stunned.  She believes that whoever killed Amina may be coming after her next. Hana’s search for answers leads to another time and place: a war in Bosnia 30 years ago. For her, it is a time full of secrets and painful memories she would prefer to forget.

The extraordinary story is told in an alternating timeline between Bosnia starting in 1977 and Minnesota now, over 30 years later. The story is extraordinary.

I am exhausted by the number of books published in recent years with female protagonists in war sagas.  Just when I thought I could not read another historical fiction war story, along came this one, and I am so very glad I read it. The Quiet Librarian has one of the best female characters I have read in a while.  She is realistic, loyal, has strong family ties, and has plenty of courage and perseverance—hats off to Allen Esken’s creation of this wonderfully stoic character.

Esken’s writing is gut-wrenching and brilliantly plotted. He embroils us in Hana’s life and takes us on her heart-stopping journey. I could not put this book down. It would be a great book club pick. Esken captures the Bosnian culture, times, and circumstances of the war through first-hand accounts from two very real women who survived it.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.


Publisher Mulholland Books
Published February 18, 2025
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

Hana Babic leads a quiet life, well-disguised from her past as an almost mythical figure the Bosnian War 30 years ago.. But when her best friend, fellow war survivor Amina, is killed, the past becomes present and Hana must complete unfinished business.

The characters--good, bad, male, female, old, young--are well developed. The juxtaposing chapters that reveal a fully fleshed out past and a painful, intense present, is effective. Part historical fiction, part thriller/crime drama, the book works on all levels and is thought-provoking to boot. I've read everything Allen Eskens has written and have liked everything, but this is my favorite Eskens book. A solid 4.5 stars (I give very few books 5 stars).

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is such an impactful book about a woman facing her past demons in order to start fresh. I really enjoyed this story and the characters.

The Quiet Librarian weaves together past and present, alternating between the horrors of the Bosnian War and a present-day mystery. Much like Noelle Ilhi’s None Left to Tell, this book left me heartbroken over the brutal crimes committed against women and children—utterly gut-wrenching and difficult to read at times.

As someone who doesn’t typically gravitate toward historical fiction, I appreciate when a book allows me to engage with history while staying somewhat grounded in the present. This novel struck that balance well, making it an accessible and compelling read. However, certain aspects of the story felt a bit too perfect, and the ending wrapped up more neatly than felt realistic given the subject matter. While I understand the desire for resolution, some loose ends might have served the story better.

Overall, a powerful read that sheds light on an important and devastating piece of history, even if it leans a bit too tidy in its conclusion.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A quiet librarian with a tumultuous past has to face her demons to start her life afresh.

A suspenseful, quick read. A young girl's harrowing experience interwoven in alternating chapters with accounts from present day Minnesota to Bosnian War time 30 years ago.

No one would suspect Hana Babic of having a dark past. The library worker blends in with her drab cardigans and unassuming presence, but when her friend Amina is killed, Hana must deal with the secret of her past. This is the first time I've read a book by this author and it won't be my last. From start to finish, the pacing was well done and it held my interest throughout. The characters were well developed and the plot was compelling. This is a definite must read.

Hana Babi Is living a quiet life as a librarian in rural Minnesota. She has a limited social circle and a small farm with three cows. Years ago she had a very different life in Bosnia but that is behind her. Or it was until her best friend and fellow immigrant is killed. Now she takes on guardianship of her friend’s grandson. Has her past caught up with her? How can she keep both herself and the boy safe? We learn the story of her past along with the current tale of the steps she is taking to insure survival.

Thanks to NetGalley and Mulholland Books for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of The Quiet Librarian by Allen Eskens due to be published February 18, 2025.

Hana Babic is a quiet, middle-aged librarian in Minnesota who wants nothing more than to be left alone. But when a detective arrives with the news that her best friend has been murdered, Hana knows that something evil has come for her, a dark remnant of the past she and her friend had shared. Hana is left to raise her friend’s grandson and will do anything to protect him. Together, with the detective, Hana is determined to find out what happened to her friend.
Told in alternate chapters in her past life as a soldier in Bosnia and in the present as a quiet librarian in Minnesota, Allen Eskens uses his beautiful words to weave together the story of Hana (formerly Nura Divjak). If you love historical fiction that sometimes you think is all too real, add this book to your TBR list! It is a work of art!

#NetGalley #AllenEskens #MulhollandBooks #TheQuietLibrarian

Allen Eskens became one of my favorite authors over the past year. I have read almost all of his books. There is such a level of depth and intrigue to his stories. This book is more of a historical fiction thriller. For me, this was not one of his better books. Even having said that, I am giving this a solid 3 ⭐️. The story of Nura and Amina in a war torn between the Serbians and Bosnians, is one of heroic endeavors on the main characters part. All the while dealing with a tragedy no child should have to witness. Nura avowed to get revenge for her family’s brutal killings. This is told in alternative settings of past vs present. It was not as suspenseful as I have come to expect from the authors previous novels I have read, but it did have a solid understory. I also feel like the writing style was not as fluid and took me a little longer to get through. Overall I would recommend this book, as I will always recommend any book by this author.

After the murder of her best friend, librarian Hana Babic is forced to confront her dark past as a legendary warrior known as Night Mora during the Bosnian war. Now someone is hunting her, and she must protect her friend's grandson while unraveling the mystery of who is after her.

This book may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it resonated with me. I encourage readers to give it a chance, even if it's not their usual genre. I recently discovered this author, and this book struck a chord with me.

Growing up in a communist country during the time period covered in this book, I found myself relating to the story in ways that some may not understand. War was a constant topic of conversation, and the fear of it reaching us was always present, even when we were just kids.

Hana, the main character, is someone you can't help but root for. She tries to blend into the background and go unnoticed, but her story slowly unfolds through two timelines, keeping you engaged and guessing. The way the story is told makes it feel like a real-life account, adding an extra layer of intrigue. Will you side with Hana or the authorities?

If you enjoy historical fiction with a touch of realism, police procedural elements, and a surprising twist at the end, then this book is worth adding to your reading list. I was on the edge of my seat worrying about how it would all end, but I was completely taken aback by the clever and well-crafted conclusion. I hope you give it a chance and share your thoughts after reading it.

Thank you, Mulholland Books, for the digital ARC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Great mystery that also informs about the tragedies that happened during the European war between Serbia and Bosnia. It shows how a teenager living with her family can turn into an avenging angel after her family is brutally murdered. She trains and becomes a member of a band of fighters and does so well she isevacuated to the USA where she becomes a mousy libararian--until her comrade is murdered and she must exact revenge. This is an excellent and informative mystery story that also informs about the conflict.

My thanks to Mulholland Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read The Quiet Librarian by Allen Eskens. I give my unbiased opinion of the book in the following review.

Librarian Hanna finds her quiet existence changed when detective David Claypool enters her library with the news that a good friend of hers has died. He has questions for her and little does he know that the quiet librarian he is questioning has a complicated past stemming back thirty years to war torn Bosnia. Hanna has some concerns of her own regarding her friend's death and takes it upon herself to get to the bottoms of things only consulting David when absolutely necessary. What follows is an engrossing story of heartbreak and determination told in flash backs to 1995 and forward to the present investigation.

I have loved Allen Eskens writing for a long time and have looked forward to reading The Quiet Librarian since it was announced. While this book is set in Minnesota like his previous books, it is not connected to any of them. I have read a few books taking place during the war in Bosnia, but not many. For this reason, I found this book especially interesting as I learned more about the conditions citizens endured at that time in the not-so-distant past. The story transitions from past to present read smoothly. There is on page violence to be aware of if that is something that is a trigger. Eskens characters do not always act in expected ways which leads to some thought-provoking questions for the reader or book club. Overall, this was an excellent book that I will have no trouble recommending.

The Quiet Librarian releases on February 18, 2025.

Hana Babic is a librarian in Minnesota. She is a womanizer her forties that wears loose baggy sweaters and lives alone on a rural farm. A detective comes to the library to inform her that her friend Amina has been killed. We start to see the woman hidden under the baggy clothes, someone with scars on her arms, who runs and keeps herself in shape with weights and a punching bag. The book alternates between chapters of present day Minnesota and Bosnia in the 1990’s - the time of war there and unspeakable crimes of genocide and rape camps. This story really had me in its grasp, seeing how Hana grew up, watching her family get killed in the war and her fight to avenge their deaths. Now she must face trying to find who killed her friend and also adapt to raising Amina’s grandson Dylan, who Hana has been been asked to raise now. I loved the character of Hana, to see her evolution and drive. The interactions with the detective were great too. Without giving the story completely away, I’ll just say I thought the story moved along well and the ending was very satisfying. I recommend this book for its great writing, excellent plot and characters and for shedding light on a horrible war. I give the book 5 stars out of 5.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published February 18, 2025.

In this new novel from Eskens, we are taken back to war-torn Bosnia in 1995 where horrible atrocities are occurring. Alternating chapters are 30 years later in Minnesota, where Hana, the quiet librarian has built a new life for herself. She thought her revenge was complete, but she was wrong. And now she’s being hunted again. Suspenseful!

Hana Babić has been laying low for a very long time when the past reaches out to snatch away one of her only friends. No one in her rural Minnesota town knows that the librarian who always wears long sleeves once had a different name, once lived in the middle of a war zone, and once hunted down the men who brutalized and killed her family. The Quiet Librarian, by Allen Eskens, is anything but quiet.

The plot of this book kicks rapidly into action when Detective David Claypool arrives at Hana’s library to deliver the terrible news that her dearest friend, Amina, has died after being attacked by an unknown man. Hana is cagy with the detective. While she very much wants to know what happened to Amina and who did it, Hana is afraid to reveal that she is in the US under a false name. Getting too close to any kind of law enforcement will open a very nasty case of worms.

We know early on what’s in that case of worms. While we watch Hana dust off her old skills as a hunter of men, alternating chapters take us back to the late 1980s and early 1990s in a place in what would become Bosnia that’s so remote there isn’t even a town. Nina Divjak, who would one day become the retiring Minnesota librarian, lives an idyllic life until Yugoslavia collapses into ethnic, religious, and political violence. People Nina thought were her friends instantly turn on her because she and her family are Muslim. Neither young Nina nor older Hana seem to care much to learn why Serbian Christians attack and brutalize her people. She’s much more interested in revenge.

What made The Quiet Librarian most interesting to me was Hana. I love a pragmatic protagonist who isn’t afraid to hit first and hit hard. It was refreshing to see a woman protagonist who only questions herself about the best ways to hunt down her enemies and keep her secrets, not about whether or not she should leave things to conventional justice. Her relationship with Detective Claypool adds an interesting wrinkle to this tale of vengeance, though I quibble at how believable his actions are at the end of the book when everything has to get resolved. Readers looking for a thriller that doesn’t involve geopolitics or espionage might enjoy this one.

A story of murder, secrets, war and vengenance. Allen Eskens has written a fantastic historical fiction novel that will definitely be one of my favorites for 2025 and it’s only January!

Hana Barbic wants a safe predictable life as a middle aged librarian. But when she learns of her best friend’s murder, the news brings back secrets from her past, evil secrets from the war that are intertwined with her best friend. Thirty years earlier, as a teenager growing up in war torn Bosnia with her family, Hana was known as Nura Divjak. After watching her entire family slaughtered by Serbian soldiers, Nura joined the militia and became known as the legendary Night Mora. With a bounty on her head, she eventually flees to the United States and starts a life as Hana Barbic, the quiet librarian.

The story alternates between the past and the present as it unfolds in a pace that keeps the reader engaged. A heartbreaking and beautifully brutal mix of historical fiction and mystery. The author handles this difficult and brutal subject matter with such sensitivity and compassion allowing the reader to step into Hana’s world. While this was my first novel by Allen Eskens, it definitely won’t be my last! I highly recommend this five star read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Mulholand Books for the advanced reader’s copy.

The war in Bosnia is a period of history, I am ashamed to say, that I knew nothing about. I, like many, recall watching the Sarajevo Olympics and then seeing the devastation of that country years later on news broadcasts. Eskens states that his inspiration for this novel came from listening to the stories of Bosnian refugees in his home state of Minnesota. I am glad that he listened, and I am glad that he decided to share this story through his writing.
This book did an excellent job of conveying the horrors of the war through the eyes of a 17 year old Bosnian girl named Nura who lives through the upheaval of a normal farm life with parents and a brother, to witnessing atrocities no human should ever witness or experience and being forced to grow up, adapt to an entire new way of wartime living and, eventually immigrate to a new country.
It is said that all is fair in love and war, and this book certainly illustrates that philosophy. The choices that Nura is forced to make in her life for love of country, love of family, and love of friends, are governed by wartime “rules” and not the parameters of life that we are privileged to under in a well-to-do country that is not experiencing war on home soil.
I very much appreciated learning more about this period of history, but I am left conflicted about the vigilante justice component of this story. The actions that took place during wartime, I can get behind. It is the choices and actions made by characters in modern day St. Paul, Minnesota that have me of two minds. Did Nura take justice too far, or were her choices justified and necessary? I will say one thing. Allen Eskens’s books always leave me thinking.