Hana and Amina flee war-torn Bosnia to start life over in America. Many years later Amina is murdered. Hana is determined to solve her best friend's murder and avenge her family as well, on her own. Told in alternating times and locations (there then and here now)

This is a beautiful and haunting story of the atrocities that war brings, but the life that can be in the after. I highly recommend this book!

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

This is my first read by Allen Eskers but it definitely won't be my last. What a story! It was so well-written I felt like I was in the book living the moments. The characters have depth and the way the story is intertwined in the present and the past is magical. Thank you for the opportunity to read this arc.

Wow! What a heart wrenching story. A historical fiction with bits of mystery/thriller mixed in.

The eye opening reality that this is a fictional story based on real events in very recent history.

The female heroism was honorable and inspiring. The torture and sheer brutality these families and soldiers had to endure was harrowing to say the least.
I really enjoyed the chapters that alternated between the past (war time) and current time. I truly respected Hana/Nura, the main character, and bonded with her story making this absolutely unputdownable. I found myself researching the Bosnian War while reading and sympathizing with all those affected.

Thanks to NetGalley, MulHolland Books, and Allen Eskens for the ARC and chance to give my honest feedback!

A well-written story that focuses on the war in Bosnia and it's impact on one woman in particular. While the book does not shy away from the atrocities that took place, the story is told in such a way that the reader is able to bear the violence. The author has inspired me to learn more about the war and it's effect on the people of the region.

Thank you Net Galley and Mulholland Books for this ARC of The Quiet Librarian by Allen Eskens.

I’ve read several of Eskens books and even featured him in an installment of my blog, Dee Reads. What I wrote there and am reiterating today is that I believe Mr Eskens is one of those authors who just doesn’t get the praise he deserves. He’s a “Little Sung” author that should get a rousing chorus of kudos. Acclaim for this book should join the choir.

If you’re like me, you know little of the Serbian/Bosnian War and the horrific crimes perpetrated on innocent men, women, and children. This book left me a little better informed, but even more horrified.

“ 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.”

The above opening sets off a sequence of events, in two timelines, that depict wartime events and a present day attempt by Hana to maintain the secrecy of her
past, while determining her friend’s cause of death. Scarred by her own family’s deaths, Hana has lived quiet life up until she begins the search into Amina’s death when everything begins to unravel. Even more troubling, are Hana’s growing feelings for the detective investigating Amina’s death.

The Quiet Librarian is another quiet masterpiece by Allen Eskens. Don’t miss this book.

This is the latest release by Allen Eskens. I read his first book; a well-done, complex mystery story. This is a very different tale. In the present, Hana is a quiet library assistant, living on her own farm in the Midwest where she keeps to herself. But Hana grew up in Bosnia, during the brutal Bosnian War, and her past, as a soldier in that war, haunts her. Then her best friend, who followed her from Bosnia to the USA, is thrown off her balcony, leaving Hana to care for her son.

The tales of her present and her past are equally compelling and the conclusion is certainly satisfying, though perhaps a bit over-the-top. I think Bosnia would be very interesting to Americans, who know very little about the Bosnian War and the extent of the brutality that took place there.

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.