Review of THE QUIET LIBRARIAN by Allen Eskens (New Release)

 4 Stars

Why do librarians wear cardigans? The answer often given is that sweaters cover up their superhero disguises.

The protagonist of this novel, Hana Babić, is a timid, middle-aged librarian called “The Sweater Lady” by children who frequent the library. In many ways that cardigan is indeed a disguise, one which has helped her hide “terrible secrets” and remain largely invisible. The peaceful life Hana has cultivated for 30 years comes unraveled when David Claypool, a homicide detective, arrives to inform her that her best friend Amina has died in mysterious circumstances. Amina has left her 8-year-old grandson Dylan in Hana’s care.

Amina’s death forces Hana to remember her life in Bosnia where she lived as Nura Divjak. She focuses on her memories during the Bosnian War. In 1995, when Hana is 17, Serbian soldiers arrive at her farm. The events motivate her to join a band of Bosniak militia fighters. Hana wants to uncover the person responsible for Amina’s death but she worries that the police investigation will also uncover her real identity and past actions.

There is a dual timeline. Chapters alternate between the present in Minnesota and the past, primarily 1995 in Bosnia. Both timelines use the third-person limited omniscient point of view, though Hana’s chapters use the present tense and Nura’s chapters use the past tense.

I found both sections equally intriguing. Though it’s obvious that Nura survives events in Bosnia, she often finds herself in life-threatening situations and it’s obvious she will not escape unscathed either physically or psychologically. In Hana’s sections, the outcome is more uncertain. Because of her past she faces danger in the present, and there’s the added responsibility to protect Dylan. Both timelines are intense so my interest never lagged.

The decisions made at the end struck me as less plausible. I was convinced by Hana’s choices because of her past but the detective’s actions are less realistic. Because the reader gets to know Hana so well, her behaviour is understandable; that is not the case with the police detective. Overall, the romance element is questionable, though I understand its necessity in the narrative. I did also appreciate the author’s including a conversation about David’s wanting to make a difference and not “’just going through the motions’” and the danger of “’crossing the line.’” This discussion is, I think, intended as foreshadowing.

Of course the ending is thought-provoking. The reader will definitely think about the justification of killing another human being: Is the premeditated killing of a person justified if s/he threatens the safety of others? Is it acceptable to take justice into one’s own hands if justice has not been achieved by legal means? Should a person be held accountable for all actions in wartime? Is revenge ever justifiable?

This book combines historical fiction and crime drama with some thriller and romance elements. It’s my first novel by this author, but I will certainly be checking out his backlist. My husband and I visited Bosnia-Herzegovina in the fall of 2018 and we saw evidence of the war in our tour of the country, but I have not read many novels set in this country during the Bosnian War. I will certainly be recommending this one.

Note: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley.