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A review by amandas_reading_nook
The Quiet Librarian by Allen Eskens
5.0
Another excellent book by Allen Eskens!
Hana Babic, a middle-aged librarian living in Minnesota, leads a quiet life, known by her younger patrons as only "The Sweater Lady," but thirty years ago she was a girl fighting Serbian forces during the Srebrenica genocide. She fled the war-torn country with her friend, Amina, and a bounty on her head. However, the carefully constructed facade she has built around herself comes crashing down when a detective shows up at her library to tell her that Amina has been murdered. Hana suspects that her past has finally caught up with her, but with Amina's grandson now in her care she's not leaving anything to chance.
I have thoroughly enjoyed all of Eskens' books, but this one is truly something special. It is a testament to the human spirit, as gut wrenching as it is heartwarming. The story is told in a dual timeline, which I liked and felt like kept me hooked. The chapters in present day Minnesota were almost like a reprieve from the more tense chapters in Bosnia, though I would say both plotlines were action packed and fast paced. I flew through this book, desperate to know what happened next.
My favorite thing about Eskens' writing is his ability to create compelling characters that you want to root for, even when they seek justice outside the confines of the law, and Hana is no exception. Her love for her family is the driving force behind every decision she makes, and her unapologetic quest for vengeance might just make her my favorite of Eskens' heroines. I am always a little wary when male authors are writing women's stories, but The Quiet Librarian and The Stolen Hours, Eskens' only other novel with a female lead, are actually my two favorite by him. You can really see all of the research he's done, and the care he has taken to tell this story, in his writing.
If you are a fan of crime fiction and you haven't read one of Allen Eskens' books yet, what are you waiting for?
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Mulholland Books, for the opportunity in exchange for an honest review.
Hana Babic, a middle-aged librarian living in Minnesota, leads a quiet life, known by her younger patrons as only "The Sweater Lady," but thirty years ago she was a girl fighting Serbian forces during the Srebrenica genocide. She fled the war-torn country with her friend, Amina, and a bounty on her head. However, the carefully constructed facade she has built around herself comes crashing down when a detective shows up at her library to tell her that Amina has been murdered. Hana suspects that her past has finally caught up with her, but with Amina's grandson now in her care she's not leaving anything to chance.
I have thoroughly enjoyed all of Eskens' books, but this one is truly something special. It is a testament to the human spirit, as gut wrenching as it is heartwarming. The story is told in a dual timeline, which I liked and felt like kept me hooked. The chapters in present day Minnesota were almost like a reprieve from the more tense chapters in Bosnia, though I would say both plotlines were action packed and fast paced. I flew through this book, desperate to know what happened next.
My favorite thing about Eskens' writing is his ability to create compelling characters that you want to root for, even when they seek justice outside the confines of the law, and Hana is no exception. Her love for her family is the driving force behind every decision she makes, and her unapologetic quest for vengeance might just make her my favorite of Eskens' heroines. I am always a little wary when male authors are writing women's stories, but The Quiet Librarian and The Stolen Hours, Eskens' only other novel with a female lead, are actually my two favorite by him. You can really see all of the research he's done, and the care he has taken to tell this story, in his writing.
If you are a fan of crime fiction and you haven't read one of Allen Eskens' books yet, what are you waiting for?
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Mulholland Books, for the opportunity in exchange for an honest review.