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The Quiet Librarian

A Novel

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The Quiet Librarian

By: Allen Eskens
Narrated by: Ilvana Muratovic
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About this listen

 After the murder of her best friend, a librarian’s search for answers leads back to her own dark secrets in this "searing and timely" novel about a woman transformed by war, family, vengeance, and love, from the author of the beloved bestseller The Life We Bury (Kristin Harmel, author of The Paris Daughter).

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.

Thirty years before, Hana was someone else: Nura Divjak, a teenager growing up in the mountains of war-torn Bosnia—until Serbian soldiers arrived to slaughter her entire family before her eyes. The events of that day thrust Nura into the war, leading her to join a band of militia fighters, where she became not only a fierce warrior but a legend—the deadly Night Mora. But a shattering final act forced Nura to flee to the United States with a bounty on her head.

Now, someone is hunting Hana, and her friend has paid the price, leaving her eight-year-old grandson in Hana’s care. To protect the child without revealing her secret, Hana must again become the Night Mora—and hope she can find the killer before the past comes for them, too.

"Fans of Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale or Kate Quinn’s books will be caught up in this story of a courageous woman."―Library Journal (starred review)

"Exquisitely written, profoundly affecting, and undoubtedly one of the best books I will read this year.”―Louise Fein, author of The London Bookshop Affair 20th Century Historical Fiction Suspense Thriller & Suspense Women's Fiction Warrior War

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Critic reviews

"A searing and timely story of regret, retribution, and reinvention, set against a powerfully drawn backdrop of war and suffused with the reminder that we always have within us the power to light the way to a better tomorrow."—Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Daughter
“This book will stay with me for a long, long time. From the very first lines, I knew I was in the hands of a master storyteller. Eskens effortlessly interweaves a compelling mystery in modern day Minnesota with a devastating account of one young girl’s experience of war thirty years prior. The novel unflinchingly urges its readers to consider the morally grey concept of retribution in light of the most terrible crimes. In stunning prose, it shows all too clearly the way war has the ability to make monsters of ordinary people and how neither side, victor or not, will be free of its poison for decades to come. Lamentably, this is all too relevant in today’s world. The Quiet Librarian is exquisitely written, profoundly affecting, and is undoubtedly one of the best books I will read this year.”—Louise Fein, author of The London Bookshop Affair
"In The Quiet Librarian, Allen Eskens brings readers a suspenseful, heartrending story of friendship, strength and endurance, set against a history too rarely explored in fiction. This is a truly breathtaking read from a masterful storyteller and one I cannot recommend highly enough."—Kelly Rimmer, New York Times bestselling author of The Things We Cannot Say
"The Quiet Librarian is a devastating and engrossing novel, a breathtaking thriller that gets to the complex heart of grief, regret, and re-invention. Hana Babic is an absolutely unforgettable main character."—Lou Berney, USA Today bestselling author of DARK RIDE
“Rich in detail and perfectly paced, Allen Esken’s The Quiet Librarian immerses readers in an often forgotten war, but also takes us on an emotional journey with a gutsy protagonist who is suddenly forced to step out of the shadows to settle an old score when her past unexpectedly comes calling. Mystery, history, and a kick-ass female lead—what’s not to love!?”—Barbara Davis, bestselling author of The Echo of Old Books
“This book has it all—a fast-paced, spellbinding mystery, a terrifying war tale, a truly fascinating, heroic protagonist that confronts her past trauma and sets it right. Just terrific.”—Christina Kovac, Author of The Cutaway
"A searing novel of one woman's ferocious courage during a bloody conflict the world has tried to forget; a story of enduring friendship between two women, sacrifice and secrets held for decades, and one final, desperate act to save an innocent child."
—Kathleen Kent, author of BLACK WOLF
Praise for Saving Emma
All stars
Most relevant
Allen Eskens is a solid writer. He wastes no words, he knows where he's going, and his novels always pack a punch. Despite being based on the Bosnian war, this is not as dark as some of his books, like "The Life We Bury", but still reflects his deep understanding of human nature. The narrator's monotone, soporific delivery takes some getting used to, but it's still a good listen.

A great read

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I’ve listened to and loved all of Allen Eskens’ books so although the setting and plot isn’t one I’d normally gravitate towards, I trusted him to write a compelling story with emotional weight. He absolutely delivered. This novel bears all his usual hallmarks: great writing, convincing characters, moral certainty, and careful research. The setting, plot, and events were dark but powerful. Some men do terrible things when they’re given permission by circumstance and war, and I silently cheered Hana right through to the very last word.

Tense, compelling, and unusual

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This is a good Allen Eskin novel and I really enjoyed the story, but the narration made it very difficult to get through. There was no emotion or inflection, her voice droned on to the point I wanted to give up listening.

A story of war and revenge

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Having read and loved all this authors books and eagerly awaited this one...I'm afraid I've given up and can't finish it. Nothing about the story or the characters engaged me on any level. It felt monotonous and dreary.

A big disappointment.

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