ECONOGAL

A 2025 release by Allen Eskens, The Quiet Librarian is historical fiction at its’ best. However, the history is fairly recent. The book rotates between present day Minnesota and the 1995 civil war in Yugoslovia. Specifically, the ethnic genocide of that summer. Eskens is excellent at conveying the horrors of war. Men, women and children all suffer. Neighbors and friends turn against each other along ethnic and religious lines. When a country is at war from within, there is no escape; “war has a way of finding everyone.”

The protagonist, Hana Babić has lived in Farmington, Minnesota for thirty years. She leads a quiet dull existence. Yet her instincts immediately kick in when a police detective appears at the library seeking information about a friend. Hana has secrets as did her friend who died under suspicious circumstances.

In her late forties, Hana appears older aided by hairstyle and drab clothing. Her past identity is hidden. Or so she thought.

Assigned to the investigation of a deadly incident, David Claypool starts with Hana, who is the person named to become the guardian of Dylan Greene. He is trying to determine just how a woman tumbled from a balcony to the street below. Signs indicate either a struggle or torture. He seeks help from the quiet librarian.

Sparks fly between the two.

Flashbacks provide the backstory of Hana Babić. The atrocities of war transformed a teenager into a warrior. The author does not mince words. People change when fighting. Self-preservation and revenge lie in each individual. Peaceful lives are shattered. Killing and death become the norm.

As a young teenager, Hana escapes death but the only meaning left in life is revenge. Thus, she is a wanted woman by present day Serbians. And her friend may have lost her life protecting Hana’s true identity.

The Quiet Librarian explores multiple types of love: love of family, of friends and of a lover. Hana’s internal struggles to keep her secrets may destroy a future romantic relationship with David Claypool. However, her secrets not only protect her life, but also that of young Dylan.

In the opening pages, Hana is shelving books in the Civil War section of the history stacks. The nuance of the foreshadowing is just one instance of the author’s ability to weave depth into the story. Casting Hana as a quiet librarian is another. War and its threats are spread across Earth as I write this. Causes vary. Hatred and fear of religious differences are on par with greed for another country’s land and resources, so justifications also deviate. The “why” of war takes a backseat to the horror.

This is the first novel from Allen Eskens that I have read. In the author’s notes, Eskens indicates it differs from his other work. I do not know what the differentiation is. However, the writing is outstanding. The romantic spark between the two leads is juxtaposed with each individual’s internal code of ethics. The conflict threatens their chance at happiness. But lives are at stake. The twist at the end was unexpected and satisfying to this reader. I highly recommend.