Novel Lunch
Come out with your lunch and enjoy a great read!
Feb 11 2026, 12 pm - 1 pm
Feb 11 2026, 12 pm - 1 pm
Meet us at Barr Memorial Library for Novel Lunch Book Club!
This time, we will be reading "The Quiet Librarian"!
The Quiet Librarian by Allen Eskens is a historical thriller that intertwines the haunting legacies of war with the quiet resilience of survival. It follows Hana Babić, a librarian in Minnesota, whose peaceful life is disrupted when her best friend, Amina, dies under mysterious circumstances. The narrative then flashes back to 1977 Bosnia, introducing Hana's past self, Nura Divjak, living a peaceful life until the threat of war emerged in 1991. As the war begins in 1992, Nura's Serbian school friends turn on her, leading her family into isolation. In the present, Hana is drawn into a web of secrets that forces her to confront the buried truth of her own identity. The story returns to 1995, where Nura witnesses Serbian soldiers murder her entire family. In the present, Hana resolves to accept guardianship of Amina's grandson, Dylan, vowing not to fail him as she felt she failed her family. The novel is a product of extensive research into the breakup of Yugoslavia and its violent aftermath, and it is set in the author's home state of Minnesota.
