For his latest novel, author Allen Eskens had some research to do about the Bosnian War. "I was an adult while it was happening. I saw it on the news, but I really paid very little attention to it," says Eskens. "I came to understand how utterly complex this war was."
The Quiet Librarian focuses on the fictional title character Hana who experienced the Bosnian War firsthand as a youth but has since imbedded herself into a simple life as a librarian in Minnesota. When her friend is murdered, Hana comes to realize that someone from her past has emerged to find her.
Although Eskens original plan didn't involve nearly as much backstory about the war (the novel seesaws between present day Minnesota and 1995 Bosnia) meeting with survivors of the war helped lead him in a different direction. "In order to do this story justice, in order to understand what Hana does in the novel, I needed the reader to see what she went through."
The Quiet Librarian has recently been released in paperback form, is a finalist for the Minnesota Book Award, and is available wherever books are sold, including at Zenith Bookstore in Duluth. Eskens will be visiting Zenith Bookstore on Thursday, February 12th for a discussion about his writing. The free event begins at 7pm.
Minnesota Reads is produced at The North 103.3 with funding provided in part by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
