Advanced
Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.
Title details for The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections by Eva Jurczyk - Available

The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections

by Eva Jurczyk
Hannah Cabell
Audiobook
2 of 2 copies available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
2 of 2 copies available
What holds more secrets in the library—the ancient books shelved in the stacks or the people who preserve them?
Liesl Weiss long ago learned to be content working behind the scenes in the distinguished rare books department of a large university, quietly managing details to make the head of the department look good. But when her boss has a
stroke and she's left to run things, she discovers that the library's most prized manuscript is missing.
Liesl tries to sound the alarm and inform the police about the missing priceless book but is told repeatedly to keep quiet, to keep the doors open and the donors happy. But then a librarian unexpectedly stops showing up to work. Liesl must
investigate both disappearances, unspooling her colleagues' pasts like the threads of a rare book binding as it becomes clear that someone in the department must be responsible for the theft. What Liesl discovers about the dusty manuscripts she
has worked among for so long—and about the people who care for and revere them—shakes the very foundation on which she has built her life.
The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections is a sparkling debut novel about a woman struggling to step out from behind the shadows of powerful andunreliable men and reveals the dark edge of obsession running through the most devoted bookworms.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    January 25, 2022

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781705030813
      • File size: 278657 KB
      • Duration: 09:40:32

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      November 22, 2021
      Librarian Liesl Weiss, the protagonist of Jurczyk’s underwhelming debut, is asked to return to Toronto from her sabbatical after the library director of the unnamed university where she works suffers a stroke. When a newly purchased manuscript vanishes from a locked vault and a missing female colleague is suspected of the theft, Liesl must dig deep into the university’s ugly underbelly to find the truth, despite her male colleagues’ attempts to bully her into silence. Jurczyk paints Liesl’s oppressors with a heavy hand, from Lawrence Garber, the triathlon-obsessed college president, to Percy T. Pickens III, the vulgar, glad-handing donor. Mystery readers are likely to be disappointed by the crimes and their solutions, and bibliophiles may feel that the rare books themselves are given short shrift, despite the author’s obvious research. This works best as an unflinching appraisal of the personal and professional effects of a woman’s aging into invisibility. Fans of women’s fiction may want to check it out. Agent: Erin Clyburn, Jennifer De Chiara Literary.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      The rare books department of a Toronto university library is the setting for this intriguing mystery audiobook. When the chief librarian has a stroke, his second in command, Liesl Weiss, is called back from sabbatical to cover for him. It's a move not widely supported by her department. Narrator Hannah Cabell creates a cast of believable characters. She highlights Liesl's internally voiced concerns when she discovers that a rare Bible has disappeared from the library. She feels it's her responsibility to uncover what happened to it. Cabell's characterizations are so finely tuned that it seems as if the listener is in the room with the characters. Her timing helps keep the story moving toward its slightly inevitable conclusion. K.J.P. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      June 1, 2022

      Liesl returns from sabbatical when a health issue puts the boss out of commission. Closer to retirement than a burning desire to take the helm, Liesl immediately discovers a very rare and expensive Plantin Bible set has gone missing. Then a librarian goes missing, too. Discouraged by the university president and her colleagues from going to the police about either disappearance for fear of alienating donors, Liesl begins her own investigation to determine whether the two incidents are related. Eventually the police get involved at the behest of the missing librarian's husband. The story has enough personal detail that the characters, their interactions, and their history are as intriguing as the mystery. The end result reveals the exciting life of librarians and is a study in leadership. Narrator Hannah Cabell does a great job conveying Liesl's frustration, stress, and exhaustion. She also voices the other characters with equal aplomb. VERDICT Jurczyk's debut will attract listeners who are also librarians, and is a great addition to public library collections.--Christa Van Herreweghe

      Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Loading