The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections by Eva Jurczyk (review by Katy Mitchell-Jones)
At an unnamed Toronto university, Liesl, the middle-aged protagonist, tries to fill the shoes of her boss who is on medical leave. After the disorganized but well-loved library director Christopher suffers a stroke and lies unconscious in a hospital, Liesl steps in, much to the disappointment of her colleagues. Despite her hard work over the years, Liesl has taken a quiet back seat approach to her work, while Christopher reaped the rewards. The story begins with Liesl attempting to open a safe in Christopher’s office, while the university president nervously stands by, hoping to confirm that the newest acquisition to the library’s collection is indeed safe.
Upon finally opening the vault, she sees it is empty, and the acquisition is missing. Was it stolen? Or simply misshelved? No matter what happened to it, everyone gives her a hard time, and everyone, including the university president, urges her not to go to the police. The police would, she is told, bring bad press and they would lose donor money if they are perceived as irresponsible. This novel subtly illustrates the bureaucracy of big institutions, and how little people in leadership positions actually have very little power. Like many of us, Liesl finds herself in a situation with responsibilities that she simply does not know how to begin or even process, which causes her to think twice about who she trusts.
To add to Liesl’s stress, one of her colleagues goes missing shortly thereafter. Did this colleague have anything to do with the disappearance of the very expensive acquisition? Or is someone just trying to make it appear this way? Liesl doubts there was any foul-play, and suspects her colleague simply requested time off prior to her tenancy as interim director, and that Christopher did not note it down. However, as readers, we know that something is out of place, and we must wait until Liesl and her colleagues uncover the truth.
It is impossible not to consider which employee is behind the theft and disappearance. Was it Mariam, who acts oddly and avoids spending time with Liesl? Or Francis, her best friend at work, who urges her not to involve the police? Her husband even agrees she should not call, and it should be reported to the university president first. Or was it Christopher’s wife, the one who provided the safe’s combination? Perhaps it was the ex-priest, who was banished from his church after his involvement with stealing church money? The list of suspects is not short, and no one is immune to being on it.
Though these disappearances are the main focus of the story, there is another plotline about a newly hired math professor, who wants to carbon date a famous bible the library houses. Liesl is apprehensive of this request, as she has other things on her mind and doesn't want any damage inflicted on the text. Liesl’s relationship with this professor begins on uncertain terms, as she doesn’t know who she can trust not only with expensive library artifacts, but with her own thoughts. She must constantly think about what Christopher would do in these situations and deal with the reactions of her colleagues, who seem disappointed no matter what she decides. As the story progresses, we see Liesl come into her own, as she begins to have more confidence in her decision making ability.
Her relationships outside of work are also portrayed as somewhat rocky; her husband suffers from depression and though he has been in good moods lately, Liesl knows this can change any day. A prior affair with a colleague is also alluded to more than once, and as readers, we are uncertain about the specifics of what her husband knows. Additionally, though she has a good relationship with her daughter Hannah, Hannah spends less and less time around the house and seems to take her father’s side on anything that comes up.
Some of the best moments in this read come from the dry humor that Jurczyk uses in Liesl’s thoughts and observations. Liesl comments she would enjoy the campus more if there were not so many undergraduates around, and that she worries when a young English professor waves a croissant too close to a Shakespeare first folio. Additionally, the university president, who carries his bike helmet in the opening chapter, is in the process of training for a marathon and consistently complains about sore muscles while snacking on trail mix. This inner commentary offers some comedic relief, but is also very relatable for the reader, as they come naturally and are quick quips.
Overall this novel portrayed a believable and authentic voice of a protagonist who is close to retirement age. This book will be a five-star read to those of us who enjoy libraries, academia, and slow-medium paced reads with dry humor. While this book is not necessarily a suspense-filled thriller, you will become determined to figure out what happened to the missing text and in the lives of the characters.
published in 2022 by Poisoned Pen Press. 352 pages.
Katy Mitchell-Jones is originally from a small town in Washington state and graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle with her BA and MA. She then headed to Boston to teach high school English but has since returned to her west coast roots. Her favorite authors are Margaret Atwood, David Sedaris, Tana French, and Glendy Vanderah. She has published three short stories with Chipper Press, for middle-grades. You can follow her on Goodreads here.