The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections

About the book

Anxious People finds its way into the world of bookish fiction in a remarkable debut that follows a librarian whose peaceful life is disrupted when a valuable manuscript disappears. She begins to wonder: where do more secrets lie in the library - within the ancient books carefully placed on the shelves, or among the people who safeguard them?

Liesl Weiss has always been content working quietly in the prestigious rare books department of a large university, handling details and ensuring the department head shines. However, when her boss falls sick and she is left in charge, she uncovers the disappearance of the library's most treasured manuscript.

Despite trying to raise the alarm and involve the police in the search for the valuable book, Liesl is repeatedly told to stay silent, keep the library operational, and satisfy the donors. Then, a librarian mysteriously stops coming to work. Liesl must delve into both disappearances, unraveling her colleagues' histories like unraveling the binding of a rare book, realizing that someone within the department must be behind the theft. What Liesl learns about the dusty manuscripts she has been surrounded by for years - and about those who cherish and protect them - shakes the very core of her existence.

The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections is an enthralling read for book clubs, depicting a woman's struggle to break free from the shadows cast by powerful and untrustworthy men, while revealing the sinister underbelly of obsession that lurks within the most devoted book lovers.