In The Badass Librarians of Timbuktu, Abdel Kader Haidara is trying to locate the illuminated manuscripts throughout the Sahara Desert before they are destroyed. Haidara's hope is to celebrate the rich culture that Timbuktu was once famous for before the manuscripts are destroyed.

In full honesty, I wanted to read this book solely for the title. Although Haidara's mission is dangerous and exciting, much of the book focuses on the political and historical context. I'm glad I listened to it as an audiobook because of these denser sections, but I also like how much context the author gave. I did not know much about the history of Mali so having this information allowed me to better understand what Haidara was up against.