The Safekeep

by Yael van der Wouden
The Safekeep cover
Good Books rating 4.35
Literary Fiction
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  • ID: 5
  • Added: 2025-08-02
  • Updated: 2025-09-12
  • ISBN: 9781668034347
  • Publisher: Simon and Schuster
  • Published: 2024-05-28
  • Formats: 34
  • Reviews: 4

In the quiet Dutch province of Overijssel in 1961, Isabel lives alone in her late mother's country home, maintaining a life of routine and discipline. Her world is disrupted when her brother Louis leaves his new girlfriend Eva at Isabel's doorstep for the season. Eva, Isabel’s opposite in temperament, unsettles her with her carefree behavior and disregard for the house’s order, sparking Isabel’s growing paranoia as small items begin to disappear. This simmering tension evolves into a complex obsession, revealing hidden desires and unraveling long-buried family secrets. The novel explores themes of identity, history, and the lingering shadows of World War II, as Eva’s presence and mysterious past challenge Isabel’s understanding of her family and herself. The house itself, once acquired during the war under troubling circumstances, becomes a symbol of contested ownership and memory. Through a sophisticated narrative infused with intrigue, sensuality, and psychological depth, The Safekeep confronts the uneasy truths about history and personal desire in a post-war Dutch setting.

Reviews
The Low Countries · 2025-09-06
compelling 4.50

The novel is a masterful exploration of Isabel’s conservative, obstinate personality and her intense fixation on the family home, which is disrupted by Eva’s arrival. The charged atmosphere and themes of attraction and repulsion between the two women are vividly portrayed.

This review highlights the psychological complexity of Isabel, shaped by her cold upbringing and the trauma of war-era losses, which have left her isolated and obsessed with maintaining the family estate. When Eva arrives, the inevitable confrontation and the resulting dynamic of both hatred and fascination create a tense and compelling narrative. The reviewer appreciates the novel’s ability to capture the emotional intensity and contradictions within Isabel, as well as the charged atmosphere caused by the mysterious disappearances and the evolving relationship with Eva. The story is praised for its nuanced portrayal of attraction, suspicion, and personal turmoil within a historical context.

Quick quotes

    Isabel is conservative, obstinate and direct to the point of insensitive.

    A confrontation is inevitable. A dynamic of attraction and repulsion ensues.

    Things keep disappearing from the house, which heightens the charged atmosphere.

Goodreads · 2025-09-06
intriguing 4.25

The story explores themes of obsession, suspicion, and desire through the protagonist Isabel's complex emotions and her evolving relationship with Eva. The narrative reveals Isabel as an unreliable and trapped character whose life is disrupted by Eva's arrival.

The reviewer's perspective paints Isabel as a deeply troubled and obsessive character, whose carefully controlled life revolves around maintaining the family home. Isabel's suspicion and paranoia intensify with Eva's arrival, yet beneath this is a yearning for something different and more fulfilling. The tension between Isabel's obsessive need for control and her growing attraction to Eva creates a compelling dynamic that drives the story's emotional core. The reviewer sympathizes with Isabel's isolation and complexity, highlighting how the novel captures psychological depth and the tumultuous nature of desire.

Quick quotes

    Isabel is written in such a way that she comes across as an unreliable narrator.

    Her controlled, routine led world comes crashing down around her when Eva... comes to stay.

    Isabel’s obsessions spiral even further.

The Indiependent · 2025-08-25
poignant 4.40

The Safekeep poignantly explores the lingering legacy of the Second World War and its psychological impact through a compelling narrative.

The Indiependent praises The Safekeep for its poignant exploration of the long shadows cast by the Second World War on individuals and families. The novel's psychological depth is emphasized, as it reveals trauma and complex relationships shaped by history. This review appreciates the emotional resonance and the way the story addresses difficult themes sensitively and powerfully.

Quick quotes

    Dutch author Yael Van Der Wouden's 2024 Women's Prize for Fiction-winning novel The Safekeep poignantly explores the legacy of the Second World War.

    The novel delves deeply into the psychological scars left by the past.

    It is a moving and powerful examination of history's enduring impact.

The Manchester Review · 2025-06-12
intriguing 4.25

The Safekeep offers a tightly woven plot with delicate thrills that mask a deeper, richer message beneath the surface.

This review highlights how The Safekeep successfully balances a suspenseful narrative with a more profound thematic depth. The story's surface thrills engage readers initially, but the novel's true strength lies in its ability to conceal complex messages about history and personal identity beneath its plot, making the reading experience both gripping and thought-provoking.

Quick quotes

    With its tight plot and delicate thrills, The Safekeep is able to conceal a deeper, richer message residing beneath what we initially believe the story to be.

    The novel is not just about surface suspense but about uncovering hidden layers within the characters and their histories.

    It offers a compelling narrative that slowly reveals more profound truths.

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