The Safekeep novel I found the book Relations are Portrayed to be captivating because of the way it portrayed the complex relationships within a family. The author did a great job of using symbolic language to convey the story without getting bogged down in too many details. The writing style was smooth and velvety, making it an enjoyable read. Overall, I think this novel was well-crafted and a nice story.

The initial allure of The Safekeep faded quickly as the narrative, poised to be a tale of psychological suspense, delivers a conventional, and occasionally trite, story. The novel’s tense atmosphere quickly gave way to a sentimentality that felt unearned and out-of-place, disappointingly milquetoast (better suited to a generic period-drama if you ask me).

In the summer of 1961 in the quiet Dutch province of Overijssel, Isabel, living alone in her late mother's country home, finds her daily routine disrupted by the unwelcome arrival of Eva, her brother Louis’ latest girlfriend. Despite her protestations, Louis, the ‘official’ owner of the house, forces his decision onto Isabel before setting off. Eva is very much an unwanted guest and behaves in a way that sets Isabel’s teeth on edge. Isabel, already prone to paranoia and possessing a rather sanctimonious outlook, abhors Eva. She seems to believe that Eva’s girlish, laid-back nature is a front and soon suspects her of stealing when several items go missing. Now and again they spend time with Isabel’s other brother, who to her disapproval is living with a close male ‘friend’ of his.
Nothing much happens beyond a series of domestic scenes in which Isabel is depicted as a repressed, slightly neurotic woman who, like many repressed fictional characters before her, lets out her frustration and anger by stuffing her face into a towel or a pillow or whatnot and screaming. Or giving Bateman-spiraling-over-a-business-card energy. I’m not against conceal don’t feel type of characters, (eg. the lucys authored by Brontë and Kincaid or one of Shirley Jackson’s girlies), or ones who become fixated or obsessed with someone they are also suspicious of (These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever, Apartment by Teddy Wayne), but Isabel, who is neither complex nor intriguing enough for me to feel any sort of way towards her, fails to evolve beyond a one-dimensional character. Her contradictions and inner conflicts lack depth and come across as contrived and uninspiring. The promised exploration of her 'forbidden' attraction feels forced and fails to make her a compelling or fleshed-out character. Eva, the object of Isabel’s desire, was even less interesting. Her character consists of a series of thin impressions, making her into a barely-there sort of presence. This is surprising given that she is meant to be the catalyst to Isabel, the reason behind the ‘unravelling’ of her studied outer self. We are probably meant to find Eva to be the more approachable character, but I found her for the most part to be forgettable, although occasionally she did strike me as irritating. Her hidden agenda felt disappointingly moviesque, especially the way her backstory is presented to us…it was very giving historical melodrama, which may work for many, but does zilch for me.

The novel initially promises to be something more in the realm of psychological suspense, a story where we follow the type of character that is rather off-putting. Isabel is unyielding, rather misanthropic, and believes herself to be the subject of many slights. I was fine with her being this type of character, after all, two of my favorite novels are Giovanni’s Room and Madame Bovary, both of which focus on morally reprehensible characters…but then along the way Isabel’s arc ends up being surprisingly sentimental.

There were so many scenes in The Safekeep that should have made me feel a certain degree of something but I just didn’t buy into them. Supposedly charged moments and tense discussions didn’t land, often because they seemed overly dramatic in a way that felt unearned, forced even. I didn’t buy into Isabel’s obsession with Eva, mostly because Eva is for the most part portrayed as very wishy-washy. I’m not against narratives where one character is projecting their feelings onto another character, or letting their paranoia tinge their understanding of another person (their personality, their ‘true’ motivations), or where the central relationship is very much push/pull, but here...the supposed tension, or chemistry, between these two women felt simultaneously rushed and overdone. I would have preferred more of a slow burner, but they go from nothing to 100% in a way that took away from the novel’s initial atmosphere of ambivalence. I was surprised by how banal the plot was. The main characters were dramatic in a way that brought to mind The World Cannot Give by Tara Isabella Burton, a novel I don’t care for in the slightest. The side characters were very one-note, and Isabel’s brother's story was presented to us in a way that made me think of so many period dramas (in other words, cliched).

It’s frustrating because van der Wouden’s writing is top-notch and those first chapters were very absorbing. Her descriptions of the house and its contents, as well as the way she describes the characters’ expressions and body language, were very well done. Her writing style exudes a cool, polished quality reminiscent of Barbara Vine, Sarah Waters, and Magda Szabó. On paper, The Safekeep explores compelling themes. Against the backdrop of the 1960s, the narrative has the opportunity to unveil the societal expectations and constraints placed on women. Isabel's adherence to conservative values leads her to perceive her burgeoning attraction to Eva as morally 'wrong.' Additionally, her prejudices extend to those outside her racial, cultural, and class spheres. The novel does allow us to see how Isabel's narrow mindset becomes a self-imposed trap, hindering her from experiencing true fulfillment, living in the shadow of her mother and resentful of her brothers' freedom. The central themes of inherited guilt and reparations are also pivotal to the narrative. However, the way these issues are handled struck me as somewhat schematic, leaning towards a simplistic and moralizing tone.

Alas, the novel’s initial tense atmosphere just...fizzles out. I’m all for books where fraught character dynamics are at the centre stage, but here Isabel and Eva lacked substance, consequently, their friction and their developing relationship left me feeling very uninvolved. Maybe the reason I was so unbothered by this novel is that I read it not long after reading Winter Love, an overlooked lesbian classic narrated by someone not that dissimilar from Isabel herself (Han Suyin's narrator is aloof, unpleasant even) who embarks into a love affair with a married woman. Or I just have come across this type of dynamic and atmosphere in several other novels (Sweet Days of Discipline by Fleur Jaeggy, The Inseparables by Simone de Beauvoir, and Passing by Nella Larsen, Belladonna by Anbara Salam, books by Danzy Senna, Patricia Highsmith).
van der Wouden's is a clearly talented writer, it's a pity that her novel falls victim to a lacklustre execution.

Still, in spite of my negative review, I encourage prospective readers to give van der Wouden's debut a shot. I may have simply been unable to enjoy it due to my overexposure to this type of genre. If you liked Claire Fuller's Bitter Orange or Ian McEwan's Atonement, or if you happen to enjoy the historical fiction penned by authors like Rose Tremain, there's a good chance you will find van der Wouden's debut to be a satisfying reading experience.

Somehow this book just did not come alive for me. I couldn't quite relate to any of the characters or the relationships between them.

The premise was excellent, highlighting the long-lasting repercussions of WW2, but rather than being anxious to keep reading I found it rather hard going.

I did not expect the happy ending, at odds with all that went before, and I fear that happiness would not endure long-term.

I quite liked the writing style and found Isabel rather amusing with her old fashioned ways. It felt more like the 1940’s than the 60’s but we hear so much of the swinging 60’s and don’t perhaps realise how close they were! Although I liked the story I found it very slow and the developing relationship between Isabel and Eva felt very drawn out and a bit boring. I had guessed the twist relating to Eva from an early stage and it did bring home the terrible events relating to the Second World War.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Books for this ARC

This is a slow burning novel that lures you in before revealing its truths, I couldn’t help but think of modern parallels with what is happening on the West Bank with Israeli settlers stealing Palestinian’s homes. Disturbing and compelling.

I like that this offers a less travelled (in fiction) view of the complicated aftermath of WW2 but I wish I could have felt the same passion for this book as other reviewers. I found the writing hard to parse as it feels foggy and a bit baggy, and I had guessed the Eva plot from early on. Still, it's a salutary reminder of how close the 1960s were to the end of the war with repercussions still reverberating through society.

(Thank you to NetGalley for the free ARC!)

The description of The Safekeep caught my eye immediately while browsing, and I'm ever thankful it did. 1961, Isabel's brother's girlfriend, Eva, comes to stay for part of the summer. Isabel has always kept to herself, gone about life her own rigid way--Eva, her antithesis, is more than happy to disturb the perfectly curated quiet Isabel has lived in for years. But sharing a house, silences, and moments for weeks is bound to birth desire.

An absolutely brilliant piece of historical fiction, this novel held me in ways similar to Our Wives Under the Sea, another book I simply adored. Eva and Isabel's characters worked so well together (even when they weren't getting along), and the writing style was well-reflective of the personalities in the novel. I flew through this and became utterly immersed in the world Yael pieced together; closing the book was as satisfying as it was hard.

Cannot wait for more from this author, should we ever get it! One of my favourite reads of 2024.

I'm a sucker for a good historical romance and boy does this deliver!

It is gripping and unexpected, I really enjoyed the writing and the characters, I loved Isabel's character and I equally enjoyed Eva's.

I will definitely be picking up a physical copy.

[Thank you Netgalley, Penguin and the author for giving me an e-arc in exhange for an honest review]

Oh my God! This was a book that I will never be able to stop thinking about. It was devastating, beautiful and just so intriguing. You don't know what is going to happen and why there is this tension between the two women. During these devastating times, I think it's a powerful and important reminder of the horrors humans can commit. And how easy it is to turn a blind eye to it.

The Safekeep is set in the Dutch countryside during the summer of 1961 and primarily, revolves around two women, Isabel and her brother Louis’ girlfriend, Eva, who comes to stay with her.
This really is a book that you need to read for yourself, without anybody telling you what to expect/how the story plays out.
A truly stunning read and not what I was expecting!
An absolute contender for my top 10 of this year.

The Safekeeping really reminded me of a cross between Fingersmith and The Miniaturist, with a claustrophobic and intense setting, close lens on very few characters which you really got to imagine and be invested in. The reveal took me by surprise and it was a really moving, complex study of love and loss.

I don't want to say too much about the plot because I think it's best to read this one without spoilers. The synopsis tells us that it's the story of Isabel, living in her family's home in the Netherlands in the 60s. Her brother introduces his girlfriend Eva to them who ends up staying with Isabel for a while. Initially, their personalities totally clash.

The book is so beautifully written and I really enjoyed getting to know the different characters throughout the story. In the last part of the story, there is a twist and it flips the novel on its head. We get to see the full, complex motivations driving the characters and it's this twist that makes the novel. I'd absolutely recommend this.

4.5 ✨


could feel the chill coming off Isabel from all the way over here.
What a character she is, cold, rigid, stern..... so very very interesting.
This book was not what I expected at all, and I don't want to give spoilers, but there's a moment when it all turns on its head, and that moment feels perfect.
A real highlight of my recent reads.

This felt like a very special book - the setting was vivid and the characters were complex. I was utterly riveted the whole way through.

I especially loved the dialogue, and the way the author described mannerisms - it felt incredibly real and I could picture every moment, every conversation.

I think the best way to enjoy this book is just to go in blind and let it take you where it wants to go. Don’t read too much about the synopsis, and just dive in.

I did write a review but it’s not saved. Unfortunately, I am not going to write it again as it took quite a while!

i started reading this way back in november and then fell into a massive reading slump and didn’t touch it for a while. started again this year and honestly sorta loved it?

it’s beautiful in a slow way, elegant imagery and gentle, soft sentences that hold so much emotion, so much grief.

such complex, unhappy characters. i think the writing worked so well alongside the narrative and while it was usually abrupt and simple, it helped the story-telling in a way that allowed for emotion and an insight into characters personalities.

This is a book that you think is going to be one thing but it is so much more
Surprising and poignant whilst being set against the 1960s and all that the sixties brought
A house and two women
what it means to belong, be at home, find a home and feel at home.

In rural Holland, early in the 1960s, Isabel lives in a house to which her family moved during the war. She jealously guards all her mother's things, berating her maid if tasks are left undone. Into this lonely, arid existence comes Eva, the girlfriend of Isabel's older brother who has had to go abroad for a short time, and a tense and volatile relationship develops between the two women. Isabel, who is probably neurodiverse and is definitely repressed and vulnerable, finds anybody's presence threatening, and barely tolerable. She finds the young man who is courting her repellant, and has violent feelings towards Eva. But subtly, the atmosphere changes, there is a rapprochement between the two women which develops into something intense and passionate, and the repressed Isabel experiences an awakening of which she had never dreamt. In the final section of the book, we start to understand Eva's motivation and her reactions to Isabel and her family, and in particular to the house, which holds many secrets.

I highly recommend this masterful exploration of queerness and Jewishness, and the part played by history in the formation of our characters, both with and without our knowledge. It is an uncomfortable read at times, but full of sensitivity .

Reading this book was such a privilege. Isabel and Eva are such diverse characters with such rich history that ties in and educates so well about the real events of the time. Their romance is the house and the house is their romance. ‘There isn’t a version of me that could have looked away from you.’

I am grateful to Yael van der Wouden, Penguin General UK, and NetGalley for this opportunity.

This is a novel that showcases miraculous depth, specifically the layers of its characters. Time and dedication has been implented by the author to ensure that every person is a specimen, peeled back to reveal the personality and the subconscious. As for the protagonist, the reader moves beyond the layers of lies, anger, and ignorance, until we see the entirety. If a reader was to think that they know everything about a character after a few chapters, they would be wrong. Furthermore, the narrative slow-burn (not just lust-wise or romance-wise) is a huge motivator: the reader needs these characters to grow, develop, and forgive, to open their minds and embrace life with their hearts, because we have seen — in the case of the protagonist especially — their apparant flaws from the beginning. We are there every step of the way, even made into complicit collaborators at times. The prose is wonderful throughout, and as emotive as it is precise; it envelopes this sense of fluidity and, perhaps, inquisitiveness. There is also perfect balance, from the emotions of the characters that never feel excessive or lacking, to the plot that never seems rushed or stagnant. Overall, the atmosphere is suspenseful to the point of addictiveness.

Upon arriving in Part 3, after the ultimate reveal, everything makes sense. The reader is thrown back from the rest of the story to witness previous events, ultimately illuminating the truth. How much did the reader “see” these characters — truly? The items within the house as symbolism, combined with the history of the building, make it as important to the plot as everyone else.

To conclude, this is a stunning novel that I highly recommend. I don't think I read anything this year that accomplishes as much as The Safekeep, let alone the year before.