The Safekeep

_The Safekeep_ is the Dutch author Yael van der Wouden’s debut novel. Shortlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize, the novel, set in the Netherlands in 1961, tells the story of Isabel, who is obsessively keen to keep the family home in its original state. The house was bought by her Uncle Karel during the Second World War, and Isabel’s family (including her mother and two brothers) then moved in. Her brothers moved away after the war and, after the death of her mother, Isabel was left living alone in the family home. When the three siblings meet at a dinner in Amsterdam, Isabel is introduced to her brother’s girlfriend, Eva. Her brother then asks her to let Eva live in the family home for a few months while he is away travelling. Isabel reluctantly agrees, but is un-friendly towards Eva and does not feel comfortable around her, even though Eva is sociable and charming. She is also irritated by Eva moving freely around the house, touching things and asking questions about the family and the family home. Her very presence affects Isabel and her reclusive life. But everything changes when Isabel develops romantic feelings for Eva and the two women begin a relationship. And when Eva later reveals a previously well hidden secret, the world comes tumbling down on Isabel and her siblings.