The Safekeep – Yael van der Wouden

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It’s 1961 and the people of Dutch town Overijssel are adjusting to life post war. Living alone in her late mother’s country home, Isabel leads a life of routine and discipline. Much to her disgust, her brother Louis dumps his new girlfriend Eva at Isabel’s doorstep announcing she is to stay for a month. As the days go by the two women and the house all start revealing their secrets.

Isabel had never known loneliness like that, one that arrived without the promise of leaving.

● Wow, this book took some very unexpected twists and turns. Sorry to the person I sat beside on a flight from Wellington to Dunedin who casually glanced across while I was reading some of the more interesting scenes but honestly that is on you. 

I was wondering what the circuit breaker was going to be for the ongoing tension between the two main characters, and once this happened things moved a lot more quickly. We talk a lot in Aotearoa about mana whenua and the sense of belonging, it was was interesting to read about how this might look in a different cultural context. – Suzy

● I have mixed feelings about The Safekeep. I think the author has a lovely writing style and has paced this book well. I enjoyed the twists and turns of the historical, post-war setting and plot, which I can’t mention further as it will provide spoilers. Societal expectations of the ’60s and constraints placed on women are also explored well.

But unfortunately, I did not connect with the characters. Isabel, Eva, Louis and Kendrik were flat and one dimensional to me, and in the beginning I didn’t have feelings for any of them. Though, later I did come to care for one character. I found several plot points far too convenient, especially the diary left behind accidentally only to be read by a crucial someone else. And I wasn’t a fan of the ending. Maybe when Suzy and I meet in person and discuss this book further I might be inclined to get off the fence one way or the other. – Rachel

Published 2024
Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster
272 pages