Summary of The SafekoopÂ
Isabel lives alone in her family’s country home in the small Dutch town of Zwolle in 1961. Her life, structured by routine within the comforting cocoon of the house, is disrupted when her brother invites his new girlfriend Eva to stay for the summer when he is away on business. Initially, this intrusion into Isabel’s personal space feels utterly unwelcome, and the two women struggle to get along. However, over time, they grow much closer…
Reasons to read The Safekeep
“The Safekeep” is the much-acclaimed debut novel by Dutch author Yael van der Wouden (who wrote the novel in English). It explores themes such as family secrets, sexual desire, and the haunting legacies of the past, particularly the impact of the Second World War with its suffering and opportunism. “The Safekeep” won the 2025 Women’s Prize for Fiction and was shortlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize and the 2025 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction.
Setting: Zwolle, Overijssel (the Netherlands)
Original title: The Safekeep
Year of publication: 2024
Nr of pages: 272
