Historical Fiction · TenseIn 1961 Isabel lives alone in her family's home until her brother's girlfriend Eva comes for the summer
The Safekeep
A reclusive woman resents her brother's girlfriend, who comes to stay for the summer
Isabel, called Isa, is a reclusive woman who lives alone in her family's home in Overijssel in the Netherlands in 1961. Eva, the girlfriend of her brother Louis, comes to stay for the summer. Isa resents Eva's presence and feels her personal space is being intruded upon, but the two women gradually form a close bond. It is van der Wouden's debut and was shortlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize.
More about this book
Who
Isabel, called Isa, and Eva, her brother Louis's girlfriend.
World
The province of Overijssel in the Netherlands, 1961.
What makes it different
A two-person household drama and a debut novel by a Dutch author.
Feel
Slow-burning and tense, at 272 pages.
Page count and cover shown for: Selected edition
Further reading
- The SafekeepWikipedia