The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden Summary

The Safekeep is a psychological thriller set in 1961 rural Netherlands that follows Isabel, a rigid 27-year-old woman living alone in her late mother's country home. When her brother Louis leaves his girlfriend Eva to stay for the summer, Isabel develops an obsessive fixation as household items mysteriously disappear. The novel explores the hidden legacy of WWII, revealing dark truths about complicity, stolen Jewish property, and repressed desire in post-war Dutch society.

Yael van der Wouden is a Dutch-Israeli writer and teacher born in Tel Aviv who currently lectures in creative writing and comparative literature in the Netherlands. Her essay "On (Not) Reading Anne Frank" received notable mention in The Best American Essays 2018. The Safekeep is her debut novel, which was acquired in hotly-contested nine-way auctions and sold rights to thirteen countries. In 2024, The Safekeep was longlisted for the Booker Prize.

The Safekeep is worth reading for those who appreciate literary fiction with psychological depth and historical complexity. Yael van der Wouden's debut received critical acclaim for its restrained, lyrical prose and atmospheric storytelling. The novel offers a unique perspective on WWII's aftermath through the lens of complicity and silence rather than traditional Holocaust narratives. However, readers should be prepared for emotionally opaque characters, slow-burn tension, and themes of betrayal that require sitting with discomfort.

The Safekeep appeals to readers of literary fiction, psychological thrillers, and historical narratives exploring WWII's aftermath. Fans of atmospheric, character-driven stories with queer themes will appreciate the complex relationship between Isabel and Eva. Yael van der Wouden's novel suits those interested in Dutch Jewish identity, cultural memory, and stories about complicity and silence. Readers who enjoy ambiguous narratives and morally complex characters—rather than conventional romances—will find this debut particularly compelling.

The Safekeep explores complicity and silence as survival mechanisms in post-war Netherlands, examining how ordinary people benefit from others' displacement. Yael van der Wouden investigates the stolen Jewish property that filled Dutch homes after WWII and the collective amnesia surrounding this history. Other central themes include repressed desire and sexuality, power imbalances in relationships, and how comfort is preserved at someone else's expense. The novel questions what remains unseen when people choose willful ignorance over confronting uncomfortable truths.

The house in The Safekeep functions as a character representing stolen history and complicity. Isabel's family received the property during the harsh war winter of 1945, filled with Jewish belongings—cutlery, clothes, household items—from displaced and murdered families. Yael van der Wouden uses the house to explore how Dutch families inherited and normalized stolen possessions. Isabel's obsessive inventory-taking and possessiveness toward these objects contrasts sharply with the dispossession Jews experienced, making the house a physical manifestation of historical guilt.

Isabel and Eva share a complex relationship marked by attraction, repulsion, and power imbalance rather than conventional romance. Isabel develops a fury-fueled obsession with Eva that transforms into infatuation during the sweltering summer. Yael van der Wouden crafts their connection with unresolved anguish and cold secrets, exploring the intersection of fear and desire. The relationship defies neat categorization, instead revealing how complicity and historical trauma shape intimacy. Their dynamic drives the novel's revelation about the house's true origins.

The Safekeep examines WWII's legacy through the overlooked story of looted Jewish household items that filled Dutch homes. Yael van der Wouden deviates from typical Holocaust literature focused on businesses and gold, instead highlighting personal belongings—spoons, knives, casserole dishes—that carry equal trauma. The novel explores how Dutch Jewish families erased their identities to survive, with many grandchildren discovering their heritage only in adulthood. The Safekeep reveals that the war isn't "truly over" when society remains complicit in silence.

The Safekeep demonstrates how silence becomes both survival mechanism and complicity in post-war society. Yael van der Wouden shows how Isabel's family—and broader Dutch society—chose comfort over confronting how they acquired their possessions and homes. The novel explores what people "choose to live with in the aftermath," examining silent violences inherited across emotional, familial, and historical dimensions. Isabel's tight-lipped nature embodies this complicity, revealing how long the plainly visible can remain deliberately unseen when acknowledgment threatens personal security.

Yael van der Wouden employs restrained, lyrical prose with a consistent smoldering tone throughout The Safekeep. Her writing style emphasizes what remains unspoken, never over-explaining character motivations or historical context. Van der Wouden's descriptive quality creates atmospheric tension that captures both the physical contours of the house and characters' psychological profiles. The narrative structure features steady, calculated revelation that deepens with each piece fitted together. Critics praise her command of ambiguity, letting readers sit with discomfort rather than providing easy answers.

Some readers find The Safekeep challenging due to Isabel's emotional opacity and unlikeable nature, making initial connection difficult. The restrained narrative style and slow-burn pacing may frustrate those expecting conventional thriller mechanics or explicit romance. Yael van der Wouden's emphasis on ambiguity over clarity means some plot elements remain deliberately unresolved. Readers sensitive to themes of betrayal, complicity, and inherited trauma should approach carefully. However, these elements are intentional artistic choices rather than flaws, designed to mirror post-war silence and discomfort.

The Safekeep remains relevant in 2025 as societies worldwide grapple with inherited complicity and historical reckoning. Yael van der Wouden's exploration of how people benefit from others' displacement resonates with contemporary conversations about colonialism, property ownership, and systemic inequality. The novel's examination of willful ignorance and selective memory speaks to current debates about confronting uncomfortable historical truths. Additionally, The Safekeep's nuanced portrayal of queer desire and identity continues discussions about representation beyond conventional narratives, making it timely for modern readers.