Minnie's Fiction Addiction

👀 First impressions:
Set in 1961 in the Dutch countryside, The Safekeep follows Isabel, a young woman who has dedicated herself to maintaining her late mother’s house with almost obsessive care. Her routines and sense of order are disrupted when her brother Louis arrives with his girlfriend Eva, leaving the two women to share the space in his absence. What begins as irritation and suspicion gradually shifts into something more complicated, as Isabel finds herself both unsettled by Eva’s presence and unable to look away from her. Beneath this domestic drama lies a deeper history: the house itself carries echoes of wartime displacement and forgotten lives, and Isabel’s attempts to preserve it mirror the country’s uneasy relationship with its past. From the outset, I expected a slow, atmospheric story rooted in character and place, and I was not disappointed.

✅ What I Liked:
The atmosphere is the strongest part of this novel. Van der Wouden’s writing draws the reader into a world of sensory detail, where rooms, furniture, and household objects carry both comfort and unease. The house becomes a character in its own right, holding memory within its walls. I also appreciated the complexity of the two women at the heart of the novel. Isabel is prickly, guarded, and far from conventionally likable, but her repression and longing make her a fascinating protagonist. Eva, with her boldness and unpredictability, provides the spark that sets Isabel’s carefully managed life alight. Their dynamic, full of tension and unspoken desire, is as unsettling as it is compelling. The way the novel interweaves queer awakening with the weight of history gives the story depth, making it more than just a tale of attraction, it becomes a meditation on what we keep, what we forget, and what we can no longer hide.

❎ What I didn’t Like:
The pacing will not be for everyone. Much of the early section lingers on Isabel’s routines and observations, which can feel slow if you are waiting for the story to accelerate. While I found the gradual build added to the atmosphere, I can see how it might lose readers who prefer a faster narrative. Isabel herself is also difficult to warm to at first. Her critical eye and controlling nature make her hard to connect with, though the payoff comes as her inner world is slowly revealed. Finally, there are ambiguities left unresolved, which adds to the sense of haunting but may frustrate those who prefer clarity and neat conclusions.

📚 Why You Should Read This Book:
If you are drawn to literary fiction that favours atmosphere over action and character exploration over plot twists, The Safekeep is worth your time. It is a story that thrives on subtlety, on unspoken tensions and repressed desires, and on the lingering ghosts of history. Readers who enjoyed the quiet intimacy of novels like Sarah Waters’ The Night Watch or the layered historical resonances of Alison MacLeod’s Tenderness will likely find a similar richness here. It is not a book that rushes you along, but one that asks you to dwell in its silences and shadows.

💭 Final Thoughts:
The Safekeep is a powerful and unsettling debut that combines the intimacy of domestic life with the broader weight of post-war memory. Its atmosphere is haunting, its characters are flawed but fascinating, and its themes of desire, guilt, and remembrance linger long after the final page. While its pacing and ambiguity may not suit every reader, those who are willing to surrender to its quiet intensity will find it a deeply rewarding read.

🛍️ Where to buy
To buy your own copy click HERE

Final Rating ★★★★ – a beautifully written and atmospheric debut with rich themes and complex characters.