Scan barcode
A review by kris_mccracken
The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden
4.0
Yael van der Wouden’s “The Safekeep” is an exquisite debut that masterfully balances precision with an unsentimental exploration of deeply human themes. This is a novel that dissects displacement, loneliness, and the indelible scars of war with both grace and an uncompromising eye for detail.
The protagonist, Isabel, initially presents as uptight and aloof, a character seemingly difficult to like, but this is the brilliance of van der Wouden’s craft. At first, I found her aloofness grating, but as the story unfolded, I began to see echoes of my own struggle with vulnerability. As the story progresses, Isabel and Eva, is a highlight: charged, raw, and utterly mesmerising. The moment where they initially physicall touch is steeped in queer desire and unspoken need, feels intensely alive, vibrating with a kind of emotional electricity that is rarely so deftly portrayed.
One of the novel’s most striking aspects is its ability to grapple with themes often clumsily handled by lesser writers. The Holocaust's legacy is woven into the story with nuance, revealing how ordinary lives were enmeshed in the machinery of atrocity. Some may quibble with the use of Eva's journal to do this, but I found it convincing and affecting.
Alongside this, the book quietly examines revenge and redemption, sibling dynamics, and the complex inheritance of trauma, all while maintaining a thriller-like momentum that keeps the pages turning.
Where Isabel is at the centre, the supporting cast - Louis, Hendrick, Eva and their absent mothers - is equally compelling and each gradually unfurls into richly textured personalities. The house (and its garden), also at the centre of the story, is a character in itself.
At its heart, “The Safekeep” is about connections that interrupt isolation, awaken dormant needs, and disrupt the inertia of survival. This is an intensely atmospheric work and, if there is a criticism, it’s that the pacing occasionally falters, particularly early on. The nonlinear is occassionally jarring, though this fragmentation ultimately mirrors the characters’ fractured realities.
This an impressive debut, one that is both intellectually and emotionally compelling.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
The protagonist, Isabel, initially presents as uptight and aloof, a character seemingly difficult to like, but this is the brilliance of van der Wouden’s craft. At first, I found her aloofness grating, but as the story unfolded, I began to see echoes of my own struggle with vulnerability. As the story progresses, Isabel and Eva, is a highlight: charged, raw, and utterly mesmerising. The moment where they initially physicall touch is steeped in queer desire and unspoken need, feels intensely alive, vibrating with a kind of emotional electricity that is rarely so deftly portrayed.
One of the novel’s most striking aspects is its ability to grapple with themes often clumsily handled by lesser writers. The Holocaust's legacy is woven into the story with nuance, revealing how ordinary lives were enmeshed in the machinery of atrocity. Some may quibble with the use of Eva's journal to do this, but I found it convincing and affecting.
Alongside this, the book quietly examines revenge and redemption, sibling dynamics, and the complex inheritance of trauma, all while maintaining a thriller-like momentum that keeps the pages turning.
Where Isabel is at the centre, the supporting cast - Louis, Hendrick, Eva and their absent mothers - is equally compelling and each gradually unfurls into richly textured personalities. The house (and its garden), also at the centre of the story, is a character in itself.
At its heart, “The Safekeep” is about connections that interrupt isolation, awaken dormant needs, and disrupt the inertia of survival. This is an intensely atmospheric work and, if there is a criticism, it’s that the pacing occasionally falters, particularly early on. The nonlinear is occassionally jarring, though this fragmentation ultimately mirrors the characters’ fractured realities.
This an impressive debut, one that is both intellectually and emotionally compelling.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐