Will I love The Safekeep?

Historical fiction set in the aftermath of WWII, this novel explores the lasting, far-reaching effects of Hitler's regime, but in a way that centers a particular family and the stranger who arrives to unearth their secrets.

The obsession of Isabel, or Isa, revolves at first around possessions in her uncle’s house.

She and her brothers moved there during World War II, but when the story begins, only Isa is left. The objects take on the weight of loss after her mother’s death, and Isa fears the caretaker is stealing from her. When Eva, the girlfriend of Isa’s brother arrives, she disrupts Isa’s static isolation. Objects disappear—or do they? And the pull between Isa and Eva becomes electric.  

Yael van der Wouden subtly layers red herrings and shifts my understanding of Isa and her family, ultimately revealing… show more.

A friend urged me to read this book and I spent the first few parts wondering why, disliking the characters, not feeling the urgency to read. And then, it all changed. A new part began. I turned the page. Everything changed. This was one of the most unique books whose narrator surprised me along the way.

When I did a reading this summer at a local bookstore, they let me pick out a book for myself. I chose The Safekeep. I love books that delve into history, especially about the First and Second World Wars and their aftermaths. This is a book that asks so many questions, uncomfortable questions, at times. These aren't questions just about the past, however. We need to ask these questions of ourselves now. The characters grow and shift and fall back and move forward. It's about home, a particular house, and it's about belonging and ownership and love.

I love reading fine language and a surprising story well told, and Safekeep fit the bill.

Van Der Wouden makes every word count in a novel on three levels: a mystery, a story of human emotions and passions, and revelations about the aftermath of the Holocaust. The author writes in terse, spare, poetry-like language that pulled me into her story of damaged and unforgettable characters who struggle to find their place in The Netherlands in 1961.

In the opening passage, Isabel finds a shard of broken pottery in her garden and recognizes it as from her mother’s treasured set of… show more.

This masterful, shape-shifting novel starts out modestly with the gathering of three siblings and the new girlfriend of the eldest. But it's not that simple. Just when I thought I knew what the novel was about, it veered into new territory--more than once. Right after I finished, I reread the first chapter to see how the author planted seeds for what was to come. This is a thought-provoking read that lingers long.

Quiet, intense character development that leads to an explosive ethical/political revelation.

An amazing twist: I’ll say no more….