The Safekeep - A Review
The Safekeep is a historical fiction/sapphic romance/suspense novel, all in one, written by Dutch author Yael van der Wouden. I read this book in two days flat, but honestly most of that was in one day. I could not put it down! I mean, to be fair, it is only 258 pages, but still, I devoured that book. With its unassuming small size, I figured it would be a quick experience; enjoyable, but probably still easily set aside. I was wrong. The Safekeep is a beautifully written story that elegantly explores sexual and emotional repression and the path to release, as well as the weight of history and war’s effect on people years in the future.
The novel is set in a rural Dutch province in the year 1961, sixteen years after the end of World War II. The war is over; the city is clean, buildings are reconstructed, craters made by German bombs are filled, and the world is quiet. The narrator of the story is Isabel den Brave, a young woman living alone in the house that her family moved to from Amsterdam when she was young, the sole caretaker and occupant of the home since her mother’s death. She lives a solitary life of structure and routine, taking great pride in the home and its upkeep. Isabel’s quiet, secluded life is upended when her eldest brother Louis shows up at the house with his latest girlfriend, insisting Isabel house Eva as her guest for the season while he is away on a work trip.
Isabel and Eva could not be more different, and Isabel makes sure it is known that she is not happy about the arrangement. She is sour and hostile, which is no change from her usual attitude, while Eva is sweet and bubbly. Eva is too loud, too kind, too comfortable, and too nosy for Isabel’s liking, and Isabel tells her as much any chance she gets. Isabel’s obsession with keeping inventory of the items in the home and her habit of accusing the maid of stealing often continues to grow, and soon her suspicion surrounds Eva and her intentions.
When things begin to rapidly disappear – a spoon, a bowl, other cutlery- Isabel’s suspicion consumes her. She can’t stop thinking about Eva, or the items that have gone missing. Her paranoia soon gives way to obsession and infatuation, crumbling Isabel’s self-perception and challenging all she has ever believed to be true.
The Safekeep is a tale of desire, histories and homes, and the unexpected shape of revenge. I was enamored with the style in which this book is written; poetic prose and a melancholy undertone that feels like a portal into the characters’ brains. Actually, after reading this book I started to think about the recent fiction I have consumed and their interestingly similar literary styles. There is something about the style of this book that feels familiar and subtly intense, which I am beginning to believe is a style that accompanies a specific genre… and I think I may write a whole other post about that, so I’ll leave it at that! 😊
I found Isabel’s character extremely interesting, and oddly, she reminds me a bit of Merricat, the main character of Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Both are young women with a deceased mother (in Merricat’s case, almost the entire family) that have formed deep, emotional and obsessive relationships with their home and solitude. The two women are both seen as sour and unapproachable, with strange personalities and odd social skills. However, while Merricat is obsessively attached to her older sister and their routine, Isabel den Brave of The Safekeep is comfortable in utter solitude and thrives on her own discipline.
Isabel’s character is, in my opinion, very well written. She is rough, strange, isolated, and obsessive, but her remarks and snappy comments often seem to come from a deeper place than surface level dislike. One instance in which this is the case occurs during the first meeting of Isabel and Eva. Eva attempts to make friendly conversation, and is abruptly interrupted with Isabel’s harsh, “I did not invite you here tonight.” (Pg. 12). While this remark seems unwarranted and rude, if we take a look at Isabel’s character and feelings, I feel her words come more from a place of emotional repression and misdirected distress. Eva is, in fact, an uninvited and unexpected guest. Isabel is a creature of routine and plans, and to have her structure broken in a rude gesture by her brother upsets her. Her structure is her walls in which she resides, emotionally safe.
As Isabel and Eva begin to get to know each other more intimately after Louis drops her in Isabel’s arms as a guest for the season, Isabel’s inexperience and unwillingness to open up to anyone, even herself, becomes more apparent. Eva continuously attempts to befriend her, asking questions and making simple conversation, only to be shut down harshly every time. However, it is Isabel’s inner thoughts that allude to where the hostility really comes from. Isabel has never experienced friendships or relationships in her life, isolating herself from others in order to feel secure and protected emotionally. While she often snaps at Eva, once saying to her “I could not think of anything worse,” (Pg. 66) when the woman offers to take a walk with her, her thoughts often reveal Isabel’s unconscious observations of Eva. She speaks of the sun in Eva’s hair, a peek of her bra… all thoughts disguised as judgmental, but it becomes obvious that Isabel is fighting against her unexpected attraction to Eva.
These feelings are unfamiliar, unsafe, and confusing. Isabel tries to push it down, to convince herself her feelings are hateful. I think the way she processes her emotions is very realistic for her character. It is also worth mentioning that her brother Hendrik ran from home at a young age because his mother did not accept him as a gay man. Isabel’s thoughts and feelings about the subject are jumbled. She loves her brother, and she wants him to be happy, but she has been taught for so long that it is wrong. She chooses not to speak of his partner if she can avoid it. When Isabel begins to realize her own feelings toward another woman, her confusion and conflicting emotions about her brother don’t help her to accept herself.
As the story progresses, Isabel’s walls begin to shake, and Eva confuses her beyond reason. When one day Eva flips Isabel’s world upside down, a new sense of suspense and intensity grows in the story. The way in which the story progresses is truly gripping. The character arcs and plot twists are incredible. The ending of the story hits on the idea of repressed emotions, generational trauma, and guilt in a way that really tugs at the heartstrings.
I absolutely loved this book, and I highly suggest reading the author Yael van der Wouden’s other works! This is her debut novel, but she has written many articles that I found quite interesting, especially after reading her novel. I will link her website below!
If you love sapphic romance, tension, and historical fiction, I absolutely recommend you read The Safekeep!
Yael van der Wouden’s Website:
https://yaelvanderwouden.com/the-safekeep-2024
