The Safekeep

The Safekeep is the 2024 debut novel from Dutch author Yael van der Wouden. The novel, set in 1961 Netherlands, tells the story of Isabel (Isa), a recluse who is living alone and meticulously tending to the family home in Overijssel province. She receives an unexpected guest when her brother Louis asks that his girlfriend Eva move into the home to stay with Isabel for the summer. Isa is initially repulsed by Eva, and feels that her personal space has been encroached upon. However, as they spend more time together, an unlikely romantic relationship develops between the two women.

The novel won the Women's Prize for Fiction and was shortlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize.