I began 2025 with The Safekeep by Yael Van Der Wouden and it was an excellent start to my reading year.

I am loathe to say too much about the plot (I think the blurb gives too much away and, if you know a bit about post-WWII history, you won’t need to get far into the story to understand where it’s going).

Set in the Dutch countryside in 1961, it’s focused on a woman, Isabel, living in her late mother’s large home. Isabel is set in her ways, and her routines are disrupted when her brother insists that his girlfriend, Eva, stay with Isabel while he works overseas for the summer. Eva is the antithesis of Isabel and as the days progress, tensions rise. Continue reading →