The Safekeep Audiobook By Yael van der Wouden cover art

The Safekeep

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The Safekeep

By: Yael van der Wouden
Narrated by: Stina Nielsen, Saskia Maarleveld
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About this listen

Longlisted for the Booker Prize | “Remarkable…Compelling…Fine and taut…Indelible” —The New York Times • “Mesmerizing and shockingly good…I was utterly blown away.” —Miranda Cowley Heller, author of The Paper Palace • “A brilliant debut, as multifaceted as a gem.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) • “Moving, unnerving, and deeply sexy.” —Tracy Chevalier, author of Girl with the Pearl Earring • “Fans of Patricia Highsmith and Ottessa Moshfegh’s Eileen will find much to admire here.”—Vulture

An exhilarating, twisted tale of desire, suspicion, and obsession between two women staying in the same house in the Dutch countryside during the summer of 1961—a powerful exploration of the legacy of WWII and the darker parts of our collective past.


A house is a precious thing...

It is 1961 and the rural Dutch province of Overijssel is quiet. Bomb craters have been filled, buildings reconstructed, and the war is truly over. Living alone in her late mother’s country home, Isabel knows her life is as it should be—led by routine and discipline. But all is upended when her brother Louis brings his graceless new girlfriend Eva, leaving her at Isabel’s doorstep as a guest, to stay for the season.

Eva is Isabel’s antithesis: she sleeps late, walks loudly through the house, and touches things she shouldn’t. In response, Isabel develops a fury-fueled obsession, and when things start disappearing around the house—a spoon, a knife, a bowl—Isabel’s suspicions begin to spiral. In the sweltering peak of summer, Isabel’s paranoia gives way to infatuation—leading to a discovery that unravels all Isabel has ever known. The war might not be well and truly over after all, and neither Eva—nor the house in which they live—are what they seem.

Mysterious, sophisticated, sensual, and infused with intrigue, atmosphere, and sex, The Safekeep is a brilliantly plotted and provocative debut novel you won’t soon forget.

©2024 Yael van der Wouden (P)2024 Simon & Schuster Audio
Fiction Historical Fiction Jewish Literary Fiction
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What listeners say about The Safekeep

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Excellent

Every word is compelling! We should all understand this history…the surprises among the characters are well developed

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Storytelling

Slow reveal. Goosebumps. Something not quite right but What/Who is it and Why. Excellent.

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Stick with it

This book will stay with me. I think in a way I didn’t expect. It started a little slow and then as you get into the book, you sort of realize why it starts that way it’s an interesting story about family dynamics, and isolation and repressed love I think if you hang in there with the book, you want to be disappointed.

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Predictable

Interesting characters but quickly lost interest. Predictable. Well written, but obvious storyline and detailed sexual encounters which really didn’t add much.

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Least favorite of the Booker Longlist

Decent book if you are looking for a romance novel. Not my genre. Plot was predictable, writing was above average.

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Wow!!! Plot twist!

This book was amazing. Totally ended different from what I thought. Definitely rated R. Love the WW2 element

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Wow! This is a wonderful listen!

This book is beautifully written with a taut, intense plot on top cooking hot and a bread-crumb tra subplot happening underneath. In the end, it all surfaces and the reader is faced with a whole host of intense feelings. I loved it.

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Great book!

Terrific story!Complex, gripping, struggles with etetnal truths. Best book I have read in a very long time!

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Compelling tale of loss and safe haven

Beautiful story. The brothers’ characters were not well developed and rather one dimensional. But the two women were complex and striking.

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Riveting & so poignant

A beautiful, painful story. I hope the author continues writing novels. This was an excellent achievement.

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