Yael van der Wouden's The Safekeep was published by Simon and Schuster in mid-2024. The novel is set in the Netherlands, and is set in 1961, years after the end of World War II. The destruction caused by the war, including building damage and bomb craters, have been repaired, but the Dutch spirit has been changed forever. van der Wouden's novel follows Louis and his girlfriend Eva, who go to live with an older woman named Isabel. Together, the two navigate their increasingly more complicated life, which is aided by Isabel's jealousy and chaotic nature. Even though the war has been over for more than a decade, Isabel still acts as if it is still going on. And that makes Louis and Eva's life much harder than it already had been, causing conflict and causing them to grow enormously. It is a novel about the effects of war, the power of love, and the negative things obsession can do to a person.
When it was published, The Safekeep received exceptionally positive reviews and became a bestseller. Kirkus Reviews called the novel, which was van der Wouden's first, "A brilliant debut" and "as multifaceted as a gem." The New York Times felt similarly. In their review, they said "But the story is resolved in such a bold and tender way that it becomes not merely clever, but indelible."
