The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden is historical fiction set in 1960s Netherlands about a family who owns a large house in a small town. The siblings – Isabelle, Louis and Hendrick – lived in the house with their mother after WWII, and now that their mother has died, Isabelle lives there alone. She is a rigid, contained woman with few social interactions, and when she goes into town to see her brothers and meets Louis’ new girlfriend Eva, she dislikes her immediately. Soon after, Louis drops Eva at the family house for an extended visit when he goes out of town, and Isabelle is disturbed and unsettled by the unwelcome intrusion into her privacy and the sanctity of her mother’s house. Eva and Isabelle’s relationship evolves, however, into something that surprises them both, even as Isabelle remains skeptical of Eva’s true intentions. It’s better to go into The Safekeep without knowing more than that. Overall, I liked this book a lot, especially looking back on it upon finishing it. There are some places where the writing could have been tightened up, as I noticed a fair amount of repetition, even within passages. (The sex scenes especially go on for a long time!) But the second part of the book justifies much of the detail and explanation from the first part. This is not a psychological thriller, despite being marketed as such; it’s a story about shame, loss, desire and identity. Impressive debut.