The Safekeep: Booker Prize Longlisted 2024
LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2024
An exhilarating tale of twisted desire, histories and homes, and the unexpected shape of revenge – for readers of Patricia Highsmith, Sarah Waters and Ian McEwan’s Atonement.
It’s 1961 and the rural Dutch province of Overijssel is quiet. Bomb craters have been filled, buildings reconstructed, and the war is well and truly over. Living alone in her late mother’s country home, Isabel’s life is as it should be: led by routine and discipline. But all is upended when her brother Louis delivers his graceless new girlfriend, Eva, at Isabel’s doorstep-as a guest, there to stay for the season…
Eva is Isabel’s antithesis: sleeps late, wakes late, walks loudly through the house and touches things she shouldn’t. In response Isabel develops a fury-fuelled obsession, and when things start disappearing around the house-a spoon, a knife, a bowl-Isabel’ suspicions spiral out of control. In the sweltering peak of summer, Isabel’s paranoia gives way to desire – 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.
‘A razor-sharp, perfectly plotted debut novel’ Sunday Times
‘Moving, unnerving and deeply sexy’ Tracy Chevalier, bestselling author of GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING
‘An impressive debut; I already look forward to Van der Wouden’s next’ Guardian
‘We loved this debut novel for its remarkable inhabitation of obsession. It navigates an emotional landscape of loss and return in an unforgettable way.’’ Booker Prize Judges 2024
ASIN : B0CFZX9HTS
Publisher : Penguin (28 May 2024)
Language : English
File size : 3665 KB
Text-to-Speech : Enabled
Screen Reader : Supported
Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
X-Ray : Not Enabled
Word Wise : Enabled
Print length : 262 pages
₹262.50
Price: ₹262.50
(as of Aug 13, 2024 16:41:25 UTC – Details)
LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2024
An exhilarating tale of twisted desire, histories and homes, and the unexpected shape of revenge – for readers of Patricia Highsmith, Sarah Waters and Ian McEwan’s Atonement.
It’s 1961 and the rural Dutch province of Overijssel is quiet. Bomb craters have been filled, buildings reconstructed, and the war is well and truly over. Living alone in her late mother’s country home, Isabel’s life is as it should be: led by routine and discipline. But all is upended when her brother Louis delivers his graceless new girlfriend, Eva, at Isabel’s doorstep-as a guest, there to stay for the season…
Eva is Isabel’s antithesis: sleeps late, wakes late, walks loudly through the house and touches things she shouldn’t. In response Isabel develops a fury-fuelled obsession, and when things start disappearing around the house-a spoon, a knife, a bowl-Isabel’ suspicions spiral out of control. In the sweltering peak of summer, Isabel’s paranoia gives way to desire – 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.
‘A razor-sharp, perfectly plotted debut novel’ Sunday Times
‘Moving, unnerving and deeply sexy’ Tracy Chevalier, bestselling author of GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING
‘An impressive debut; I already look forward to Van der Wouden’s next’ Guardian
‘We loved this debut novel for its remarkable inhabitation of obsession. It navigates an emotional landscape of loss and return in an unforgettable way.’’ Booker Prize Judges 2024
ASIN : B0CFZX9HTS
Publisher : Penguin (28 May 2024)
Language : English
File size : 3665 KB
Text-to-Speech : Enabled
Screen Reader : Supported
Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
X-Ray : Not Enabled
Word Wise : Enabled
Print length : 262 pages
Gabbar Singh –
Overhyped
I fell for the rave reviews and bought the audiobook. Long and boring even at 1.7x. None of the characters are well developed or worth caring about. Should have been a short story.
Claudia Reder –
This is a hard book for me to read since I read so many Holocaust novels. But this one stood out because the characters were already aging in their new homes although they never felt at home again. I will recommend this book to others. This book takes a strange turn, unexpected. The character, the house, opens up to life and its secrets.This is a hard book for me to read since I read so many Holocaust novels. But this one stood out because the characters were already aging in their new homes although they never felt at home again. I will recommend this book to others. This book takes a strange turn, unexpected. The character, the house, opens up to life and its secrets.
Georgie –
Beautifully written, fascinating and wonderful characterisation.
Susan Bass –
It is 1961. In her early 30âs prickly, embittered Isabel lives a quiet existence on the outskirts of Amsterdam in her familyâs precious house. The mission of her life is to safely keep this home entrusted to her. Eva, the interloper, enters Isabelâs house as the unhomed girlfriend of her bother, Louis, to live for a month while he attends to business for his company in another country. Eva has her own mission as a Safekeep. As sparks begin to fly, the women confront themselves and each other, and then Isabel must confront HISTORY. This novel, one of 13 novels on the Booker Prize long list, is rich and surprising. A very worthwhile read.
Fastness –
A very particular atmosphere and idiosyncratic people, just different. In some ways austere, at the same time so human and warm. Loved this book.
Gabrielle Massey –
I hardly knew what this book was going to be about – Iâd read briefly enough to think I might like it. I think Iâve never read a book – a story – like this before.The only story Iâve known similar is the story of my Czech father and the house he was born in and driven out from by the nazis. The house was revisited in 1989 when my sister made a film of our father going back to the house he was born in – now in 2024 in Ukraine – the first time since the war that he went back to it. The current owners allowed the filming. After the war he and my grandmother, the only two survivors of the family, had gone back to the house and retrieved the hidden menorah and Shabbat candlesticks, which since then have been part of our familyâs life. That menorah has made its way into my house now, waiting for my grandson.The repressed passions and hidden loves in this book – and exploding passions and revealed loves are written with such a thrumming, and as Iâve read, the images of the story are brought to light with almost cinematic clarity. Snatches of movies with similar themes are competing in my head, to the point where Iâm surprised looking out of the window that Iâm not in 60s Hollandâ¦Iâm stumped – I wasnât expecting this book.Extraordinary.