{"product_id":"the-safekeep","title":"The Safekeep","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA \"razor-sharp, perfectly plotted\" (\u003ci\u003eThe Sunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e, London) 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.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Moving, unnerving, and deeply sexy.\" \u003c\/b\u003e--Tracy Chevalier, author of \u003ci\u003eGirl with the Pearl Earring\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eA house is a precious thing...\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEva 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMysterious, sophisticated, sensual, and infused with intrigue, atmosphere, and sex, \u003ci\u003eThe Safekeep\u003c\/i\u003e is \"a brave and thrilling debut about facing up to the truth of history, and to one's own desires\" ( \u003ci\u003eThe Guardian\u003c\/i\u003e).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYael van der Wouden\u003c\/strong\u003e is a writer and a teacher. \u003ci\u003eThe Safekeep\u003c\/i\u003e, her debut novel, was a finalist for the 2024 Booker Prize and has been longlisted for the 2025 Aspen Words Literary Prize. It was also named a \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e Notable Book of the Year and a best book of the year by \u003ci\u003eThe Washington Post\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eTime\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Economist\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Times \u003c\/i\u003e(London), \u003ci\u003e The Independent\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eBookPage\u003c\/i\u003e, and others. She lives in Utrecht, Netherlands.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Yael van der Wouden","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50738116657437,"sku":"9781668034354","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0821\/9095\/8877\/files\/9781668034354.jpg?v=1781298113","url":"https:\/\/staging.anovelideaphilly.com\/products\/the-safekeep","provider":"A Novel Idea on Passyunk","version":"1.0","type":"link"}