Review by makegood - The Safekeep

makegood 's review for:

The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden

4.5

emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This is a very well-written book — words, sentences, paragraphs are artfully drawn. Isabel’s neurosis is so vibrantly rendered I found it difficult to read the earliest chapters. The story accelerates with the introduction of Eva, a woman who thrusts herself into the sanctuary (or oppressive domain) of Isabel’s family house. This idea is masterfully rendered, but Isabel is so closed off I found the mid-book descriptions of their intimacy a bit of a slog. The book takes flight again in the diary of Eva, which is perhaps the only way Isabel can connect with her.

As a reader, the diary helped me feel deep compassion in the poverty that being a Holocaust survivor created.

Ultimately the book asks important and universal questions about our obligations to right historical wrongs, but somehow for me tying that up in an obsessive romance diminished those questions. Perhaps seeing the realities (reality is an interesting idea in fiction) of people’s lives makes us more compassionate for why we do such a terrible job making restitution. The ending also felt so improbable that I began to think of the story as an allegory, but then came up short when I tried to determine what that might say about our path forward.

Content Warnings