“A beautifully realized book, nearly perfect, as van der Wouden quietly explores the intricate nuances of resentment-hued sibling dynamics, the discovery of desire (and the simultaneous discovery of self), queer relationships at a time when they went unspoken, and the legacy of war and what it might mean to have been complicit in its horrors. . . A brilliant debut, as multifaceted as a gem.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Moving, unnerving, and deeply sexy.” —Tracy Chevalier, author of Girl with the Pearl Earring

“A masterclass in dramatic tension.” —The Bookseller

‘‘The Safekeep is Portrait of a Lady on Fire if Hitchcock had directed it. A stealthy, simmering novel about complicity and the lies we live by.” —Clare Pollard, author of Delphi

"An accomplished debut. . . Van der Wouden’s sensuous writing and flair for drama make this a winner.” —Publishers Weekly

“The Safekeep is a dream of a novel—mesmerizing and shockingly good—it lulls you with the lyrical beauty of its words and then slams you awake with its raw passion and rage. Part silent scream, part breathless love story—I was utterly blown away.” —Miranda Cowley Heller, author of The Paper Palace

“The Safekeep is thrilling: a riveting historical reconciliation and an impossible yet inevitable love story. Superbly wrought—serious, elegant, sexy, devastating.” —Julia May Jonas, author of Vladimir

"The Safekeep does not pull a single punch. This novel is equal parts filth, fear and fury. A narrative that draws you down its spiral until you’re dizzy, and characters that tackle you to the floor and leave you sweating." —Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta, authors of The View Was Exhausting

"An astonishingly skillful debut, The Safekeep manages the rare trick of being both gripping and intimate. A twisting, elegant, intriguing story about the secrets we hide in our homes and hearts—and how it only takes one person to unlock the past." —Joanna Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Whalebone Theatre

“The Safekeep is a beautiful book, highly charged, tense, shocking and heartbreaking in equal measure. . . One of those rare books that feels as if it’s been there all along, waiting to be given a voice. And what a voice this is.” —Rachel Joyce, author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

“Surprising, chilling, and electric. The Safekeep is simply a fantastic work of literature.” —Alice Winn, author of In Memoriam

“The Safekeep is a slow-burning, deceptively austere novel, whose subtle, crafty questions and lovely, lyric style will follow the reader long after its conclusion.” —Shelf-Awareness

“Haunting and exquisitely poignant. . . A wonderful novel.” —Claire Fuller, author of Unsettled Ground