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Yael van der Wouden (born 1987) is a Dutch writer. Her first novel, The Safekeep, was shortlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize, and in 2025, she won the Women's Prize for Fiction. Yael van der Wouden was born in 1987 in Tel Aviv, Israel, to an Israeli mother and a Dutch father, and grew up in the Netherlands. She started ballet classes at the age of three, and competed in her school's talent show aged ten, with a dance interpreting a flame. At age 13, van der Wouden learned she is intersex; in her acceptance speech for the Women's Prize for Fiction (June 2025), she said: "the long and the short of it is that hormonally I am intersex." Van der Wouden studied comparative literature at Utrecht University and SUNY Binghamton. Her first novel, The Safekeep (2024) was the subject of bidding wars between nine publishers for the United Kingdom edition and ten for the United States. The Safekeep was shortlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize. It was the first shortlisted title by a Dutch author and the only debut novel on the 2024 shortlist. |
What is the significance of the opening scene, especially once you know that Eva’s last name can be translated to “hare”? Isabel is cold or even cruel to outsiders like Sebastian and Neelke, yet she desperately wants connection herself. Do you feel sympathy for her loneliness, or do her actions make it hard to forgive her? Isabel's obsessive behavior: What do you think are the reasons behind her meticulous cataloging of possessions and her obsession that someone is stealing from her? The house as a character: How does the house itself symbolize Isabel's relationship with her mother? Isabel's initial dislike of Eva: Why do you think Isabel acted this way without trying to get to know her? What did you think about the initial interactions between Isabel and Eva? Eva changing her voice when she talks to Isabel v. Louis, and how pushy and overconfident Eva gets once she is living in the house with Isabel. Eva’s choice to bleach her hair is first seen as fake by Isabel, but later we see it’s about survival. Do you judge Eva for hiding her identity, or do you think survival excuses almost anything? Eva keeps her past a secret for much of the story and uses relationships to get close to her old home. Do you see Eva’s actions as clever survival, or do you think she took advantage of Isabel and her family’s trust? Does it matter once you find out her reasons?
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When Isabel clings to the hare-decorated plates, do you find her attachment understandable? Isabel guards her inherited home fiercely, while Eva views it as something stolen from her family. Do you feel more sympathy for Isabel, who grew up thinking the house was hers, or for Eva, who lost it in a real injustice? Where do you think true ownership comes from—memories, blood, or paperwork? Many characters, like Uncle Karel and Aunt Rian, refuse to admit any guilt or wrongdoing. Should we judge them harshly, or try to understand their reasons—even if we disagree? When reading about how the Dutch community ignored or even took part in what happened to Jewish neighbors, did you find forgiveness possible? Should people today be responsible for making up for the silence or wrongs of their families or communities, or is that only fair to expect from those directly involved? Isabel chooses to return the house to Eva in the end. Was this act brave and just, or do you think it was just the least she could do after benefiting from Eva’s family’s loss? Do you think The Safekeep is a hopeful book, or is the ending bittersweet?
Discussion Questions from: Christy Hogan |
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