THE SAFEKEEP

FIRST BOOK of 2026 (+ resolutions)!
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An absolute WOW of a novel: unexpected, unforgettable and filled with surprises. The Safekeep is the story of Isabel, a young woman living in her childhood house in the Dutch countryside in 1961, and what transpires when her brother’s girlfriend Eva comes to stay one summer. Her orderly life is upended by Eva’s graceless presence: touching fragile things, stomping around, befriending the maid, and possibly stealing the silverware? Isabel’s fury and suspicion eventually spiral into obsession and infatuation. What happens next is impossible to say without spoilers - only that nothing is as it seems in this short, powerful historical pageturner.
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Don’t you love a book where the setting is a major character? “The house was a held breath. The windows blank eyes, watching them enter.” This Dutch house is a living breathing entity, and I felt like I could picture every room, hallway, door, and piece of furniture. And in it - what a story, told with perfect pacing, subtle suspense, and writing that had me in rapt attention until the last page. If this one has been on your TBR like it was on mine all of last year - this is your sign to move it up!
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I definitely will not look at pears the same way again - let’s just say there are a lot of ripe fruit metaphors in this book! I made these delicious anjou pear ginger galettes for one of the key turning points in the story, and obv for this stunning still life cover. The Safekeep has so many different covers but I like this one best by far!
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One of my New Year’s reading resolutions is to pick up more books that are already on my shelf, like this one! (And ofc: less phone time, exercise more, drink tons of water, go to bed earlier etc etc etc!!) Do you return to books you already own? What are your resolutions for 2026 - reading or not!