Book Discussion - The Safekeep: A Novel, by Yael van der Wouden
Tuesday, February 25 at 2:00 P.M. (in-person and on Zoom)
Debut Fiction Goldberg Prize of the 2024 National Jewish Book Awards
Shortlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize
A New York Times Top Ten Works of Historical Fiction for 2024
FJC members are invited to join Pamela Rothstein, Director of Lifelong Learning, for this In-person and Zoom Discussion*
*If you are interested in exploring FJC to become a member and would like to attend this or other members-only programs, please contact the office.
"A brilliant debut, as multifaceted as a gem." - Kirkus Reviews
Join a discussion of this acclaimed debut novel that confronts the history of the Holocaust in the Netherlands in an inventive manner.
An Erotic Story of Love and Obsession in 1960s Amsterdam: An unlikely romance blooms in Yael van der Wouden’s tricky, remarkable novel, “The Safekeep.”– Lori Soderlind, New York Times
Copies available on the library book cart. This book is also available in various forms, including as an audiobook, through the CLAMS library system.
From Pamela
I decided to offer a discussion after reading this book during my winter vacation and I hope that you will join the discussion. When I first learned of The Safekeep in the New York Times' list of the 2024 top ten works of historical fiction, it had already been shortlisted for the Booker Prize and it has gone on to win the Jewish Book Council's prize for debut fiction. It is truly that powerful and inventive a story. It's an innovative approach to Holocaust fiction that I found especially moving and compelling. Did I mention that it is also a love story of two women?
The Booker Prize judges offered this apt description: "This novel is quietly devastating. Within a perfectly ordered Dutch landscape and a household where everything seems to be as serenely accounted for as a still-life, two women’s relationship with a house and its possessions becomes a story of the Holocaust. It is unique to find a book that is able to navigate this through the lens of love.”
Learn more about the author Yael van der Wouden and her work below and visit her website: https://yaelvanderwouden.com/
"My background is in comparative literature (Utrecht University and SUNY Binghamton), specialised in cultural memory and landscape. I’ve taught creative writing & storytelling and literature. In ‘21 and ‘22 I headed Utrecht University’s Creative Fiction & Non-Fiction summer school.
My work has been published in places such as The Sun Magazine, Barrelhouse Magazine, The Jewish Book Council, amongst others. My essay, On (Not) Reading Anne Frank was listed as a notable in Best American Essays 2018. My short stories have been nominated for Best of the Net, Best Small Fictions, and the Pushcart Prize."
Read On (Not) Reading Anne Frank here: https://www.thesunmagazine.org/articles/21863-on-not-reading-anne-frank
Read Into the Mud, van der Wouden's short fiction for the Jewish Book Council's Paper Brigade: https://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/pb-daily/into-the-mud
Curious? Still need convincing? Check out these articles and reviews
Kirkus Reviews: "A brilliant debut, as multifaceted as a gem."
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/yael-van-der-wouden/the-safekeep/
An interview with the author by Emily Bazelon: The Power of Queer Romance Set in Post-Nazi Life
https://slate.com/culture/2025/01/books-yael-van-der-woudens-the-safekeep-explores-queer-love-in-post-holocaust-amsterdam.html
Starred review from BookPage:
https://www.bookpage.com/reviews/the-safekeep-yael-van-der-wouden-book-review/
An article in The Forward on Hebrew showing up in English-language poetry and fiction, including The Safekeep
https://forward.com/culture/620155/hebrew-language-jessica-jacobs-toby-lloyd-yael-van-der-wouden/