Looking for your next read? Welcome to Bazaar Book Chat, an inside look at our editors’ Slack channel, where we candidly review the latest literary releases.
Rosa Sanchez (senior news editor)
Hello, @here. Welcome to another edition of Bazaar Book Chat. This month we read The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden. It’s a novel about two women who struggle to define their relationship, twisted with desire, guilt, suspicion, and resentment, while living in the same house in the Dutch countryside in 1961, after World War II. Seemingly from two very different walks of life, they eventually find a common thread in their past, and are forced to decide how it will affect their future.
I think we can spoil the plot a little in the name of Pride month. It’s a lesbian romance! But what I found so interesting was the setting of the love story: in the remote countryside following the Nazi German invasion of the Netherlands of the 1940s. It just would have never occurred to me to think of this time as a place where love and happiness and light could be born—but also, that was part of the point, I suppose.
What was it like for you to read a love story set in such circumstances?
Joel Calfee (editorial and social media assistant)
Hello! I’ll be honest, I didn’t know what to expect from this story! I did know it was gay going into it, which is why I sought it out for this month’s book club (happy Pride!), but I thought the setting was really interesting, because it’s so transitory. It was a time of political and geographic change, when WWII upturned life for so many people. This book really explores what it was like for those families who had to migrate or escape, and one of the main themes of the book is definitely what home means. How do we make homes for ourselves in the face of loss? Also, for a gay book, this setting really fascinated me, because the fight for gay liberation would arrive in certain parts of the world in just a matter of decades, but during WWII, queer people were severely prosecuted.
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One of the best parts of this read for me was that I was expecting it to be horribly sad (because of the setting), but without spoiling too much, it surprised me in a lot of ways. It definitely has its dark elements, but it’s not your standard “tragic gay love story.”
Rosa Sanchez
For sure! Not tragic at all. The author managed to paint such a dry, grayish setting—very Dutch countryside—at the beginning. And Isabel’s stoic character added to that. She was so angry and paranoid all the time! And then, as the romance progressed, Isabel loosened up—realized she was not angry but frustrated. And the environment and the writing loosened up as well.
Her evolution and that progression was so special.
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Joel Calfee
I totally agree! I’m a sucker for a closed-off character whose heart grows three sizes when they fall in love, hahaha.
I also loved the addition of her brother Hendrik, and how his life mirrored (and contrasted with) hers. The fact that he was gay too was fun to see, and he also finds a happy relationship. The author really said, “These gays are gonna find some love.”
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Rosa Sanchez
Spoiler, but the obsession with Eva that seemed like hatred but turned into love was so addicting to read. And yeah, I was gonna say! There’s that other queer romance going on on the sidelines—that of Isabel’s brother and his partner. And it was interesting to see how both Isabel and Eva treated them, versus how they treated and thought of their own situation.
But I also think it’s typical to give other people more grace than you give yourself.
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Joel Calfee
Totally! I also liked seeing Isabel’s progression in that she had to learn to openly accept her brother in order to accept herself as well. The obsession with Eva was sooo good, I related to that too well, lol.
Rosa Sanchez
Definitely. And I like that she admitted that it took her a really long time. It was so good. And the sex scenes were so intense, but, like, everything about Isabel was so intense. Idk if this was an office book, lol, but I was obsessed.
Joel Calfee
(Readers, if you like steamy scenes, this book definitely has them.)
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I will say, I was shocked by how quickly the romance arrived! But I feel like that was also super realistic—I’ve definitely had those moments where a tension is building with someone and then it’s like in one minute you could see yourself kissing them.
Also, I know we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but I will say one of the things that drew me most to this novel was the gorgeous artwork. What did you make of that scene where we see the two pears? How do you think it represents Isabel and Eva’s relationship?
Rosa Sanchez
Same. And I do think the buildup was maybe too long? I would’ve loved more resolution.
All the of the art mentions, and the descriptions of the china painted with the blue hares, just completely put my mind in that country setting, and the pears are so iconic of the area, but I feel like when Isabel refuses to eat hers in front of Eva, it’s because it’s all juicy and sexual, and she can’t allow herself to be open in that way just yet. And when they eat them together later, it’s like they’ve gotten to such a more intimate, raw place.
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Joel Calfee
Yes! I feel like the cover was so good because the whole book almost felt like a still life lol. Van der Wouden paints the portrait of the home so vividly, and you pretty much remain there for the entire story, peering into the cracks and secrets of that image and what they represent.
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Rosa Sanchez
I did love the whole symbolism of home. Looking at the title, The Safekeep, I feel like it took me to the very end to realize that all Eva wanted was to be safe, and all Isabel wanted was a purpose, and they found that with each other.
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Joel Calfee
Yes, and it’s interesting that they both have this obsession with material objects and a physical home, but then they find a sort of “safekeep” that’s more lasting and meaningful.
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Totally agree about the pears. I feel like fruit is a big symbol throughout the whole novel. They eat those slices of apple and other things from the garden—it definitely seems to represent a ripening of their relationship and Isabel’s sexuality. When I was looking into it, I was also fascinated to find out that pears represent affection, too. It’s like a cool gay twist on the apple and “original sin”—like Isabel’s taking a bite of this pear and finding loving affection.
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Rosa Sanchez
Omg, I love that contrast with the apple! I had not thought of it that way!
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Rosa Sanchez
What part stuck out to you as peak love? For me it was when Isabel is hugging Eva and Eva says something to her like, “Who are you? Were you just waiting to happen?” Like she was born a new person when she finally gave into her wishes and desires and decided to love.
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Joel Calfee
OMG, that quote is so good. I think for me, the first moment of peak love was when Isabel stood up for Eva when Hendrik and Sebastian come to visit. At the beginning of the book we see Isabel being so mean to Eva and mocking her, but then she realizes she’s been lashing out because of her feelings. So when Hendrik comes to visit and starts teasing Eva, Isabel quickly shuts it down, even though they haven’t even really started a relationship. I just loved seeing her defend her like that and change her tune so much. It’s really when we start to see a shift in Isabel too.
Rosa Sanchez
That’s so true, and it also showed that Isabel started feeling more comfortable with letting people see that she cared.
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What did you think of the ending, when Isabel comes out to her older brother?
That moment felt so quietly powerful to me because it’s one little sentence. After all the 200-plus pages of torturing herself with guilt, living a life without joy, judging her gay brother, she finally accepts herself and becomes this confident, loving person we wanted her to be all along. And immediately, she realizes she should be accepted for who she is and ask for what she wants, why not?
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Joel Calfee
I thought that part was soooo good because I just related to that scene so much. Not to get too #emo in the chat, but I feel like queer people just spend so long and waste so much time being weighed down with guilt and hating themselves, and then it’s like once you cross that bridge, you feel so free and wonder why you couldn’t have just had that joy all along? It’s beautiful to see Isabel go through that.
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And I feel like Isabel also didn’t even realize she was queer for so long, which is a feeling that so many people still relate to. She couldn’t put together why she was so angry and closed-off, but then once she figures it all out, she’s so willing to accept and give love. It was a very powerful ending.
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Rosa Sanchez
Exactly. I love that. Highly recommend this read!
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Joel Calfee
Me too! Beautiful writing, engaging story with some twists and turns, and a moving (and steamy) romance!
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Our Bazaar Book Chat pick for July is Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner. Pick up your copy of the book here, and read along with us.
