£7

The Safekeep by Yael Van Der Wouden is a psychological thriller set in rural Netherlands. This award-winning debut novel revolves around the escalating tension between controlling Isabel and her brother’s graceless new girlfriend. Fifteen years after the Second World War, Isabel’s solitary life is one of discipline and strict routine in her late mother’s country. In the sweltering heat of summer, what happens between the two women leads to a revelation which threatens to unravel all she has ever known. Winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2025. 

‘It’s an incredible novel, delicate yet tough …’  – Maggie O’Farrell.

Caroline Hammond will lead the discussion.