The following version of this book was used to create the guide: van der Wouden, Yael. The Safekeep. Avid Reader Press, 2024.

Yale van der Wouden's novel The Safekeep is set in the Netherlands in 1961 and written from the third person point of view. The narrative abides by a largely linear plot line, but also incorporates frequent shifts into the past. For the sake of clarity, this guide relies upon the present tense.

In the spring of 1961, Isabel den Brave is gardening at her house when she finds a broken piece of her late mother's china buried in the dirt. Since her mother's death, Isabel has lived alone at the family home and cannot understand how the plate got into the garden. Desperate for answers, she takes the ceramic shard with her when she meets up with her brothers Hendrik and Louis for dinner in town. Hendrik suggests that the shard might have been there for years, as the house was furnished with the previous owners' belongings when they moved in in 1944. Isabel was still a child at the time and does not remember this.

Louis arrives at the restaurant with his new girlfriend Eva. Isabel is immediately skeptical of her and convinced that Louis will soon tire of and discard her. Not long later, however, Isabel returns home one day to find Louis and Eva at the house. Louis begs Isabel to let Eva stay with her while he is away on business for the month of June. Isabel reluctantly agrees. However, after Louis leaves, she does everything in her power to avoid Eva. When they do interact, she is cold and cruel to her.

One evening, Isabel goes out on a date with the neighbor, Johan Van den Berg. Johan has recently begun showing an interest in Isabel. However, throughout their outing, Isabel feels increasingly disgusted by him. Back at home, she pushes him away when he tries to kiss her.

Inside, Eva begs her for details about the date. Drunk, Isabel hears herself revealing more information than intended. She admits that she has never been kissed and that she does not feel attracted to Johan. Eva kisses Isabel to show her how simple a kiss can be. This first peck on the lips becomes more intimate and the women find themselves filled with desire.

Hendrik and his boyfriend Sebastian come to the house for a weekend visit. Isabel and Eva continue sneaking off to kiss. Meanwhile, Hendrik notices that Isabel's demeanor has softened. However, one night, Eva tells Isabel that they should forget what has happened between them as she is still seeing Louis. Not long later, however, the women end up having sex and continuing their affair.

Then one day, Louis calls Isabel to say that he met someone new and wants her to get rid of Eva. Eva takes the phone from him and tells Isabel afterwards that he is coming to pick her up the next day. Isabel is furious, but Eva insists that she has nothing if she does not marry Louis.

After having sex later, Isabel finds Eva's diary on the floor in the bedroom. She flips it open and discovers that Eva has recorded a list of all the things that have recently been going missing from the house. Isabel accuses Eva of stealing from her and demands that she leave. Afterwards, Isabel reads the rest of Eva's diary and discovers the truth. Eva's last name is de Haas. She and her family are Jewish and were deported to concentration camps during the German occupation of 1940. The state therefore repossessed the house at this time. Eva has orchestrated her relationship with Louis so that she might return to and reclaim the house that was stolen from her family.

Isabel arranges with Louis and her uncle Karel to inherit the house when Karel dies. The house was supposed to pass to Louis, but she begs them to give it to her instead. Afterwards, she finds Eva and begs for forgiveness. They eventually make amends and agree to live in the house together.