Six Degrees of Separation ~ The Safekeep

Yael Van Der Wouden
"The Safekeep" (De bewaring) - 2024

#6Degrees of Separation: 
from The Safekeep (Goodreads) to Demon Copperhead

#6Degrees is a monthly link-up hosted by Kate at Books Are My Favourite and Best. I love the idea. Thank you, Kate. See more about this challenge, its history, further books and how I found this here.

The starter book this month is "The Safekeep" by Yael Van der Wouden. Again, I have not read the starter book. This is the description of the novel:

"An exhilarating, twisted tale of desire, suspicion, and obsession between two women staying in the same house in the Dutch countryside during the summer of 1961—a powerful exploration of the legacy of WWII and the darker parts of our collective past.

A house is a precious thing...

It is 1961 and the rural Dutch province of Overijssel is quiet. Bomb craters have been filled, buildings reconstructed, and the war is truly over. Living alone in her late mother’s country home, Isabel knows her life is as it should be — led by routine and discipline. But all is upended when her brother Louis brings his graceless new girlfriend Eva, leaving her at Isabel’s doorstep as a guest, to stay for the season.

Eva is Isabel’s antithesis: she sleeps late, walks loudly through the house, and touches things she shouldn’t. In response, Isabel develops a fury-fueled obsession, and when things start disappearing around the house — a spoon, a knife, a bowl — Isabel’s suspicions begin to spiral. In the sweltering peak of summer, Isabel’s paranoia gives way to infatuation—leading to a discovery that unravels all Isabel has ever known. The war might not be well and truly over after all, and neither Eva — nor the house in which they live — are what they seem.

Mysterious, sophisticated, sensual, and infused with intrigue, atmosphere, and sex, The Safekeep is a brilliantly plotted and provocative debut novel you won’t soon forget."

I'm not a fan of Booker Prize novels, I've read too many that I didn't like, so I am sure I won't read this one. Also, there is no word I can use to carry on my usual way. I like to use a word and then find a new book with the same word. That way, I have a much wider variety of books as if I stick with the theme in the book. Also, the name is not one that I can continue with, neither the first nor the surname.

Looking at the similar books on Goodreads didn't help, either, since I have not read a single one of them. So, I do guess correctly, this isn't a book for me.

I could have taken a book with the word "keep" but didn't read one that I like, so I will not go with it.

Then I thought about reading Dutch books of which I have read several and since a lot of Dutch books relate to WWII (they still live in the 1940s), I could find several that would link to the starter book. Not a huge variety there but if someone wants to read books written by Dutch authors, they can find a few here.

In the end I went for another option. This book has received the Women's Prize for Fiction and there are a few that I have read and really liked, so this is my list. Most of them were the winners, only Elif Şafak was on the short list. But I think her book is fantastic and would have deserved the prize. This time, I listed the books in chronological order when receiving the Prize.

Shriver, Lionel "We Need to Talk About Kevin" - 2003
What is going through the mind of a mass murderer? What is going through the mind of his mother? This book is trying to answer that question.

Smith, Zadie "On Beauty" - 2005
Again, I quite like the author's style, the way she portrays the different characters. Apparently, an homage to E. M. Forster's "Howards End". The fact that she manages to make this into a very modern story shows how timeless a writer she is.

Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi "Half of a Yellow Sun" - 2006
I totally can relate to the quote "The world was silent when we died." I don't think many of us knew where Biafra was. Here we can learn about it.

Kingsolver, Barbara "The Lacuna" - 2009
This story stretches from Mexico over the United States to Russia, describes the lives of Mexican painters Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo and Russian leader Trotsky, all woven together by the life of one Mexian-American guy who is thrown into their lot.

Şafak, Elif "The Island of Missing Trees" - 2021
This takes place in Cyprus and we learn about the people on this divided island. As an example we have Greek Kostas and Turkish Defne. They fall in love but - as usual in such cases - their love is forbidden.

Kingsolver, Barbara "Demon Copperhead" - 2022
David Copperfield in a modern version, written by one of the greatest contemporary writers.

* * *

There is a huge connection between all the books, they are all written by women. And for me, both the first and the last book were given to me by friends who though I would love them. And I did.

📚📚📚

Happy August!

Happy August to all my Friends and Readers

New Calendar picture with this
beautiful watercolour painting by Frank Koebsch
"Morgens am Leuchtturm von Warnemünde"
"Morning at the Warnemünde Lighthouse"

Frank says to this picture:

"The Warnemünde Lighthouse, with its teapot, is the most striking landmark in Warnemünde. Whether you're walking along the promenade, taking a stroll along the beach, watching ships at sunset from the piers, or even returning from a trip on the Baltic Sea, the lighthouse dominates the skyline of the Baltic Sea resort." (The "teapot" has three hyperbolic paraboloid shells as a roof.)
"Der Leuchtturm Warnemünde mit dem Teepott ist das markanteste Wahrzeichen in Warnemünde. Egal ob man auf der Promenade unterwegs ist, einen Strandspaziergang in Warnemünde macht, abends auf Molen bei Sonnenuntergang Schiffe schaut oder gar von einer Ausfahrt auf die Ostsee zurückkommt, der Leuchtturm prägt die Silhouette des Ostseebades."

I believe everyone knows in the meantime how much I love lighthouses and windmills. It was a childhood dream to live in one of these. Sometimes it's good that dreams don't come true as I can't climb stairs anymore.

Funnily enough, one of our other calendars in the house shows a picture of the same lighthouse. With the teapot.

Read more on their website here. *

* * *

We had some meetings with friends, some restaurant visits and also two game nights. Plus a weekend visit by a lovely cousin with whom we visited the Industrial Museum in our Town (see below).

But one of the highlights of the month was the visit to an Irish-Scottish folk festival The main singer at the time was Paul Watchorn (Wikipedia), younger brother of Patsy Watchorn from the Dubliners. Paul is now with the Dublin Legends. In addition to many newer songs, which were also very good, he played a lot of well-known songs, such as Molly Malone, Rattlin' Bog, Seven Drunken Nights, Oró, Sé Do Bheatha 'Bhaile (although my favorite version is still the one by the Chieftains with Sting). The funny thing is, hubby met him at the bar and had a little chat. After his performance, he came to our table, just by coincidence. It's always great to talk to the artists.

* * *

As it's summertime and a lot of people go to the beach, my German saying this month is

"Wie Sand am Meer" (Like Sand on the Seashore).

As you certainly can imagine, it means countless, abundant, plentiful. A lot. A lot a lot. You cannot count it.

* * * 

My Jane Austen read (see #Reading Austen project) this month was "Emma". Not one of her most popular books. Jane Austen said herself that she was "... going to take a heroine whom no-one but myself will much like." 

Another book I enjoyed was "Leave it to Psmith" by P.G. Wodehouse. This author is always a safe bet if you need a break from more serious writing.

* * *

Getting back to the Industrial Museum, as promised. Our little town has a lot of industry. It developed from making the first quills from geese feathers (that animal is also the symbol of our town) in 1801 to being one of the largest plastic processing sites today.

But I think the exhibition most interesting to young people nowadays is the school. I used to go to just such a school and we had the exact same writing slates and a crocheted cleaning cloth. When I told some American friends about it years ago, they were really astonished. I am sure all young people will be surprised nowadays.

* * *

* You can also have a look under my labels Artist: Frank Koebsch and Artist: Hanka Koebsch where you can find all my posts about the two artists. 

* * *

☀️🌾 I wish you all a very Happy August! 🌻🌽

#ThrowbackThursday. May 2014

I've been doing ThrowbackThursdays for a while but I noticed that I wrote a lot of reviews in a short time when I first started. So, I post more than one Throwback every week. These are my reviews from May 2014.

Christie, Agatha "Poirot Investigates" (Hercule Poirot #3) - 1924 

Monsieur Poirot is one of my favourite characters in any crime series, past or present. 

Dallaire, Roméo "They Fight Like Soldiers, They Die Like Children: The Global Quest to Eradicate the Use of Child Soldiers" - 2010
If you are interested in what is going on (mainly) in Africa and would like to know what can be done for a hopefully peaceful future, read this book. Roméo Dallaire fights a great fight and needs all the support he can get.

Fowles, John "The French Lieutenant’s Woman" - 1969
A lovely story. A love story in the Victorian era between a man and a married woman. Quite a lot to talk about. This is one of the rare occasions where I liked the movie better, maybe because of its great actors.

Lindgren, Astrid "Seacrow Island" (Translation: Vi på Saltkråkan) - 1964 
One of my favourite stories by Astrid Lindgren besides "The Six Bullerby Children". Similar as in that story, there are a couple of families in Sweden with children of the same age.

Lindgren, Astrid "The Six Bullerby Children" (Swedish: Barnen i Bullerbyn) - 1947

Next to "Seacrow Island", my favourite story by Astrid Lindgren. This is a trilogy about six children who live in the little village of Bullerby, Lisa,

Mann, Thomas "Death in Venice" (German: Der Tod in Venedig) - 1912
This book is about a dream and the hope of its fulfillment. It is a story of defeat but also of love. It is as actual as it was a hundred years ago when it was written. Maybe one of the most actual books written on the subject of homosexuality.

Nafisi, Azar "Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books" - 2003 

A beautifully written memoir about a dark time. It is not just a book about different books and a class discussing them, it is a precise account of a country turning from modern times into the past, taking away the human rights of half of their population, something that happens all over this world.

Tartt, Donna "The Goldfinch" - 2013

The book is a wonderful account of friendship and endurance. But it isn't a "happy" book, lots of difficulties occur in Theo's life. It is as much a dark book as an uplifting one.

Anonymous Comments

Top 5 Tuesday ~ Colours

Top Five Tuesday was originally created by Shanah @ Bionic Book Worm, but is now hosted by Meeghan @ Meeghan Reads. To participate, link your post back to Meeghan’s blog or leave a comment on her weekly post. I found this on Davida's Page @ The Chocolate Lady.

And here is a list of all the topics for the rest of the year.

* * *

This week’s topic is Colours. 

Now, this was an easy one. I could have found a lot more than just five books this week but I kept it with the main colours. And I think I found a large variety of very different books here.

Xueqin, Cao (Cáo Xuěqín) "Dream of the Red Chamber/The Story of the Stone" (CHN: 红楼梦/Hung lou meng) - 1717-63

Apparently, this novel is "one of the four pinnacles of classical Chinese literature." Also known as "The Story of the Stone", it is said to be the first Chinese novel of this kind and has created an entire field of study "Redology".

Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi "Half of a Yellow Sun" - 2006

I totally can relate to the quote "The world was silent when we died." I don't think many of us knew where Biafra was. Here we can learn about it.

Hajaj, Claire "Ishmael's Oranges" - 2014

A book on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Like so many other books about the people of Palestine, it can only touch the surface of what is going on. Therefore, we need to read as many books about this as possible and pass them on. 

Montgomery, L. M. "Anne of Green Gables" - 1908
An orphan girl is taken in by a childless couple and she really loves both her new parents as well as the school and the neighbours and everything but still gets into a lot of trouble all the time. The novel is both humorous as well as serious.

Vreeland, Susan "Girl in Hyacinth Blue" - 1999

The main subject of the novel is a fictitious painting by Vermeer. It describes its life, starting with the last owner. A lot of interesting stories, every important timeframe is included and the change of owner is almost every time highly dramatic.

* * *

🌈 Happy Reading! 🌈

📚 📚 📚

Gappah, Petina "Out of Darkness, Shining Light"

Gappah, Petina "Out of Darkness, Shining Light" - 2019

Of course, we all know about David Livingstone's search for the source of the river Nile. It is also widely known that his heart was buried in Africa and his body in Europe. This is the story, told by two slaves, how the body got from the middle of Africa to the sea so that he could be transferred to Great Britain.

Two different people tell the story, a women who is employed as a cook. Her story is pretty African, she uses far too many words that the average Europen will not understand. Granted, there is a small annex with explanations but you have to use that far too often and it destroys the enjoyment of any story. Then there is a guy who wants to become a priest. He is preaching already. All the time. Almost every second sentence starts or ends with "dear Lord" or something similar. He comes across as a religious fanatic. Reading the Bible is more wordly.

Have you guessed it already? I didn't like the book.

There was only about one sentence that made me smile. When someone told the other slaves about the meeting between Henry Morton Stanley and David Livingstone, he translated the first sentence (Dr. Livingstone, I presume?) into: "It can only be that you are Bwana Daudi."

We discussed this in our international online book club in July 2025.

Comments from the members:

• The start of the book felt slow, and didn't feel pulled into it for the story so much until the murder plot unwound. It was a really nice read though in terms or history and culture. The discussion we had resulted into talking and thinking about African history, slavery, imperialist influences, death rites... The characters in the story were also really distinct. I feel a bit smarter about African history for having read it.

• Many in the book club agreed that the language, particularly the religious tone and African dialects, made the beginning difficult to follow. However, as the story progresses, the plot becomes more engaging, especially with the focus on the African slaves who carried Livingstone’s body. Their journey is central to the book, and the contrast between their lives and Livingstone’s European legacy opens up important discussions about colonialism and the erasure of African voices in history. Some felt the religious elements were repetitive, but they were seen as integral to understanding the mindset of the time. Despite the slow start and challenging style, many found the novel’s exploration of historical and cultural themes thought-provoking.

• Overall it was a really good discussion book, because we have read some books about African history and by African authors before, it always becomes an interesting part, looking at the books we have read, and how the new books align in with those. In that sense this felt like quite a good book to add to the list.

From the back cover:

"This is the story of the body of Bwana Daudi, the Doctor, the explorer David Livingstone - and the sixty-nine men and women who carried his remains for 1,500 miles so that he could be borne across the sea and buried in his own country.

This is the story of those in the shadows of history: the  dark companions who saved a white man's bones on an epic funeral march - little knowing his corps carried the maps that sowed the seeds of their continent's colonisation and enslavement.

This is the story of how human bravery, loyalty and love can triumph over darkness - and the result is Petina Gappah's radical masterpiece."

Book Quotes

"It is foolish to think that you have to read all the books you buy, as it is foolish to criticize those who buy more books than they will ever be able to read. It would be like saying that you should use all the cutlery or glasses or screwdrivers or drill bits you bought before buying new ones." Umberto Eco 

The man is so right.

"Books have a sense of honor. Once you've lent them, they never come back." Theodor Fontane 

Does that mean we shouldn't lend books? I love discussing books with others and often, the only way to do this is to lend them mine.

"I know many books which have bored their readers, but I know of none which has done real evil." Voltaire 

Some people should be made aware of that. But those are usually the ones who don't read in the first place and don't want to get people to get ideas or be smart. (And yes, I'm referring to a certain president who is proud to be dumb.)

Find more book quotes here.