The novel, set in 1961 Netherlands, tells the story of Isabel (Isa), a recluse who is living alone and meticulously tending to the family home in Overijssel province.

It is later revealed that Isa's family was able to obtain the house during World War II when the former Jewish occupants were forcibly abducted from their home during the Holocaust in the Netherlands.

The magazine's critical summary reads: "But if the romance storyline prevented some reviewers from “having a proper reckoning with the past” (Telegraph), the work is nonetheless a “razor-sharp, perfectly plotted debut novel, [where] history always comes back to nick you” (Sunday Times)".

[4] Writing for The New York Times, Lori Soderlind stated that the character Isa was portrayed with great detail, especially how van der Wouden narrated her transition from an anxious, isolated, recluse to a more loving partner who experiences a sexual and emotional re-awakening.

[5] Reviewing the novel for The Guardian, Rachel Seiffert stated that the sex scenes, indeed an entire chapter devoted to a sexual interaction, were overly long and did little to move the plot along.

[6] Writing for The Observer, Joe Moshenska felt that the novel explored difficult themes by narrating how many Dutch characters had profited from the suffering of others and were unwilling to acknowledge their pasts.