In Per­son. Join JCC Man­hat­tan and Jew­ish Book Coun­cil for an engag­ing and thought-pro­vok­ing event at the Books That Changed My Life Fes­ti­val as Lau­ren Wein, vice pres­i­dent and edi­to­r­i­al direc­tor for Avid Read­er Press, Simon & Schus­ter, sits down with acclaimed author and 74th Nation­al Jew­ish Book Award Debut Fic­tion Win­ner, Yael van der Wouden. Her debut nov­el, The Safe­keep, has been described as ​“remark­able” and ​“com­pelling” by The New York Times and praised as ​“a brave and thrilling debut” by The Guardian. This mys­te­ri­ous and atmos­pher­ic nov­el delves into themes of his­to­ry, iden­ti­ty, and desire. Yael van der Wouden, also known for her essay ​“On (Not) Read­ing Anne Frank”, will dis­cuss her explo­ration of Dutch iden­ti­ty, Jew­ish­ness, and the intri­cate web of revenge that shapes her nar­ra­tive. Don’t miss this cap­ti­vat­ing dia­logue on his­to­ries, homes, and the sto­ries we tell our­selves.