Keep

by Jenny Haysom

A timely tale of ownership and loss, loneliness and connection, and a meditation on all the stuff in our lives. Home staging is an art of erasure. But in some cases––no matter how much clutter you remove, or how many coats of white paint you apply––stains bleed through, and memories rise from the walls like ghosts. Harriet, an elderly poet whose eccentricities have been compounded by years of living alone, must sell her beloved house. Having been recently diagnosed with dementia, she is being moved into a care facility against her wishes. When stagers Eleanor and Jacob are hired for the job, they quickly find themselves immersed in Harriet’s brimming and mysterious world, but as they struggle to help her, their own lives are unravelling. Keep is a meditation on all the stuff in our lives––from the singular, handcrafted artifact to indelible, mass-produced plastics. As Jenny Haysom excavates the material of our domestic spaces, she centres the people within them and celebrates the power of memory, even when it falters.

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction

280 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2024

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

One need not be a chamber—to be Haunted—
One need not be a House—
The Brain—has Corridors surpassing
Material Place—
— Emily Dickinson

There is a quietness that exists in the space between this book and me now that I've finished it. I want to fill it with a cozy blanket and a cup of tea, or maybe a hug. With Keep, you may arrive out of curiosity about the plot of home stagers in an elderly woman's home, but you will stay for its three main characters, each precious and devastating in their own right.

This book is a slow burn, a dabble book. A chapter here and there. You don't burn through this book; in fact, somehow this book burns through you. Quiet and yet so very loud. Keep feels like taking a dip in the pool via the stairs, slowly sinking in, not realizing your head is mostly underwater until your eyes are all watery and burning.

Your hosts are Eleanor, Jacob, and Harriet, the two former of whom are the home stagers, and the latter of whom suffers from dementia and owns the home being staged and sold. Haysom's greatest achievement here is in somehow making each of these characters lovable, if not always likable. I couldn't help but adore the friendships found here.

Eleanor, unfortunately, served as a mirror to my own life so many times that I may have to do a little soul searching.

We must protect Jacob at all costs.

Harriet, frankly, is the character I believe was the most let down by the narrative. Her battle with dementia was depicted poignantly, though I would have liked to see her receiving more compassion from start to finish.

It was as if her mind were unhooked from her body, as if she were trapped on the wrong side of the mirror.

What a beautiful story of opposites. Mass-produced and limited edition. Lonely and connected. Beginnings and ends. Unlikely pairings. Sigh. I would definitely read another novel by Jenny Haysom.

Thank you, Netgalley and the team from House of Anansi Press Inc., for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

[Anya Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exploration of life’s transitions and the complexities of relationships. Eleanor and Jacob, professionals who clean out homes for the market, cross paths with Mrs. Harriet Baird, an elderly woman desperate to stay in the home where her last memories of her loved ones linger. Despite Harriet’s wishes, her son is determined to move her into a retirement home, setting the stage for a heart-wrenching tale. Eleanor is feeling unappreciated in her marriage, while Jacob faces heartbreak as his boyfriend leaves him for someone else. These characters find comfort in their friendship, regardless of the years between them. A reminder that change is inevitable and that friendships and memories should be cherished.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely love reading CanLit and I really enjoyed reading this Can Lit novel. KEEP by Jenny Haysom is about two home stagers who have to clean up the cluttered home of an elderly poet. I really enjoyed the contrast of characters in different generations each going through their own life struggles. The commentary on the housing market and accumulation of belongings was timely. This novel touched on some heavier themes of loss, aging and heartbreak but overall the ease and flow of the writing leant an uplifting quality. It was great to buddy read this with Kate and start off our 2025 buddy reads with a good one. I’m so excited to read a lot more CanLit this year!
.

Thank you to House of Anansi for my review copy!

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why do we hold onto what we have? Be it books, papers, photos, or antiques - these pieces of our lives tell a story.

Keep is a beautiful novel which tells the story of Harriet, an elderly poet whose house is about to be boxed up and staged so that her son can sell the home and move her into a nursing home. Harriet has dementia, and author Jenny Haysom shares Harriet’s point of view with compassion, tenderness and whimsy.

Eleanor and Jacob are the home stagers assigned to Harriet’s house, and both have a lot going on in their lives. We learn of Eleanor’s marriage, her relationship with her three daughters and how she feels about where life has taken her. She is a care giver who has lost some of herself along the way. Jacob tried to establish himself in Ottawa, only to discover there are problems in his relationship with his boyfriend Yves. Jacob and Eleanor are an unlikely duo, but they compliment one another in their ways of working and approach.

Even though they weren’t as heavily featured, I fully understood the secondary characters - like Harriet’s son Alan, Sheila the neighbour and Barbara, the real estate agent. I really enjoyed this novel and how these characters were woven together. This novel was delicate and warm, and will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you to NetGalley and House of Anansi for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Cass · Rating 4 out of 5]

So heartwarming and nostalgic, great read from a Canadian author, short, sweet and to the point. Jacob was my favorite character

[Kerri D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some stuff to unpack about stuff. And death and aging. 3.8

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 / A sweet and compassionate novel meditating on what we keep -- possessions, first of all, but also our secrets, our unspoken thoughts, feelings, hopes, fears. Harriet, a poet in her 80s, is beginning to have dementia, leaving the stove on and such, and her non-local son thinks she needs to move to a nursing home, funding for which will come from the sale of Harriet's large, cram-packed Ottawa house -- and that's how she's introduced to middle-aged wife and mother Eleanor and young gay architecture student Jacob, house stagers and people with their own problems, whose job it is to clear out her things and make her house ready for glamorous photos and a quick sale. Of course in doing so, they (and we) learn quite a bit about Harriet. The story is told from all three points of view. There's a delicate balance here between keeping and giving, between holding memories of the past and releasing expectations of the future.

[Kim van Alkemade · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this gentle novel that thoughtfully explores how the things we choose to keep can hold us back, and the opportunity for growth that can come from letting go—of hoarded stuff, yes, but also old resentments, unrealistic expectations, damaging relationships, and negative perceptions. As the characters in this novel struggle with love, money, family, and one another—as well as their true selves—tragic revelations pave the way for unexpected connections. A quick read that will linger long in your mind.

[Enid Wray]

This is a quiet little book, very poetic (big surprise as the author is by first rights a poet)... but I have to say that the entire time I was reading it I kept comparing it to Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey.

There is magic here in the relationships between the three main characters - each from a different generation. There is a poignancy to each of their experiences of life and love and loss… and the different ways in which each of them is burdened by their past and their present… and the ways in which each of them lets go of:

the “weight of responsibility” (pp83/84); and,
the “possessions that one succoured or supported (that had) became unwanted weight” (p138)

I think I had two (2) issues with this that give me pause:

First, while I realise that this title trades in nostalgia, I don’t buy the fundamental premise from which the author operates. She makes her thoughts very clear in this passage, from p 102:

Rare is the house with such a dark history, but all homes keep secrets. The older the room, the more the walls have witnessed, the knots in the floorboards have seen, and for this reason, some people prefer to live in new buildings, where nothing has ever happened. If you want to live in a house full of character, like Harriet's, you have to accept the fact that other people have lived there before you. That sad things happen, and that most stories are tragic - if you stick around to the end. (emphasis added)

Second, while much of the prose is quite beautifully crafted, there are (a number of) times when it gets ‘pushy’ - the flow changes, and we get pulled out of the almost mystical mood that the author wants us to be immersed in while reading. At these times I felt like she didn’t trust her writing enough and felt the need to force feed us. (I didn’t take any screenshots of these moments).

Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for granting me access to an early digital copy. Apologies for the delay in getting this post up.

[Sharon M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many thanks to NetGalley and House of Anansi Press for gifting me a digital ARC of the debut novel by Jenny Haysom. All opinions expressed in this review are my own – 5 stars!

Home stagers Eleanor and Jacob are hired to clear out the home of Harriet, an elderly poet who has been diagnosed with dementia and whose son is planning to move her to a facility. They are overwhelmed at the amount of work to be done in a very short period of time, and both their own lives are in disarray as well.

I adored this book – from the cover to the characters and to the words of wisdom running throughout. It’s a story of things – how the things that we surround ourselves with can take on more meaning than they should. It’s the people and community around us that are important. It’s also about memory and how our things reflect those moments in our lives that hold such meaning for us. These characters are wonderful, and they felt like friends as I was reading. I raced through this book and was sorry when it was over. I’m thinking the universe is talking to me through this book as well as a friend who is doing Swedish Death Cleaning. I need to listen! Highly recommended – wonderful book and I can’t wait to read more from this author!

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

It started as a reminiscent, comforting, and relaxing story. I wish this had continued as a charming novel of Harriett’s quirks, history, mystery, and beautiful belongings. The descriptions of items created such vivid imagery that I really enjoyed. And I could feel relation to Jacob’s character.

This feels written by an older generation of parenting, which for myself, made Eleanor’s character feel like an insufferable villain with a victim mentality of her motherhood.. and a strange hatred for her daughters & family.. but it may offer comfort or perspective to others who share this kind of mentality in life.

Overall, I don’t regret reading it. But I do wish it had been a lighter / happier story.

[Danielle Nilsen]

Thank you to the publisher for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I stopped reading this book at 40%. While the premise was intriguing, I did not find the writing or plot engaging. The pace was too slow for me and not holding my attention. I was intrigued by the characters and would have stuck it out had the prose captivated me more.

I really hate not finishing a book but my list is just too long to trudge through something I’m not loving. I may finish it later this year, but at this point, sadly, this one is just not for me.

[Emelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keep by Jenny Haysome is a Quietly powerful novel less than 300 pages about the things we hold on to in life.

We follow 3 people, Harriet who has recently been diagnosed with dementia and lives alone in a big house, and the 2 people tasked with cleaning out Harriet's house: Eleanor who is working to provide for her 3 kids and husband, and Jacob, a young man dealing with his emotionally distant boyfriend.

I loved the commentary about modern motherhood, how accurate the descriptions of dementia are, and how our lives are negatively impacted when we don't confront reality.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a blockbuster "everyone must read" book. It's appeal is in the ability to relate to things we all deal with in life--love, loss, memories both good and bad, aging, and even death. Along our journeys we accumulate things that have purpose or just a sentimental hold on us. We make decisions, assumptions and mistakes. We're human after all. Some readers may not find the "story" interesting, but I believe most will find a pull that signals you're not alone.

[Dulcie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Keep," a novel by Canadian author Jenny Haysom, is an unrecognized gem. The lives of her well developed characters are interwoven in a narrative that is about every day woes that Haysom puts a humorous, touching and riveting stamp on. Her all-Canadian voice about how we see the world of our daily lives about love, work and aging, was an absolute joy to read. More please by this author!
Dulcie McCallum, author of The Audacity of Inclusion
Halifax, Nova Scotia CANADA

[Lanette Sweeney · Rating 4 out of 5]

The novel Keep by Jenny Haysom focuses on an elderly woman who is being forced into a nursing home by her cold and distant son. Two home stagers are tasked with emptying the woman’s crowded home of all the things she’s been hoarding, and they start by creating bins marked “Keep,” “give away,” and “throw out.” The novel was good (not great), and focused mainly on the lives of the two home stagers, but the meditations from the old woman as her confusion mounts have haunted me.

[Sue · Rating 2 out of 5]

This may not have been the right time for me to read this one. I found it so sad and kept waiting for something good to happen to any of the characters. It was well written, but so depressing. Not for me, at least, not right now.

[HeatherD · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading a book set in Ottawa (partly fictionalized). Haysom captures the stresses of modern Canadian middle class urban life and her characters were all relate-able. It is a quiet book, with simple small positive changes taking place.

[D.A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the poetic sensibility in the early portions of the book - prose constructed by a poet - but it dwindled as the plot went on until there was no more left at all. Was this the point? Are we left with a world with no poetic sensibility? I did not like the ending at all.

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

[Jaye Jarvis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful and heartfelt novel. I simply loved the characters.

[Lorie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful novel, with engaging characters (including Browning) and a setting I know well. I would like to meet these characters in a subsequent book.

[Alexis Billeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of emotions while reading this book and empathizing with each of the characters. Would love to know what directions they each took after the book ends.

[Dani Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very soft book about memory and holding on to things.

[Sarah Albee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my favorite. Bounced on the top of some interesting concepts, but didn't dive into any one enough to be really thought provoking.

[Nora · Rating 5 out of 5]

🇨🇦Thoroughly enjoyed this novel and could not wait to finish work so I could settle back in.

[Sue Spaight · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick, entertaining, heartfelt story with likable characters and surprising plot twists.

[Deanna Madden · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this novel by a Canadian author in the new books section of the library. I chose it because there's a woman with dementia in it and it deals with hoarders versus those who would live as sparely as possible. There are three main characters who provide shifting points of view: Harriet, an elderly poet losing herself to dementia and facing the prospect of being forced out of her house and into a care facility; Eleanor, a middle-aged mother who works for a realtor and helps prepare Harriet's house for sale (the "Marie Kondo" type who would toss out Harriet's lifetime accumulation of 'things'); and Jacob, her young assistant, who is gay and experiencing the pangs of unrequited love. I was looking for something different to read and this novel set in Canada with stories that were universal fit the bill.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

🇨🇦 Really enjoyed this one! Thanks to the publisher for the gifted copy!