Solace

Eleven years after his art history teacher, Ilara, suddenly disappeared from school, she shows up unexpectedly at Willem’s door. Silent and distraught, she moves in with him without explaining what happened. Willem, who writes eulogies and lives like a recluse in a damp apartment, tries to break through her silence. He becomes completely absorbed in his task of providing comfort.

Ilara’s return brings back memories of the passion with which she was able to move her students. Convinced of art’s social impact, she had inspired her class to undertake a large-scale art project. Back then, one particular student had caught her eye: the quiet Robin. Her independent spirit and exceptional drawing talent had fascinated Ilara. They’d connected, and Robin had begun seeking out her teacher more and more outside of school hours.

But as their mutual bond grew, Ilara found herself venturing further and further onto thin ice. Years later, it turns out that Robin’s need for care may have been less innocent than Ilara wanted to believe at the time. In ‘Solace’, Willems alternates between accounts of the present and Ilara’s memories. Gradually, a novel about complex forms of love, boundaries, art and care unfolds.