FIVE WOMEN. FIVE GENERATIONS. ONE ICONIC HOTEL.
2026. Alma dozes off in the Amstel Hotel, where her family has worked for generations. When she wakes up the next morning, nothing is the same. The wallpaper, the light, the silence – everything is steeped in a different era.
Alma has landed in 1870, three years after Amsterdam’s first grand hotel opened its doors. While the new hotel buzzes with ambition, a chambermaid vanishes without a trace.
What starts as a journey through rooms and centuries becomes a whirlwind to the heart of her own history. Alma unravels a secret that’s been hushed up for generations – one that will determine not just her past, but her future too.
The Age of The Amstel is a novel about enduring bonds and the power of the past.
Published by Grow Books, 2026
THE STORY BEHIND THE AGE OF THE AMSTEL
Bestselling author Sarah Meuleman and the Amstel Hotel have joined forces for a unique project. For the first time in 150 years, the soul of the Amstel Hotel is brought to life in a compelling story.
Not a dry account of historical facts, but a sweeping narrative in which real events and historical figures are woven together with one young woman’s search for the secret that has haunted her family for generations.
The Age of the Amstel is a novella that brings together history, legend and imagination. An ode to the power of storytelling, and to the women who guarded their voices and, in doing so, defied time.
ISBN 9789090411569 Cover design by Mark Limburg Author photo Nina Slagmolen / Studio Brug
AIMEZ-MOI
Éditions Gallimard
The French translation of Zie mij graag earned praise in France, Belgium, and Canada. It was translated by Isabelle Rosselin, with rights sold by Cecile Barendsma.
‘Une riche réflection.’ – La Presse
‘Une bombe littéraire!’ – Radio Canada
‘Un roman brillant.’ – Avantages
‘Un roman troublant et dans l’air du temps.’ – Les Notes
‘Bluffant, parfaitement mené, le roman de la belge Sarah Meuleman impose une auteure en pleine possession de ses moyens littéraires.’ – Les Echos
‘À lire de toute urgence ! … Un roman d’une grande profondeur que nous propose ici l’autrice, Sarah Meuleman, écrivaine, journaliste et scénariste dont c’est le premier roman traduit en français et espérons-le, pas le dernier.’ – Encre Noir
INTERNATIONAL PRESS REVIEWS
“This clever, dark, and engrossing debut will suck readers in with its great story, exemplary writing, and spot-on pacing. With a wonderful twist at the end, this page-turning thriller is highly recommended.” – Library Journal, starred review
“Unpredictable and suspenseful. . . . Will entice readers looking for something to keep them guessing until the end.” – Kirkus Reviews
“Belgian author Sarah Meuleman’s fascinating, multilayered debut shifts between countries and time periods… This intelligently written psychological thriller provides much food for thought.” – Publishers Weekly
“One of the year’s most POWERFUL debuts.” – Crimereads
“One of the BEST NOVELS of 2018. Operates like a rubber band being stretched.” – Marie-Claire USA
“FIND ME GONE is one of those rare novels that you’ll be thinking about long after you’ve finished it. Vivid, complex, and completely immersive!” – Tess Gerritsen
“Perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn and J.P. Delaney!” – Booklist
“Lush with literary mystery and masterful suspense, Sarah Meuleman’s impressive debut marks her as a writer to watch.” – Tatiana de Rosnay, author of Sarah’s Key
“Geraffineerd spel met taal (…) Meuleman heeft veel ballen hoog te houden en dot dat met verve. Kruipt onder je huid.” – Het Parool, ****
“Meuleman is een kei in het scheppen van sfeer.” – Marnix Verplancke, Knack, ****
“Een fraaie entree in de literaire arena.” – De Volkskrant
Author portrait by Yvette Kulkens
NON FICTION: IN MY FOOTSTEPS / IN MIJN VOETSPOREN
In her twenties, Sarah Meuleman crossed the north of England on foot, carrying a heavy backpack along the iconic Coast to Coast trail — from the Irish Sea to the North Sea.
Twenty years later, now a mother, writer, and partner, she decides to walk the path again. With barely any preparation, she sets out — only to find the journey takes an unexpected turn. Step by step, retracing her old footsteps, she rediscovers not just thelandscape, but also herself.
In mijn voetsporen (In My Footsteps) is a heartwarming ode to walking and a moving story about life’s turning points — about dreams and memories, about growing up, and the quiet strength of letting go. Find out more here.
FIND ME GONE
Harper Colins USA / Canada
The English translation of Sarah Meuleman’s debut novel De zes levens van Sophie is published as Find Me Gone by Harper Collins US, Canada and UK.
1996. In a sleepy Belgian hamlet, the residents are reeling from the disappearance of several young girls. But twelve-year-old Sophie knows what it’s like to never truly feel safe. The only time she feels secure is when she’s with her best friend, Hannah. When Hannah starts dating handsome Damiaan, Sophie feels left out. With each day, Sophie feels Hannah drifting farther from her. Then, one dark November night, Sophie fails to return home after a high school dance—and is never seen again.
2014. Hannah is a successful celebrity columnist in New York, but she craves a deeper subject. In an effort to reclaim herself and her writing, she gives up everything—her fiancé, her job, her in-crowd friends—and retreats to Brooklyn to write a book about famous authors Agatha Christie, Barbara Follett, and Virginia Woolf, three women who struggled with family, loyalty, and ambition, and each of whom vanished without a trace.
Hannah’s attempt to narrate these women’s lives triggers memories she has long suppressed. Gradually, she unravels the truth about what happened to Sophie on that dark November night. FIND ME GONE is a breathtaking, whip-smart debut, equal parts thriller and tender coming-of-age story.
“From author Sarah Meuleman comes a haunting, whip-smart debut novel about second chances and the lengths one young woman will go to keep her dark secrets sealed in the past.”