After the passing of their mother, Gerbrand Bakker and his brothers and sister have to clear out their parental home. Which stories hide behind all these objects? And why do they sometimes contradict each other? Is it maybe better to just let the stuff be stuff, setting aside its emotional value?
Some objects become the cause of serious debates. Not only the expensive things, even a few packs of paracetamol can lead to heated discussions. But in the end the six siblings always figure it out, maybe because their mother’s words still ring true: ‘Who argues, gets nothing!’
“In Estate you get to know the group dynamics of a family, without much explanation from the author. In just a few sentences you learn a lot about their interpersonal relationships. Which is also the strength in Bakker’s entire oeuvre: telling the story between the lines.” – Tzum
“Wasn’t it Proust who said that after the death of a loved one it is not the loss that is important, but rather that all relationships will shift and you suddenly find yourself in a completely different place in life? That is what makes it so odd that someone suddenly is no longer there. Bakker has written a beautiful, earnest book about it.” – NRC