Secondary infertility and pigeonholing
Relinde wrote the novel Het is goed zo (English title The Life I Have), which was published in Dutch in October 2024 as a paperback, e-book, and audiobook. The central themes of the book are pigeonholing and secondary infertility.
The English translation, The Life I Have will be released as an e-book on December 16, 2025 (available on Amazon).
Het is goed zo was nominated for the Dutch award Literaire Parel (Literary Pearl).
a Genre fluid novel
The novel follows an actress who is writing a book—and the book you’re reading is the very book she is writing. Blending fiction and non-fiction, it offers a truly unique reading experience.
It also features several interactive elements, including QR codes that link to video and audio clips, enhancing the reader’s experience.
The quiet grief of secondary infertility
The book touches on a subject that is rarely discussed openly: the quiet grief of secondary infertility. It’s a form of grief that many women feel they shouldn’t talk about, because they “should be grateful” for the child they do have.
In the novel, this theme is part of a broader story about identity, the expectations placed on women, and the tension between the life we imagined and the life we’re actually living.
'Very unique, strong in its form, and with an undertone of humor' - Liesbeth Vries
'A great book, even for people without children or a desire to have children' – Inge Ipenburg
Book blurb
She always imagined her life unfolding in a certain way. But reality has other plans. After unexpected twists in her personal and professional life, an actress begins to write—and discovers that what starts as a private project soon blurs the line between her life and the story on the page.
Honest, sharp, and unexpectedly humorous, The Life I Have explores the quiet weight of dreams denied, the pressure to fit roles that never quite fit, and the invisible boxes society imposes on us—whether shaped by gender, race, sexuality, or motherhood.
With clarity, compassion, and wit, this novel is about identity, resilience, and finding peace in the space between the life we imagine and the life we actually live.