Book Synopsis:
Wanted: Company Daughters. Virtuous young ladies to become the brides of industrious settlers in a foreign land. The Company will pay the cost of the lady’s dowry and travel. Returns not permitted, orphans preferred.
Amsterdam, 1620. Jana Beil has learned that life rarely provides moments of joy. Having run away from a violent father, her days are spent searching for work in an effort to stay out of the city brothels, where desperate women trade their bodies for a mouthful of bread. But when Jana is hired as a servant for the wealthy and kind Master Reynst and his beautiful daughter Sontje, Jana’s future begins to look brighter.
But then Master Reynst loses his fortune on a bad investment, and everything changes. The house is sold to creditors, leaving Jana back on the street and Sontje without a future.
With no other choice, Jana and Sontje are forced to sign with the East India Company as Company Daughters: sailing to a colonial Dutch outpost to become the brides of male settlers they know nothing about. With fear in their hearts, the girls begin their journey – but what awaits them on the other side of the world is nothing like what they’ve been promised…
Based on true history, this is a beautiful and sensual historical novel, perfect for fans of Girl with a Pearl Earring, The Miniaturist and The Indigo Girl.
The Company Daughters is available in ebook and paperback now. The ebook is currently only 99p. You can purchase your copy using the link below.
My Review:
The Company Daughters is a captivating, gripping read which was beautifully written.
Firstly I knew nothing about Dutch history so I loved all the little details describing how life was in 17th Century Holland. The author has clearly done her research and I was soon immersed into the characters lives. The practice of sending poor, ophaned girls who otherwise wouldn’t have had a future to Dutch colonies was something I hadn’t heard of before. I was quite shocked to see how they were treated and what they went through, from the dangerous journey to the bleak future that awaited them. My heart went out to them and I found myself reading faster and faster as I wanted to find out how things would end for them.
The two main characters were fantastic creations who I warned to quickly and enjoyed following throughout the book. Jana was a very endearing character who is trying to escape a life of poverty and prostitution by working as a house servant. There she meets Sontje, the daughter of the house who soon becomes a friend to her rather than an employer. I really like Jana who was incredibly strong and determined which was great to read about. She shows a lot of courage throughout the book and it was lovely to see how much she obviously cared for Sontje. The two girls soon became like friends to me and I really cared about what would happen to them. I felt quite sad to finish the book and I had to leave them behind.
Overall I really enjoyed this fascinating, gripping read which I couldn’t believe was the author’s debut novel. The author takes the reader on a wonderful journey of discovery which I didn’t know which way it was going next. My only slight niggle with this book is that I wish there had been English translations for the Dutch words that are included in the story but that’s only a small thing and didn’t stop me thoroughly enjoying the book.
Huge thanks to Bookouture for my copy of this book via Netgalley.
About The Author:
Samantha Rajaram spent most of her childhood in Gillette, Wyoming, where she and her family were the first Indian-Americans to live in the community. As a law student, she focused on social justice and international human rights law with a focus on female sex trafficking.
She is now an educator, and currently teaches composition at Chabot College in Hayward, California. She lives in the California Bay Area with her three children.
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