Title: The Company Daughters      
Author:  Samantha Rajaram  
Publication Day: Oct 30th 2020

Description:

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 The Girl with the Pearl Earring, The Miniaturist and The Indigo Girl.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW 

Review for 'The Company Daughters' by Samantha Rajaram. 

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous 

Publication date 30th October 2020

This is the first book that I have read by this author. 

I was originally drawn to this book by  its eye catching and intriguing cover and intriguing synopsis. I wanted something different to my usual psychological thrillers and this caught my eye. I enjoy true stories and when I read that this is based on one I couldn't help but choose it. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture  that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of a prologue, 81 chapters and an epilogue and is spread over 4 parts. The chapters are short in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case! 

This book is based in Amsterdam and Batavia, Dutch East Indies, with some time spent on Table Bay. 

This book is written in first person perspective with the protagonist being Jana Beil. I enjoy books written in first person perspective as as long as they are well written it makes you feel that you are being spoken to by the protagonist and it can create more of a bond between yourselves and them. 

Part One concentrates on Jana's hunt for work and how she finds it with Sontje's father and the misfortunes of what leads her to become a Company's daughter. It also speaks of how Jana and Sontje's relationship grows from employee/employer to what may pass as friendship. Part One is set in Amsterdam. 

Part Two concentrates on Jana and Sontje's voyage on the "Leyden" and the hardships they and the other "daughters" face at sea. The cruelty shown made me feel physically sick. Part Two is set onboard the "Leyden" and at Table Bay, a natural bay on the Atlantic Ocean overlooked by Cape Town. 

Part Three sees the end of Jana and Sontje's time on the "Leyden" and the beginning of their time in Batavia. 
Filled with loss, love and heartbreak. 

I won't go into Part Four as it may spoil the storyline for future readers. 

This is a very well written novel with descriptions that really help you imagine what is going on and how the characters are feeling. The synopsis and cover of the book worked perfectly with the storyline. 

The storyline itself is based on true events, is unique and very well researched which is a huge bonus. It drives me mad when I'm reading a historical novel and events are recorded inaccurately. I do believe that when you are writing a historical novel, even a fictional one that research should be done to make it more realistic and accurate. Anyway, to continue my review on this novel which HAS been well researched!! The plot is filled with love, loss, secrets and is a roller-coaster of emotions throughout. I won't talk about specific events as I do not wish to spoil anything for future readers. I did have to Google a few words as I didn't understand them but they were in relation to the language used in the countries the story was based so this didn't bother me at all. I found that by the author putting in the language the characters used the 'conversation' Jana is having with the reader is more genuine and realistic (hopefully you understand what I mean by this). 

I enjoyed watching the bonds and relationships between certain characters strengthen and grow or deteriorate and dissappear as well as seizing their own individual personalities grow in strength. Jana is a real inspiration in that, although she went through so much emotionally and physically, she is a true fighter and grew stronger from what she went through. All of the characters had their own individual and realistic personalities which I enjoyed meeting and getting to know about. I love it when books include strong female models and Jana is definitely one of the strongest I have met. 

This book would make a fascinating movie and I think the storyline will stay with me for a long time. I would also like to congratulate Samantha on bringing some unheard of (to me) history to light and I will definitely be looking into it more. I find it awful how events like this not only happened but were condoned and believe it is nothing better than trafficking as it is today. 

Overall a fascinating and eye opening novel which is based on a true story and is an emotional roller-coaster ride. 

Genres covered in this novel include Historical Fiction, Coming-of-age Story, Lesbian Literature, Biographical Fiction, LGBT Literature amongst others. 

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as anyone who is interested in history or wants to learn more about past events in the form of a story . 

392 pages.

This book is £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon or free which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!! 

Rated 5/5 (I loved it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook. 

Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews 

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Author Bio:

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.


Social Media links:

Website: samantharajaram.com

Twitter: twitter.com/Samantha_Reader

Instagram: instagram.com/samantha.r.reader


Buy Links:         

Amazon: https://geni.us/B08F1WH5CGSocial

Apple: http://ow.ly/sxWp50AR7E6

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Google: http://ow.ly/B4jL50AR7Ji

Jana Beil is a poor young woman adrift on the streets of Amsterdam in the late 17th century.  She has escaped domestic violence and imprisonment in a brothel so when she is taken in as a servant by the Lenst family she is grateful.  However when her employer dies both Jana and the daughter of the house, Sontje, are left with nothing.  There is one option and that is to travel to Batavia as a bride for the VOC settlers, a long and difficult voyage to a harsh setting but one that Jana and Sontje are prepared to make.
This is a book based on true stories of the woman who were prepared to be shipped halfway across the world to marry an unknown man, funded by the Dutch East Indies Company.  In this respect I loved the book, the setting was different and the knowledge of both Amsterdam life and times plus those of Batavia was excellent.  Where the book fell down for me was in the depiction of the relationships, the lesbian affair felt forced and the details of the quite violent marriages was sketched over.  It's a nice easy and quick read which definitely entertains.

Well, I see that I am in the minority here with my rating.  I am sorry to say that this book just did not do it for me.  I found the heart wrenching stuff a bit over done and I was not able to connect with any of the characters that I was supposed to connect with.

This is another one of those "It's me and not you" kind of rating.  

My thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for this advanced readers copy.  This book released in October 2020.

What an immersive piece of historical fiction. Based in 1600s Amsterdam and Dutch colonies, I was thoroughly transported in time and place. Not only is this a period and place in history that I really don't know much about, it is also a queer story. In a genre that doesn't get much LGBTQ+ representation, this story does it masterfully. I am so glad I read this book and can't wait to read more from this author.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced reader copy.

What a beautiful book.

This story is set in the early 1600's and centres around Jana, a poor Dutch girl fighting to make a living in Amsterdam. She works as a servant in wealthy Dutch houses to survive, and in one of these houses she meets Sontje. While their relationship starts off rocky, with Jana working for spoiled, rich Sontje, they quickly learn to rely on each other. When Sontje's father dies, Jana is out of work, and Sontje is being shipped off by the East India Trading Company as a Company Daughter, orphaned women sent to Dutch colonies in Bavaria to become wives to the Dutch settlers. Jana makes the decision to journey to the settlement with Sontje, and what awaits them both is like nothing they ever dreamed of. Jana and Sontje quickly learn to be independent, trust their instincts, and be true to one another.

This was such a beautiful story of one woman overcoming her struggles to become everything she could ever dream of. Jana is such a strong character to read about, and you're constantly cheering her on. She ends up finding love, a family, and an independence she only dreamed of while living in Amsterdam. The ending wasn't entirely what I was hoping for, but it was still beautiful nonetheless.

4 stars

*Many thanks to Samantha Rajaram, Bookouture, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
Based on facts, the book describes the fate of young women who in the 17th century decide or are forced to decide, to spend ten months on Dutch East India Company ships that take them to Batavia, modern Jakarta. 
The act of human, or rather sex, trafficing, is a shameless crime, however, in those days, agreeing to become wives of the Dutch settlers was the alternative for those females who were orphans, had no support in family, and the only option was starvation or prostitution. Some of the female characters find happiness and prosperity in the colony and are definitely better off there.
The book is quite interesting and the details regarding life in Batavia and Amsterdam well-researched. Definitely an solid insight into history of which I knew nothing.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of The Company Daughters by Samantha Rajaram.

The Company Daughters tells the true story of Dutch women being sent to the colonies as wives for the settlers. They signed on to be sent aboard a ship for ten months to a colony in Batavia not knowing who their husbands will be or what kind of life they are signing on for.

The main character in the story is Jana Beil, a servant in Amsterdam. She finds a job in the home of Master Reynst and his daughter, Sontje. Jana is treated well in their household but a ship sinks and the Reynst family loses all of their riches in one day. Sontje is left with nothing and asks Jana to join her on a ship to Batavia for a new chance at life. Jana and Sontje become much more than master and servant on the trip and their love shapes their future in Batavia. The women are chosen, bought is a better word, by colonists. Some of the Company Daughters luck into a happy marriage but most are thrown into a loveless, usually abusive marriage.

I really enjoyed The Company Daughters by Samantha Rajaram. I was amazed to see that is her debut novel. The story line and characters are so richly written that I felt like I was in Batavia with the women, exploring the new land and the new rules laid upon them as wives. This was a fantastic novel and I cannot wait to read more of her books.

Amsterdam 1616 is not a very pleasant place for a woman especially one who is a servant, with no family and no protection of any kind. Her fortune changes when she becomes a domestic in the service of Master Reynst who along with his daughter Sontje treat Jana as a human being something she is experiencing for the first time in her life.

Whilst everything seems to be good Master Reynst falls on hard times due to bad investments and Sontje and Jana embark on an adventure to Batavia (Indonesia) as brides for settlers. (This was a practice even with the British in India). It worked out well for some, not so well for others.

The story of The Company's Daughters takes us through Jana and Sontje's lives - one in deep unhappiness and abuse, the other a loveless marriage but someone who was kinder. Jana survives the marriage and goes on to make a surprising life for herself and for the community she finds herself amongst.

The story is descriptive of life both in Amsterdam and Batavia at the times. The hardship faced by people in Europe as well as the settlers who had to adapt to a different lifestyle, culture, weather were very well detailed and provided such an interesting read. 

Historically full of detail this is a must read for those who like history with a colonial flavour.

This is essentially a tale of how women are often treated as commodities. This is true all through history. Even as I was reading this beautiful story, I thought of the millions of women in India and around the world who continue to be forced by circumstances and culture to marry men they do not know and move to lands that are so alien to them. But even more than that this is a story of survival, grit, determination and the ability to rise above and even triumph over adverse circumstances.

Rajaram uses vivid imagery as across continents with Jana and Sontje from the cold streets of Amsterdam to the warmer climes of Batavia. How the relationship between the two women – once mistress and maid – evolves is also fascinating.

The author really brought to light the dark history of colonial times – racism, slavery, injustice, cruelty to women and above greed that put power and money over human rights.

It’s hard to believe that this is a debut novel for the author. It’s so beautifully written – steeped in history and yet she manages to make the characters so believable and the story so moving.

The company daughters by Samantha Rajaram is an enjoyable historical novel that portrays a story about friendship and surviving life disadvantages in a very frightening scene.

The author has brought to life two female figures from the early 1600s and their journey to another country, another world and a fate that is nothing at all the way they expected it would be. Just like an arranged marriage novel, it treats them like possession or even slaves, and their spouses couldn’t be more different from each other. It engages us in such a peculiar cultural upbringing and we can easily read that what in some cultures dignity, respect and approaching each other like equals are such a wrangling perception and the discrepancies are running from many ages back.

It’s sensual, and it shows how the characters have grown to discover what life has to offer and their own identities along with their friendship and friends that crossover their path.  The power is displayed in many forms and it shows how some people will profit from it to a maximum and how others will yet be compassionate of the less fortunate.

It’s a debut novel, but it doesn’t feel like it as it’s well researched and the storyline just flows uninterrupted.

Very grateful for my review copy to the publisher through NetGalley

"Half-light and half-darkness. Like the best of lives."

Amsterdam, 1616, Jana Beil has worked hard to survive. Now, after tragedy leaves her without a position as a servant, she decides to accept the offer presented by the Dutch East Indies Company, or V.O.C. The Company will send her to Batavia on a long, dangerous journey by ship to become the bride of a settler in this Asian colony. Longing for security and a future, these Company Daughters will be married off to strange men and begin a new life on the other side of the world. Of course, nothing goes as expected and The Company promise isn't the answer to any hopes and dreams. Jana contents herself with a forbidden love but life does not come with any guarantees. NO SPOILERS.

I enjoyed this historical fiction novel and Jana's story. Jana is determined and diligently tries to improve her situation through many sorrows and travails. Although she and Sontje find mutual pleasure in their relationship, their moments are stolen and they are always at the mercy of men. Although I liked the story well enough, it seemed that much of it was centered on Jana's thoughts and reflections more than relating details that I was looking for in regard to life in the colony so it left me a bit disappointed in a vague way. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and 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.

4.5 stars

Jana Biel has led a hard life. On her own at an early age she has been judged and defined by her circumstances. She has learned how to survive against the odds and make the most of her situation. Work hard, keep your head down, keep your past to yourself. At all costs protect your heart.

Over the course of the novel we see her growth and to some extent Sontje’s as well. The two women experience many hardships, but through it all there is light in Rajaram’s words. I was moved by the subversive text and the colorful descriptions of nature. Rajaram, although dealing with themes of oppression, kept reminding the reader of the beauty found in the everyday things in life.

To describe how ravenous Jana was – “She turns to fetch him while I wait on the doorstep next to the blue, open-mouthed crocuses. Hungry, just like me.”

On hope – “Helena once said the stars were like eyes watching us, winking like old friends, I always thought the stars protected us, reminded us that darkness is never complete.”

Comfort comes in the cadent song of the waves lapping onto the shore. Guidance is given by the unfurling branches of a tree.

Her descriptions of place make both Amsterdam and Batavia come alive. Careful attention is paid to the many layers in which people are oppressed. Through Jana’s narration we not only learn about this historical period but are provided a prism of compassion. We learn what it is like to be an orphan, a women of no means, queer in the 17th century. We are asked to consider the plight of the slave. Jana is flawed, human. But she is also empathetic and able to see outside herself. So when she falters she eventually recognizes, admits and tries to correct her mistakes. Her character and this book will stay with me for quite a while. Great debut!

Jana arrives at the door of a house in Amsterdam desperate for food, work and a place to call home. Hired as a maid she grows to love the indulgent Master Reynst and his daughter the spoilt, beautiful Sontje. But when her master looses his fortune and suddenly dies, she must seek a new position. Left penniless by her father's debts Sontje must start again and so both girls set out on a new adventure. The Dutch East India company needs them. 

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.

They make friends and share hardships on their long journey and the two women grow closer becoming lovers as well as friends. Finally arriving in Batavia in the Dutch East Indes pale, thin shadows of themselves as they prepare for new lives as company wives. 

The Company Daughters is a powerful debut novel of the burgeoning wealth of the 17th Century Dutch and the hardship, poverty and cruelty that made that wealth possible. It's also a beautifully written tale of friendship and forbidden love, of colonialism, class and the horrific treatment of women, the native population and the poor.  A gifted new writer for fans of Tracy Chevalier, Jessie Burton and Sarah Waters. Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for a copy of the book.

The story starts in Amsterdam in 1620. Jana, daughter from a modest family, arrives to Amsterdam with nothing, after suffering at the hands of her father and other men. She finds employment at the house of a wealthy merchant but things go awfully wrong with his business when the boat he put all his wealth into is lost at sea. Then, for the daughter of the family, Sontje, and for Jana, starts a new life. Their path crosses that of the East India Company and they set off to be married to settlers in Batavia (now Jakarta). 
The book is based on true history and I discovered yet another side of the powerful Dutch East India Company. The characters in the book are all going through a very rough time. Life in Amsterdam in those times is not easy without any wealth, the trip on the ship is long, people get sick and die, there is violence on board and lack of decent food. The stop in the Cape brings some relief, but the settlement is quite basic in those times and the travellers are quickly on the boat again to get to Batavia. Their destination is still a new settlement where they have to deal with the new husbands they are married to without having a say in the choice, and they have to live in a society which is disconnected from their roots but also brings new discoveries and learnings. 
It is a heavy story where the characters get very little joy in their life, but where friendship and love still bring some relief in an otherwise harsh and poor existence.
It is a heavy read, I personally was not convinced by some of the aspects of the story the author decided to highlight, and although I read Dutch I found the use of so many untranslated Dutch terms quite distracting (thanks to the author for now offering a glossary on her website). But it is a good story and an interesting piece of history. In fact I have now added on my reading list the book The social world of Batavia by Jean Gelman Taylor.
Thanks to Boukouture and Netgalley for this advance readers copy of the book and to the author Samantha Rajaram for bringing this interesting story to us.
#TheCompanyDaughters #NetGalley

The Company Daughters by Samantha Rajaram

Ten months on a boat hoping to reach a life better than the one you left behind cannot have been easy in the 1600’s but perhaps a better option than working in a brothel…or so thought Sontje Reynst and Jana Beil. Their journey was arduous, constrictive, perilous, and created long-lasting friendships that they would need when they arrived in Batavia, now Jakarta.  

What I liked: 
* Jana: strong, intelligent, gifted, hard worker, a survivor – I liked her grit, stamina, and ability to thrive wherever she was.
* Sontje: a good friend to Jana, calm, cool, docile, did what she had to.
* The feel and voice of the story were true to the times
* The ability to look at without trivializing difficult topics (poverty, slavery, abuse, rape, physical violation, treatment of indigenous people, disease, death, and more) 
* Learning more about the era and lives of women
* Wondering how I would have dealt with what the main characters were presented with
* Trying to decide if this would be suitable to read for YA students and the discussions it could provide – the writing was such that it would be easy enough for them to read but some of the topics might disturb or be inappropriate…maybe?

What I didn’t like: 
* Knowing that this story is based on facts – and the lives of women, indigenous people, slaves and others was not easy.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC – This is my honest review. 

4-5 Stars

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the arc! This title was released October 30, 2020.

This is a sapphic historical fiction love story filled with hardships and tragedy. Jana is the servant to Sontje, but when she loses her father and fortunes, she convinces Jana to go with her on a journey to new land to become wives of settlers. Of course, over this time, their feelings for each other are deepened and explored. The pacing of their relationship was so beautifully written. I devoured it in a day!

This is overall quite a heart wrenching story with heavy themes such as sexism, colourism, homophobia, sexual assault, and slavery.

The Company Daughters by Samantha Rajaram is an historical fiction novel set in 17th Century Holland and revolves around two young women and the Dutch East Indies Company. I was instantly attracted to this book due to the cover and the fact of the Dutch East Indies Company, my husband is Dutch and for Holland this was known as The Golden Age for the Dutch.
We first meet Jana escaping from her abusive father and a life of prostitution. She knocks on a door and this changes her life. Master Reynst is a shipwright for The Dutch East Indies Company and it is his door she has knocked on, he is a wealthy and kind widower and his daughter answers the door to Jana. Sontje, a beautiful rich girl who has everything at her fingertips. Jana ends up working as a servant but soon begins to befriend Sontje and they grow close. Jana has a home and warmth she is happy. Tragedy strikes and Sontje and Jana sign up to be company daughters with the East Indies Company. This consists of sailing out to the Colonial outposts of the company amd essentially marrying the male settlers out there, total strangers. The voyage alone is a treacherous 10 months and there is no guarantee they will even make it, and if they do...what do they have to face?
An absolutely gripping and captivating read. A story based on historical facts it really made my mind boggle, but how brave of these girls to actually sign up. This was the way back then, women would have no other means of income so they were left with no option at that time. This was all part and parcel of colonialism. They needed strong Dutch stock, I would assume something similar happened with the Colonisation of India later on.
Samantha has skilfully told a tale that grips your heart and won't let go until it as wrung everything out of you. Sontje and Jana are two characters that I enjoyed getting to know  and all I wanted for Jana, especially was the best. She had so much in her young life she only needed one good break.Truly enjoyed my time in the 17th century and felt like I could be there with the girls as they attempted to find a way to live.
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the copy of the book today for my review.

Life has not always been easy for Jana Beil. She is only a young girl when she escapes the clutches of her violent father. Jana rather be in the streets and hungry than living with a drunk and abusive man.  This leads Her hungry most nights, sleeping in alleyways with rats and other bugs. Finally, having enough, Jana sets out to find a job and after the 18th door is knocked she lands herself a servant position with the Reynst family. Master Reynst and his daughter Sonjte are kind to Jana and so she finally gets to have a room to herself, food in her belly and a friend of sorts in Sontje. Life is finally easier until the Reynst’s lose their fortune forcing both Sontje and Jana to become company daughters.

Samantha Rajaram has taken a slice of history and poured her heart and soul into The Company Daughters. Her debut novel is rich in history, atmospheric and shows the harsh realities of women during the 17th century. Life during this time was not always kind to women, who really didn’t have a voice. You were either born into wealth or born poor trying to earn a decent living while trying desperately to stay out of working in a brothel. 

The Dutch east Indies Company was looking for company daughters. Young women looking to escape Amseterdam due to unfortunate circumstances, to make a better life as wives of settlers in Batavia (present day Jakarta, Indonesia.) Here is where Jana and Sontje find themselves and here is where the story really takes off and shines. Rajaram really writes some heartbreaking and heart wrenching scenes that really pull on your emotions.There are many themes of this story including same sex attraction and falling in love in a time period where it is frowned upon. I really enjoyed how close Jana and Sontje become and the love they share with each other. They only have each other to lean on.

The story is broken up into three sections and each section has its own trials and tribulations as well as both Jana and Sontje learning how to adjust in each new chapter in their lives. But, there is one central theme running through each part and that is how strong women are even faced with adversity in a world where women were often scene but not heard.

If you love historical fiction rich in history and a storyline that can at times bring you to tears, then you definitely do not want to miss out on reading The Company Daughters. This is a definite five star read. I still can’t believe this is a debut novel! Well written, deeply emotional and yet at the same time uplifting.

It is Amsterdam in 1616, and life definitely keeps young women on their toes. It was not just women that had it hard, but anyone without money, or a job struggled, and there was no social assistance to help. Women, like main character Jana, worked hard to take care of themselves to stop from ending up in brothels. Brothels were very unpleasant places indeed, even more so than the word implies. Jana finds a job working for Master Reynst, a merchant ship owner. His daughter Sontje is a similar age to Jana and she needs a maid. Unfortunately, soon after, the wealthy ship owner loses everything when the ship carrying everthing is lost and his money is gone too. Sontje is suddenly no longer privileged. The two women stay together, and answer the call to be wives to the men who work for the Company in Jakarta. It’s a tough life, but the strong survive.

The Company paid the women’s dowry and the ten month voyage to Indonesia. The women who accepted the call could not come back, and so women who had no family or other prospects were preferred

The voyage from Amsterdam to Jakarta is very long, and not at all easy. Many women got sick on the way, and the sailors on the boat were cruel at times. Conquering the unknown is sometimes done through cruelty and torture, and that made this book difficult. Throughout this book, the women found strength from each other and from within themselves. When they arrive in Jakarta they are given to husbands and make their way. Sontje and Jana are given to men, and Jana fares better than Sontje does.  Sontje and Jana fall in love with each other, and become each other’s support

My thoughts
The author wanted to write an historical novel about the Dutch women in the early 1600’s who were sent to marry the Dutch settlers in Jakarta. She imagined their terror and the adventure they must have experienced, willingly sold like slaves,  in their new unknown land.This book was  beautiful, but hard to read in places. Jana learns a great deal from her husband, and they respect each other. Sontje and her man don’t have as good a relationship and the contrast between the two lives is shown. I enjoyed this book, and it gave me so much to think about and I always appreciate books that really put the reader into an accurate historical context. 
It was a love story of a different kind. It wasn’t a boy meets girl romance, but a beautiful story of female friends, husband and wives who work together as friends, as wives, mothers and sons, and support for people we care about. This book is published today, and I want to say congratulations to Samantha Rajaram who provided me with a wonderful picture in historical context, and partly answered my questions, that I have always had, about what makes some people with power kind and others cruel. 
Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC