The Company Daughters: A heart-wrenching colonial love story

Samantha Rajaram

Oct 2020 · Bookouture

4.8

8 reviews

Ebook

350

Pages

Eligible

About this ebook

‘Blew my mind… so magically written and most of all that it is based on true events… a hard-hitting, soul-crushing book… I loved every moment of it… immersive, heart-wrenching, I feel emotional writing this review.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

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.

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 gripping and unputdownable historical novel, perfect for fans of Girl with a Pearl Earring, The Miniaturist and The Indigo Girl.

WINNER OF THE 2021 GOLDEN CROWN LITERARY SOCIETY AWARD FOR DEBUT FICTION.

FINALIST FOR THE 2021 BISEXUAL BOOK AWARDS.

LONGLISTED FOR THE 2021 HWA DEBUT CROWN AWARD.

What readers are saying about The Company Daughters:

‘Blew my mind… a book I've told so many people about purely because I'm still in disbelief that it exists, that it's so magically written and most of all that it is based on true events… a hard-hitting, soul-crushing book of a woman's struggle to survive… I loved every moment of it. Breathlessly, and in a way that took up my entire brain… immersive, heart-wrenching, and I feel emotional writing this review.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘From the moment I started reading The Company Daughters, I was captivated by this historical tale. Although it does contain a love story, it's not a romance…This was a gripping read.’ Goodreads reviewer

‘This book is so stunningly tender and beautiful, all mixed in with some seriously tragic and heart-wrenching events… Rajaram is an extremely skilled writer, and I love her writing style… The themes of sisterhood and female love were so present in this book and I found it very moving.’ Goodreads reviewer

‘I was enchanted by this book! It’s a delightful read that will have your emotions all over the place.’ Goodreads reviewer

‘I love historical fiction, and this book touched on a topic and time I knew nearly nothing about…There’s love, there’s loss, there’s surviving, there’s thriving… It was a very beautiful book.’ Goodreads reviewer

‘The Company Daughters is a beautifully written love story… a perfect example of the power of human will and the endurance and hope that love can give a person.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘This book has a beauty and grace to it. The author’s writing just flows off the page, and although there are struggles and upsets by the time you close the book over you are filled with a warm glow.’ Goodreads reviewer

‘A powerful and insightful read. I look forward to reading more historical work by Samantha Rajaram!’ Goodreads reviewer

‘Heartbreaking… a moving book… vivid, with amazing characters… This is a great read.’ Goodreads reviewer

Ratings and reviews

4.8

8 reviews

Cathy Geha

October 31, 2020

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

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