1628. Embarking on a journey in search of her father, a young girl called Mayken boards the Batavia, the most impressive sea vessel of the age. During the long voyage, this curious and resourceful child must find her place in the ship's busy world, and she soon uncovers shadowy secrets above and below deck. As tensions spiral, the fate of the ship and all on board becomes increasingly uncertain.
1989. Gil, a boy mourning the death of his mother, is placed in the care of his irritable and reclusive grandfather. Their home is a shack on a tiny fishing island off the Australian coast, notable only for its reefs and wrecked boats. This is no place for a child struggling with a dark past and Gil's actions soon get him noticed by the wrong people.
The Night Ship is an enthralling tale of human brutality, providence, and friendship, and of two children, hundreds of years apart, whose fates are inextricably bound together.
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The child sails in a crowded boat to the end of the Ryder Zee.- CHAPTER 1, 1628
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(Canongate Books, 11 August 2022, e-book, 385 pages, borrowed from Glasgow Libraries via OverDrive)
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I'm a fan of the author and really wanted to read The Night Ship when it featured on Between The Covers. I loved this book. The book is based on real events, the wrecking of the Batavia and the massacre that followed. I'd never heard of this so didn't have any expectations when reading the book. The chapters move between the wrecking of the Batavia and the slaughter and the present when Gil gets involved in a dig to search the wreckage of the ship and lands himself in trouble. I enjoyed the chapters set in 1628 a bit more and was keen to return to the ship each time Gil's chapter finished. I was impressed by the research that must have gone into writing this and the detail. This is an incredible book.
