Samantha Rajaram

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 show more 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. show less