A terrific fictionalised version of the Batavia disaster
The original version of this debut novel Daughters of Batavia by Stefanie Koens won the 2023 Banjo Prize, an annual competition for Australian writers, and subsequently went on to be published by HarperCollins. It can be loosely categorized as historical fiction, because it recounts the infamous story of the wreck of the ship Batavia in the Abrolhos Islands off the coast of Western Australia in 1628, and the horrors that followed for those who survived.
The main story revolves around Saskia, one of the passengers aboard the Batavia. The events of the 17th century are recounted via a clever framing device which tells the story of Tess, a young woman in the modern day who is searching for answers about her own life and about her connection to the Batavia. The narrative flips between these two stories, with the shipwreck itself occurring about halfway the book. What happened afterwards was horrific, with the survivors having to face murder, massacre, and even violent abuse and rape at the hands of a number of power-drunk leaders and psychopaths.
The twin stories dovetail together nicely, and the blending of fiction with history is expertly done. It is evident that the author has researched the Batavia story very well, and the resulting story is plausible and quite true to history, while also being an engaging and suspenseful read. The novel also incorporates up-to-date archaeological research on the Abrolhos Islands by a team of researchers from the University of Western Australia, so it also feels current.
There are definite adult themes, such as instances of abusive treatment and men forcing themselves on women, but this simply reflects the historical record. I was pleased to see these incidents handled sensitively and discretely, rather than gratuitously. For instance, there's reference to "the searching hands" of Saskia's uncle, mention men "servicing" women, or phrasing like this: "You know little of men’s twisted desires" (p.334). While this is true to life and to history, this kind of content does make the book a work of adult fiction, and I wouldn't suggest it for older children.
From some of my wider reading, I later learned that the publication of an account of the catastrophic voyage of the Batavia in the mid 1640s led the directors of the Dutch East India Company to limit the number of female passengers sailing on company ships going forwards. They considered the Batavia catastrophe a prime example of how the presence of women was considered to disrupt relations of those in board. This novel certainly shows how that can happen.
There are also faith elements incorporated into the storyline, mostly as a result of the religious convictions of the characters. Not until reading this book did I realize that the passengers aboard the Batavia included a Calvinist minister, and the way the author incorporated this naturally into the storyline was also handled well, including numerous Scripture quotations. I wouldn't consider this Christian fiction, and yet it does have solid content that reflects the religious convictions that many of the passengers would have had, and articulates their sentiments.
From a literary point of view, the novel is also well-constructed. Besides the interplay of two stories, modern and historical, the author demonstrates a real skill with words, and this is especially evident in the use of her imagery, such as metaphors and similes. I found just one aspect somewhat implausible, namely when a 17 year old girl gets away with being disguised as a boy simply by cutting her hair; but maybe that is viable, and it wasn't hard to suspend my sense of disbelief in reading that section.
Despite the violence and horror experienced by many survivors following the shipwreck of the Batavia, this is not just a pessimistic book about tragedy. For instance, at the end we learn something very satisfying about one character that really rounds off a subplot beautifully. The story of modern-day Tess is also one of discovery and personal growth, as she learns to face the demons and hurts of her own past.
Romantic overtones feature quite strongly and regularly throughout the book, both in the contemporary story of Tess and in the historical story of the 17th century characters. I suspect that this factor makes the book appeal especially to women readers, and the high proportion of reviews here from females seems to support that. The fact that the story is largely told through female eyes means it will especially resonate emotionally with women.
But this is a fine novel that should appeal to anyone interested in the history around the Batavia, or simply looking for a gripping and well-told story. Stefanie Koens has produced an excellent book that links stories past and present, history and fiction. In the process she not only bring the past to life, but infuses it with imagination and emotion, creating a bridge to today's reader that is simultaneously informative, inspiring, and evocative.
by EndersGame_Reviewer