The Company Daughters: A heart-wrenching colonial love story by Samantha RajaramMy rating: 4 of 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 and there is far more going on than that. The book is told from the point of view of Jana. It follows her from her role as a maid in Amsterdam, halfway across the world to Batavia as a 'Company Daughter' with the Dutch East India Company. Batavia was the Danish city where their trade was based, modern-day Jakarta. In an attempt to build a European city in Indonesia, poor women were shipped out to marry the men who had settled and were trading there. These were women who were impoverished and looking for a better life, but in many ways found themselves in just as difficult a position once they arrived.
The book is split into a number of parts, we, first of all, see Jana as a maid in a wealthy household in Amsterdam. When circumstances change we follow her gruelling journey of nearly a year at sea to reach her new home. Finally, we see the life that she has there.
There is love here, but as I said before, it's not a normal romance. Jana finds love where society at the time doesn't approve of. It's this and her own circumstances which make it difficult for her to love.
This was a gripping read and I found myself lost in Jana's world and life. It's a little different to anything that I've read recently and I think that just added to my enjoyment.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
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