The Night Ship by Jess Kidd

I read a review of The Night Ship by Jess Kidd on Anne’s blog, At Home a Lot last year. Anne and I share a similar taste in books, so I was keen to read it myself. But somehow never got round to buying it. I eventually picked up a copy a couple of months ago, at the same time as I bought The Square of Sevens and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. That was probably my most successful book shopping trip ever!

The Night Ship is the story of two children – Mayken and Gil. In 1628, Mayken, a wealthy young girl, boards the Batavia with her nursemaid to sail to the other side of the world. In 1989, Gil, a young boy who has just lost his mother, goes to live with his grandfather on a tiny island off the Australian coast.

When I started reading, I was concerned that this might be some sort of magical book bringing the two children together. Mayken also quickly got obsessed with a creature she was convinced lived in the hold of the Batavia. I’m pleased to say, it wasn’t a magical book! (Magical books are not my thing at all.)

Mayken is a very likeable character, who swears and wants to spit like a sailor. She cares only for her nursemaid, Imke, and for the adventures she can get up to on the boat.

Right from the start, Gil comes across as vulnerable and damaged. He is sent to live in an inhospitable environment with a grandfather who doesn’t want him and has no idea how to care for him. To make matters worse, his grandfather is very unpopular with the other fishermen on the island and Gil soon starts to stand out as unusual.

The story is told in alternate chapters focusing on each of the characters. As the sense of impending doom for both children gets greater, the chapters get shorter – sometimes as short as half a page. Although their lives are separated by over 300 years, there are connections between them, and they both find themselves in increasing danger.

I’d forgotten that the story of the fate of the Batavia is a true story and some of the characters who shared the voyage with Mayken were real people.

I absolutely loved The Night Ship. It isn’t quite my usual cup of tea, but it is beautifully written and I found myself really caring for the characters. Whatever sort of books you enjoy, I would definitely recommend The Night Ship.