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In her debut novel The Company's Daughters, Samantha Rajaram explores the little known history of Dutch colonization of Batavia (now Jakarta) through the eyes of two women - formerly wealthy and wellkept Sontje and scrappy, resilient Jana. The story unfolds a bit like an epic drama, almost addictive in nature.

On the long voyage between the Netherlands and Batavia, the two learn to rely on each other for almost everything and become closer than friends. Once they reach the colony, the two are tearfully torn apart and must forge their own path in this new, unknown land.

What I enjoyed the most about this book is its immersive nature. Rajaram's Jana is a dynamite that captures your attention and doesn't let go. The setting of Batavia, the colonies vividly recalled. Above all, Rajaram captures the fickle and human nature of the young girls forced to become Company's 'Daughters'.

The only thing that drew me back a little bit was the description of the slaves, particularly where Jana states that "they didn't want fancy things like we did," because that's not true. Western women like Jana often have an overly simplified narratives of their slaves.

Overall, this was a really great retelling of an often overlooked part of history & I enjoyed it!