Review: The Company Daughters by Samantha Rajaram
“I think when we finally arrive, I will know the sound of this ocean better than my own voice.”
The Basics
Title: The Company Daughters
Author: Samantha Rajaram
Published: 2020
Publisher: Bookouture — Storyfire Ltd.
Pages: 384
Format: Paperback
Genres: Fiction — Historical fiction, Romance, Historical romance
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Book Synopsis
Amsterdam, 1620. When Jana is hired as a servant in the Reynst household, it seems like life is finally starting to look up for her. The position offers her an escape from the city’s streets and brothels – a chance for a new beginning. She settles into her new life with ease. Master Reynst is a kind employer, and his daughter, Sontje, treats her like a confidante. As Jana spends more time around Sontje, she finds herself increasingly drawn to her and desirous of a closer, more intimate relationship.
Then, in the blink of an eye, everything changes. The ship that Master Reynst had invested his entire fortune in becomes lost at sea, and he and his daughter subsequently become penniless overnight. With limited options available to her, Sontje decides to sign up as a company daughter for the Dutch East India Company. She will sail to the colonial outpost of Batavia, where she will marry one of the Dutch settlers. Not wanting to lose Sontje, Jana also signs up as a company daughter, and together, the two women sail toward an uncertain future.
My Review & Overall Thoughts
TLDR: A poignant and beautifully written historical romance featuring a sapphic love story and rich historical detail.
The Company Daughters is not what I thought it would be, but that’s actually a good thing. Based on the description on the book’s back cover, I was expecting a story in which two young women travel to a colonial outpost, enter arranged marriages, and over time, come to love their husbands – you know, a fairly boilerplate historical romance with a happily-ever-after ending. I, however, was pleasantly surprised to see that that is not at all what happens in this book. It is a refreshingly original and heart-wrenching historical romance featuring a sapphic love story and a wealth of historical detail and social commentary. I can already tell that this is a story that I will not soon forget.
At its heart, The Company Daughters is a story about love. Over the course of the book, Jana learns to love herself, and in doing so, she opens herself up to love from others, including Sontje and the rest of the company daughters. Her journey toward self-acceptance is emotional and moving, as she must learn to come to terms with her past traumas and embrace the parts of herself that do not align with the social norms of the day. She sparks a similar growth in Sontje, encouraging her to be true to herself and to not shy away from their love for one another. With each other, they find happiness in an otherwise bleak existence. It is a love story that is as unforgettable as it is heartbreaking.
Another laudable aspect of this book is that it is rich in historical detail. It brings to life 17th-century Amsterdam and Batavia, painting a physical, as well as cultural, snapshot of the places and time period. It also details the hardships of life at sea, from illness and malnourishment to dangers particular to women, including sexual assault and rape. Moreover, it shines a spotlight on a part of history (the company daughters of the Dutch East India Company) that many people, myself included, had hitherto been unaware of.
With regard to the writing, it is concise and easy to understand. Rajaram’s use of a first-person narrative and present tense imbues the story with an immersive quality: you feel as though you are seeing everything unfold in real time.
The not so good
This is not a bad thing per se but rather something worth noting: The Company Daughters is a largely character-driven story. It is neither fast paced nor action packed, so if you are looking for that, you will not find it in this book. That said, I personally enjoyed The Company Daughters’ slow pace and character-driven nature.
Overall
The Company Daughters surprised me in the best possible way. What I thought would be a more-or-less generic historical romance ended up being so much more. It is a beautiful yet heart-wrenching story about healing, opening oneself up to love, and finding hope, even in the darkest of times.
Have you read The Company Daughters? If so, let me know what you thought of it in the comments section below!
