The Night Ship

 

Author: Jess Kidd

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Year: 2022

🎧 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 🎧

Where are my historical fiction fans? Can I tempt you with a story that has dual timelines, dual POVs, and a sea voyage? 

The first timeline is set in 1629 when Mayken, a precocious young girl, and her nanny set sail on the great ship Batavia. They are bound for the Dutch East Indies. The trip is long and arduous. During the trip, Mayken makes friends with the ship’s crew and has adventures searching for a mythical monster. Tragedy strikes when the vessel is shipwrecked on a small island off Western Australia. 

The second timeline takes place 300 years later. Gil, a lonely boy grieving the death of his mom, is sent to live with his gruff grandfather on a small island off the coast of Western Australia. Gil learns about the tragic shipwreck and the ghost of a little girl who roams the island. 

Author Jess Kidd skillfully and fluidly weaves both timelines together. Gil’s timeline pulled at my heartstrings a bit more than Mayken’s. Gil was just so lonely and desperate to make a connection with his grandfather or anyone else in the island’s small fishing community. Narrators Fleur De Wit and Adam Fitzgerald voice each timeline with pathos and emotion. 

The Night Ship is a great choice for readers searching for historical fiction that’s not centered on World War II or those looking for something a little different. I thought this was a really unique story that took me out of my reading comfort zone. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

Thank to @simon.audio and @librofm for the complimentary audiobook. 

QOTD: have you ever been on a cruise? 

My family went on a cruise when I was about 10 years old. We went to Naussa and the Bahamas. From what I remember, it was a lot of fun. My husband and I have talked doing an Alaskan cruise sometime. We know lots of people who’ve gone and loved it. 

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