{"product_id":"9781460733073_daughters-of-batavia","title":"Daughters of Batavia","description":"\u003cp\u003eA woman searching for answers in her own life finds them - and much more - in the wreckage and haunting stories of the \u003cem\u003eBatavia \u003c\/em\u003eshipwreck.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe powerfully moving historical debut from the winner of the Banjo Prize for Fiction. For all fans of Natasha Lester, Lauren Chater and Tea Cooper.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShortlisted for Best Debut Fiction in the Indie Book Awards 2026\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTwo women. One shipwreck. And four centuries of secrets.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShortly before Christmas in 2018, Tess McCarthy, after years as a hard-working English teacher who never did anything out of the ordinary, flies to Western Australia's remote Abrolhos Islands. She is in search of answers - both to the infamous \u003cem\u003eBatavia \u003c\/em\u003eshipwreck and her personal family crises.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAmsterdam, 1628. Saskia, an orphaned young Dutchwoman, boards \u003cem\u003eBatavia \u003c\/em\u003ewith relatives, bound for a new and potentially dangerous life in the East Indies - only for her world to first collide with Aris Jansz, the ship's taciturn under surgeon.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTess, Saskia and Aris - their lives linked by secrets that span generations - carry the baggage of past losses and the uncertainty of their futures. And, in the most unlikely circumstances, they may find qualities that echo through centuries: faith, acceptance, and love.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Evocative and compelling! An immersive and engrossing mystery. This wonderful debut by Stefanie Koens \u003cstrong\u003ekept me enthralled to the last page\u003c\/strong\u003e. A beautiful synergy between the present and the past, between history and a richly drawn portrayal of the personal stories of those who perished and those who survived the famous shipwreck of the \u003cem\u003eBatavia\u003c\/em\u003e. \u003cstrong\u003eHeartbreaking and heartwarming\u003c\/strong\u003e' Tania Blanchard\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'A \u003cstrong\u003emasterfully crafted\u003c\/strong\u003e dual timeline that seamlessly weaves past and present into a rich tapestry, bringing four centuries of secrets vividly to life' Tea Cooper\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Stefanie Koens","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46900225605781,"sku":"9781460733073","price":46.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0484\/3175\/9509\/files\/9781460733073_793bbcf9-3b87-4d30-baab-4f7dd498fec8.jpg?v=1776888603","url":"https:\/\/harpercollins.com.au\/products\/9781460733073_daughters-of-batavia","provider":"HarperCollins AU","version":"1.0","type":"link"}