The Night Ship: A Novel

Written by Jess Kidd

Narrated by Fleur De Wit and Adam Fitzgerald

Based on a true story, an epic historical novel from the award-winning author of Things in Jars that illuminates the lives of two characters: a girl shipwrecked on an island off Western Australia and, three hundred years later, a boy finding a home with his grandfather on the very same island.

1629: A newly orphaned young girl named Mayken is bound for the Dutch East Indies on the Batavia, one of the greatest ships of the Dutch Golden Age. Curious and mischievous, Mayken spends the long journey going on misadventures above and below the deck, searching for a mythical monster. But the true monsters might be closer than she thinks.

1989: A lonely boy named Gil is sent to live off the coast of Western Australia among the seasonal fishing community where his late mother once resided. There, on the tiny reef-shrouded island, he discovers the story of an infamous shipwreck…

With her trademark “thrilling, mysterious, twisted, but more than anything, beautifully written” (Graham Norton, New York Times bestselling author) storytelling, Jess Kidd weaves “a true work of magic” (V.E. Schwab, author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue) about friendship, sacrifice, brutality, and forgiveness.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Oct 4, 2022
• ISBN: 9781797140483

Jess Kidd

Jess Kidd is the award-winning author of The Night Ship, Himself, Mr. Flood’s Last Resort, and Things in Jars. Learn more at JessKidd.com.

Reviews for The Night Ship

[Amanda K. Meiler · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Parallel lives from past and modern stories, both barbaric and brought to life by great detail, especially in the settings.

[luke.eigelbach · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This novel is an absolute treasure. The young protagonists, Mayken and Gil, are two of the most well realized and endearing characters I've ever had the joy of reading. I didn't want to leave them. The tone of the novel - the magical realism, the child narrators, the infinitely rich world - reminded me very much of a Miyazaki film. I highly recommend the audiobook; the readers were excellent, giving personality to the characters without distracting from the story, and I dont think I would have come close to prouncing the Dutch names on my own.

This is my first Jess Kidd but certainly won't be my last. Thank you for this gift, Mx. Kidd.

[Nadia Greuel · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

No fault of the audiobook, but this story was a snooze fest. Beautiful writing, but nothing of substance happened.

[Sandi Tax · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I was intrigued by the true story of the Batavia which will lead me to do research. I realize it is historical fiction but I found it distressing, the cruelty and deaths.