This is a novel about two nine-year-olds, Mayken and Gil. Mayken lives in 1629 and Gil in 1989. Both live in enclosed worlds. Mayken sis on the newly built ship Batavia, is journeying half way round the world to the Dutch East Indies to be reunited with her wealthy father now that her mother has died. Gil has been taken to an island off the West Coast of Australia, part of the Wallabi Group, to live with his grandfather now that also his mother has died.
The narrative alternates between the POVs of the 2 children and the time zones which they live in. We see Mayken exploring and surviving on the Batavia and we see Gil striving to make sense of his new life, the new adults and children on the island.
Eventually there is the shipwreck of the Batavia onto the island where in 1989, Gil will be living. The survivors of the shipwreck salvage what they can and set up camp. We see a new social order emerging on the island – a dreadful oppressive order which is like a cross between ‘Animal Farm’ and ‘Lord of the Flies’.
There is a symmetry about these two stories, both in the big themes of a child making his/her way and in the small details. Just as Mayken dons a different garb to enter the Below World of the ships hold, , so does Gil don different clothes in his Granny’s in a ‘Billy Elliot’ episode of exploring his femininity in the midst of rough, tough men.
Jess Kidd (JK) is supremely successful at having researched in depth the true history of the voyage of the Batavia. As in the best of historical novels, the research is subservient to the interplay of characters. The characterisation of all these people is very skilfully done. JK writes beautifully and evocatively but without over-writing, often in short subject-verb-object sentences, almost as if she’s writing a book for children. But this is not a book for children. Mayken and Gil are survivors and both have to face up to the dreadful deeds of the adults around them. There are touches of magical realism mixed in with the descriptive writing. Both children are aware of monsters – Bullebak for Mayken and Bunyip for Gil.
But halfway through, the narrative pace began to flag. The alternating between the worlds of 1689 and 1989 became too symmetrical and I wanted the drive to see development to become stronger.
Although both stories are brilliantly told, I felt that this was a fundamental problem. l couldn’t see how the one related to the other apart from the broad theme of ‘child making its way in the world’
Disappointingly, the resolution at the end when you might expect the two stories to in some way come together and be resolved was, for me, quite unsatisfying. The story of Mayken would have been enough for me. I loved her courage and bravery, her steadfastness, and wanted to read much more about her.
Not doubt about it, this is great writing and great story telling. Had the focus been on either just Mayken or just Gil, I would have rated it with five stars. But still, a great read.