In "The Night Ship," Jess Kidd embarks on a masterful voyage across time, weaving together the lives of two lost souls separated by centuries but united by the mysteries of a single island. With the precision of a historian and the lyrical prowess of a poet, Kidd tells the tale of Mayken, a young girl orphaned and adrift on the perilous seas of the 17th century aboard the Dutch galleon, the Batavia. Her journey, filled with the quest for mythical monsters and real-life horrors, mirrors the emotional odyssey of Gil, a boy in 1989 searching for belonging on the same remote island off Western Australia where Mayken's ship met its fate. Through Kidd's narrative, the island emerges not just as a backdrop but as a character itself, holding secrets of survival, the depths of human cruelty, and the possibility of redemption. Crafted with a deft hand and an eye for the hauntingly beautiful, "The Night Ship" is a testament to the power of stories to connect us across the expanse of time. Kidd's narrative is a delicate tapestry of friendship, sacrifice, and the indomitable human spirit facing the monstrous and the mundane. This novel is not merely a historical account of the Batavia's ill-fated voyage; it is a profound exploration of the monsters that lurk in human hearts and the light of human kindness that can vanquish them. Through Mayken and Gil's intertwined stories, Jess Kidd offers a spellbinding narrative that captivates and illuminates, proving once again her prowess as a storyteller of unmatched skill.