A woman searching for answers in her own life finds them - and much more - in the wreckage and haunting stories of the Batavia shipwreck.

The powerfully moving historical debut from the winner of the Banjo Prize for Fiction. For all fans of Natasha Lester, Lauren Chater and Tea Cooper.

Longlisted for Best Debut Fiction in the Indie Book Awards 2026

Two women. One shipwreck. And four centuries of secrets.

Shortly 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 Batavia shipwreck and her personal family crises.

Amsterdam, 1628. Saskia, an orphaned young Dutchwoman, boards Batavia with 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.

Tess, 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.

'Evocative and compelling! An immersive and engrossing mystery. This wonderful debut by Stefanie Koens kept me enthralled to the last page. 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 Batavia. Heartbreaking and heartwarming' Tania Blanchard

'A masterfully crafted dual timeline that seamlessly weaves past and present into a rich tapestry, bringing four centuries of secrets vividly to life' Tea Cooper