Author(s): Jess Kidd

Novel | Historical

1629. Embarking on a journey in search of her father, a young girl called Mayken boards the Batavia, the most impressive sea vessel of the age. During the long voyage, this curious and resourceful child must find her place in the ship's busy world, and she soon uncovers shadowy secrets above and below deck. As tensions spiral, the fate of the ship and all on board becomes increasingly uncertain.1989. Gil, a boy mourning the death of his mother, is placed in the care of his irritable and reclusive grandfather. Their home is a shack on a tiny fishing island off the Australian coast, notable only for its reefs and wrecked boats. This is no place for a teenager struggling with a dark past and Gil's actions soon get him noticed by the wrong people. The Night Ship is an enthralling tale of human cruelty, fate and friendship, and of two children, hundreds of years apart, whose fates are inextricably bound together.

REVIEW:

'Kidd's imagination is a thing of wonder.' New York Times
'Kidd's writing is never less than surprising and original.' Irish Independent
'Kidd has imagination to die for.' Guardian

“Lyrical, haunting, a beautiful and elegant fictional interpretation of history, I loved it”   KATE MOSSE

“A novel of mutiny and imagination connecting two children hundreds of years apart”   Guardian

“The ambition and execution of [Jess Kidd’s] new book The Night Ship is breathtaking! Sweet and grim, epic and domestic – I loved it … readers are in for a treat”   GRAHAM NORTON

“Jess Kidd is a wonderful writer and this dazzling new novel is breathtaking in its imaginative reach”   DAVID PARK

“A tender, heartbreaking and, at times, very funny evocation of childhood and how past events can haunt the consciousness of the present. The Night Ship is an amazing story, a triumph of the imagination”   MARY COSTELLO

Author Biography: Jess Kidd was brought up in London as part of a large family from county Mayo and has been praised for her unique fictional voice. Her debut, Himself, was shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards in 2016, the Authors' Club Best First Novel Award 2017 and longlisted for the John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger 2017. Jess won the 2016 Costa Short Story Award. Her second novel, The Hoarder, also titled Mr. Flood's Last Resort (U.S.), was shortlisted for the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year 2019 and longlisted for the 2020 International Dublin Literary Award. Her third book, the Victorian detective tale Things in Jars, has been released to critical acclaim. Jess's work has been described as 'Gabriel Garcia Marquez meets The Pogues.' Jess's first book for children, Everyday Magic, was published in April 2021. Jess's fourth novel for adults, The Night Ship, will be released in July 2022. Jess is currently developing her own original TV projects with leading UK and international TV producers.