The sickness that came on the boat
This fictional story is set in Sāmoa in 1918, as influenza arrives on the ship Talune.
About this resource
Series: Connected
The sickness that came on the boat
Words by Victor Rodger
Illustrations by Andrew Burdan
In this fictional text, the child narrator describes the arrival and impacts of the influenza pandemic that killed over one fifth of the Samoan population. The text looks at themes of pandemic, colonisation, and family.
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More from this series
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Connected 2023 Level 4 – Hear our voices
In this Connected series book there are three articles ("From darkness into the light: Disability in Aotearoa New Zealand"; "From influenza to independence"; "The sickness that came on the boat").
1 of 3From darkness into the light - Disability in Aotearoa
This article provides an overview of ways that attitudes towards disability have changed in Aotearoa New Zealand.
2 of 3From influenza to independence
This infographic outlines some key events in the historical relationship between Aotearoa New Zealand and Sāmoa, beginning with New Zealand’s invasion of Sāmoa in 1914 and the New Zealand government’s apology in 2002.
3 of 3
