Abandon Ship!: The Diary of Debbie Atherton, Wellington, 1968

My New Zealand Story

by Shirley Corlett

It is 1968 when Debbie’s grandmother gives her a copy of her forefather’s old sea journal. She finds it fascinating and very different from her own diary of school life and troubles with friends. One day, sick in bed, she thinks her long-dead relative is trying to tell her something. And then she boards the ferry Wahine for a voyage to Wellington.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Diary

143 pages, Paperback

Published October 19, 2003

Reviews

[Molly]

This entire series is a wonderful way to learn history or teach it to adolescents. I find today's generations seem to recall more when they learn through other people (pop songs, celebrity gossip, etc.), so what better way to teach history than through someone else's perspective? Yes, "authentic" diaries would be "better", but would the language really hold the modern student's attention? Did the diary writer know what WOULD be important in the context of history? Probably not.

[Rachal · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read.

[Grace Cortese · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the beginning it was a bit slow but then it got really exciting!

[chelsea ♡ chelseareadit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pre reading this before giving to my students for a novel study. Enjoyable way to learn about history and many of the examples are written to engage today’s young people. I liked it, I think they will too.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

.An entertaining way to learn about the Wahine Disaster, that provides historical context and has you sympathizing with those affected

[LibraryKath · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another book I picked up to read in preparation for the kid's book club I host at work. It was so riveting I read it all in about two hours, something I haven't done in a long time. It's a fiction piece set around the actual Wahine Disaster, the wreck of the Wahine inter-island ferry in the Wellington Harbour. It tells the story of Debbie, a 12 year old girls living in Wellington in 1968 who develops glandular fever and is reading the diaries of an ancestor, a ship's doctor aboard the Birman between England and New Zealand in 1841. Debbie is sent to Christchurch by her parents to spend time with relatives while she recovers, and then her journey home is aboard the Wahine. Author Shirley Corlett has then woven a survival story from historical accounts of the event.

I've always been fascinated by shipwrecks, so I knew this would interest me, but now I want to go and read EVERYTHING about the Wahine disaster! I'll definitely be recommending this one to the kids at book club.

[Rebekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. Written as a diary of a 12 year old girl it has the usual "boys are so stupid" comments of the almost teen. The descriptions of what happened on board he ship made you feel like you were actually there. I actually had tears in my eyes imagine how horrific it would have been.