Shadow of the Boyd is a powerful story from our colonial past, the bitter clash of two cultures from the point of view of a young boy who survived the infamous massacre of the Boyd. In November 1809, the sailing ship Boyd is cutting through the Tasman Sea on her way to New Zealand. On board are George, a Maori youth on his way home to the Bay of Islands, and Thomas Davidson, an apprentice sailor on his first voyage. The two become friends, of a sort, but their friendship will soon be stretched to breaking point. George is suddenly taken ill, and can barely walk when he is ordered on deck to help furl the sails. He refuses, and is hauled before the captain for punishment. As Thomas watches his friend's brutal flogging, he is shocked by the violence - little does he know that George's revenge will be swift and terrible. Written in a dairy format from the safety of the rescue ship, Thomas reflects on his experiences from when the Boyd leaves England to when he returns nearly two years later.

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