title: The Heart of the Matter
author: Folau, Puapa'e A. Pepe
description: Recorded as one of the worst disasters in history, and killing more than 500 million people world-wide, the Spanish Influenza stretched its mighty hand even to the remote archipelago of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific. Twenty-thousand people were affected and more than eight-thousand died. As the flu virus swept across the islands, the natives were ill-formed and could not cope with the tragedy. They were horrified, struggling to make sense of the situations as they witnessed their love-ones died within days of contracting the virus. Two very different people found themselves in the middle of this disaster. Foine, an outspoken-native girl who went out of her way to dislike all palagis (white-people) who she claimed had brought the virus to her beloved islands. Sergeant Simon Floyd was a New Zealand soldier who was instrumental in the fight against the spread of the disease. Both were inevitably bound by the tragedy and without warning, they found themselves vulnerable to the desires of the hearts. "The Heart of the Matter" takes you behind some of the devastation as Foine struggled to survive after her own family became victims of the disease. Fate had dealt her a cruel hand, but Foine fought back with resilience and determination. Her unfaltering sense of pride in her country and its people compelled her to get into the heart of the matter.......... About the Author: Puapa'e Folau graduated from the University of Hawaii and San Diego State. She is a veteran educator. She is the author of the memoir, "O Le Aitalafu Ua Le Uma Ona Totogi," and an inspirational book, "Touched by Grace." Please visit her websites: www.outskirtspress.com/puapae and www.outskirtspress.com/touched_by_grace.