Author: Martin Pistorius
Genres: Non-Fiction, Memoir
The New York Times Top 5 bestseller
In January 1988, aged twelve, Martin Pistorius fell inexplicably sick. First he lost his voice and stopped eating; then he slept constantly and shunned human contact. Doctors were mystified.
Within eighteen months he was mute and wheelchair-bound. Martin's parents were told that an unknown degenerative disease had left him with the mind of a baby and he probably had less than two years to live. Martin went on to be cared for at centres for severely disabled children, a shell of the bright, vivacious boy he had once been. What no-one knew is that while Martin's body remained unresponsive his mind slowly woke up, yet he could tell no-one; he was a prisoner inside a broken body.
Then, in 1998, when Martin was twenty-three years old, an aromatherapy masseuse began treating him and sensed some part of him was alert. Experts were dismissive, but his parents persevered and soon realised their son was as intelligent as he'd always been. With no memory of the time before his illness, Martin was a man-child reborn in a world he didn't know. He was still in a wheelchair and unable to speak, but he was brilliantly adept at computer technology. Since then, and against all odds, he has fallen in love, married and set up a design business which he runs from his home in Essex.
Ghost Boy is an incredible, deeply moving story of recovery and the power of love. Through Martin's story we can know what it is like to be here and yet not here - unable to communicate yet feeling and understanding everything. Martin's emergence from his darkness enables us to celebrate the human spirit and is a wake-up call to cherish our own lives.
“It is a deeply affecting and at times shocking book... The Diving Bell and The Butterfly but with a happy ending.”
- The Sunday Times
“[Pistorius’s] levels of empathy are remarkable, perhaps because he was forced for so many years into the role of watcher and listener, hearing people unburden their problems around him, absorbing their pain without them knowing... [his] communication is strikingly direct, almost fearless in the way he confronts emotional reality.”
- Catherine Deveney, Scotland on Sunday
“Martin tells the story of his remarkable recovery—and how he eventually came to find love, a home and a job… Now in a deeply moving – and ultimately uplifting - new book, Martin Pistorius tells the amazing story of life as The Ghost Boy.”
- Irish Mail
“An absolutely incredible read, the most inspiring aspect of Ghost Boy is the endless resolve and humility of the author himself: recognising that he is solely reliant on others if he is to ever escape the confines of his broken body, Pistorius doesn’t become resentful but instead takes advantage of every act of kindness bestowed upon him, making the most of every opportunity to communicate with those around him. Ghost Boy will stay with you long after you turn the final page – but perhaps not in the way that you would expect. Yes it’s emotional. It’s sad. And parts of it are downright harrowing. But it’s also … surprisingly funny.”
- Guru Magazine
Author: Martin Pistorius
Genres: Non-Fiction, Memoir
The New York Times Top 5 bestseller
In January 1988, aged twelve, Martin Pistorius fell inexplicably sick. First he lost his voice and stopped eating; then he slept constantly and shunned human contact. Doctors were mystified.
Within eighteen months he was mute and wheelchair-bound. Martin's parents were told that an unknown degenerative disease had left him with the mind of a baby and he probably had less than two years to live. Martin went on to be cared for at centres for severely disabled children, a shell of the bright, vivacious boy he had once been. What no-one knew is that while Martin's body remained unresponsive his mind slowly woke up, yet he could tell no-one; he was a prisoner inside a broken body.
Then, in 1998, when Martin was twenty-three years old, an aromatherapy masseuse began treating him and sensed some part of him was alert. Experts were dismissive, but his parents persevered and soon realised their son was as intelligent as he'd always been. With no memory of the time before his illness, Martin was a man-child reborn in a world he didn't know. He was still in a wheelchair and unable to speak, but he was brilliantly adept at computer technology. Since then, and against all odds, he has fallen in love, married and set up a design business which he runs from his home in Essex.
Ghost Boy is an incredible, deeply moving story of recovery and the power of love. Through Martin's story we can know what it is like to be here and yet not here - unable to communicate yet feeling and understanding everything. Martin's emergence from his darkness enables us to celebrate the human spirit and is a wake-up call to cherish our own lives.
“It is a deeply affecting and at times shocking book... The Diving Bell and The Butterfly but with a happy ending.”
- The Sunday Times
“[Pistorius’s] levels of empathy are remarkable, perhaps because he was forced for so many years into the role of watcher and listener, hearing people unburden their problems around him, absorbing their pain without them knowing... [his] communication is strikingly direct, almost fearless in the way he confronts emotional reality.”
- Catherine Deveney, Scotland on Sunday
“Martin tells the story of his remarkable recovery—and how he eventually came to find love, a home and a job… Now in a deeply moving – and ultimately uplifting - new book, Martin Pistorius tells the amazing story of life as The Ghost Boy.”
- Irish Mail
“An absolutely incredible read, the most inspiring aspect of Ghost Boy is the endless resolve and humility of the author himself: recognising that he is solely reliant on others if he is to ever escape the confines of his broken body, Pistorius doesn’t become resentful but instead takes advantage of every act of kindness bestowed upon him, making the most of every opportunity to communicate with those around him. Ghost Boy will stay with you long after you turn the final page – but perhaps not in the way that you would expect. Yes it’s emotional. It’s sad. And parts of it are downright harrowing. But it’s also … surprisingly funny.”
- Guru Magazine
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