Ghost Boy: The Miraculous Escape of a Misdiagnosed Boy Trapped Inside His Own Body (2011)

In Chapter 12, “Life and Death,” Martin recalls the experience of testing various communication software programs. The stakes for Martin were incredibly high because he was once again learning how to engage with the world. The weight of the decision, one that felt like a life and death conundrum, caused Martin some anxiety, but eventually when he was able to say hello on the computer to his sister Kim in her new home in England, the choice of software became secondary to the liberating exhilaration that came with his ability to speak.

Chapter 13, “My Mother,” delves into Martin’s relationships with his mother, Joan, and its complicated dynamics. The beginning of the chapter centers around the time his mother spent helping him master his new communication methods, which consisted of hours upon hours of practice, learning how to speak again, and reacquiring vocabulary from scratch. While Martin progresses rapidly, he also voices his frustration, as he writes, “I’m entirely dependent on her to suggest every word I want added to my new vocabulary” (60). The chapter then shifts to memories of the past, when his mother struggled with caring for Martin. Her pain caused countless arguments with Rodney, which just exacerbated her grief. After a particularly bad argument, she looked up at Martin and said, “You must die. You have to die” (63). Concerned that Martin’s condition would swallow up their family, she felt like Martin’s death would provide respite. The chapter ends with Martin’s confession that he has forgiven his mother for what he calls “her mistakes” (64) and hopes that she has forgiven herself, too.

In Chapter 14, “Other Worlds,” Martin recounts a particular fantasy of his, a place of retreat where he could forget his present circumstances through his imagination. In this daydream, he was a pirate boy on a great adventure. As Martin explains:

I used to immerse myself in such fantasies to escape the feelings that threatened to overwhelm me when I thought I’d be trapped forever. […] the door through which I entered new worlds and conquered them—the place where I was free (67).

Chapter 15, “Fried Egg,” provides an anecdote about how challenging Martin’s communication system often was. The chapter title refers to how complicated Martin’s request for breakfast could often be, as he had to work through switches and grids just to arrive at the words “fried egg.” In Chapter 16, “I Tell a Secret,” Martin chronicles his first heartbreak. He has fallen in love with Virna, but she doesn’t’ reciprocate the feelings. Instead, she says, “we can only ever be friends” (75). While Martin has experienced various forms of physical and mental pain, the unique pain of heartbreak is new ground for him. Chapter 17, “The Bite,” provides yet another anecdote about Martin’s new ability to communicate. This time he communicates by biting his father, Rodney, as his father tries to pop a pimple on Martin’s back.